GREENWICH, N.Y. — The first Saturday in May is upon us which means it is time for the Kentucky Derby! The event that has become an institution in American sport and culture is celebrating its 150th running this year. The 1.25-mile race for three-year-old thoroughbreds has been run every year since 1875 which gives it the distinction of being the longest running American sporting event.
While the Kentucky Derby has been happening for a long time the sport of horse racing is much older. Though it likely occurred before, the earliest recorded instances of horse racing date to the Ancient Greek Olympics where both bareback and chariot racing were events. It is also believed that horse racing was prominent in parts of the Middle East and North Africa where several speedy horse breeds originated. A bit later in Medieval England horses were raced by professional riders to display their speed to potential buyers. In the 1600s organized racing became more established in Europe thanks to King Charles the II in England and King Louis XIV in France, both of whom were fond of watching and wagering on races.
Racing in the United States started in the 1660s when British troops stationed in New York set up organized races on Long Island. Racing was popular on the East Coast during America’s early history and Kentucky developed an equine industry by the late 1700s. The state’s central and northern Bluegrass region with its lush pastures became an ideal region for raising horses. Unfortunately, the Civil War hurt Kentucky’s horse industry through damage to lands and raids which depleted farms of their horses.
In the 1870s some horse enthusiasts in Louisville, Kentucky were looking to establish a racetrack and revive horse racing in the city and state. They sought out the banker, socialite, and horseman Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. to accomplish this aspiration. Clark, who was the grandson of William Clark of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition, agreed to lead the project and in 1872 spent the year traveling in Europe to observe some of the continent’s racetracks. While in England Clark attended the Epsom Derby, a prominent English race that began in 1780, and afterward was inspired to create an American version of this English horse racing spectacle.
In 1874 Clark and others formed the Louisville Jockey Club to help raise funds for a permanent race track in Louisville, Kentucky. That same year Clark’s uncles, Henry and John Churchill, donated land that they owned south of Louisville as a site for the racetrack. In 1883 the track was named Churchill Downs in honor of the benefactors.
After securing funding and construction, the racetrack was opened and the first Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875. In front of a crowd of 10,000 spectators, the race was won by the horse Aristides who was guided by a jockey named Oliver Lewis. In the first Derby thirteen of the fifteen jockeys, including Lewis, were black. Black jockeys were common in 19th-century horse racing, and 15 of the first 28 winners of the Kentucky Derby were African-American. Two renowned black jockeys of the era were Isaac Murphy, who won consecutive derbies in 1890-1891, and Jimmy Winkfield, who won consecutively in 1901-1902. Sadly, an increase in discriminatory laws pushed African American jockeys out of the sport in the early 20th century.
Though the race had become an annual event, the Kentucky Derby was not financially successful for its first twenty-five years. However, in 1902 Louisville businessman Martin “Matt” Winn purchased the track and implemented changes that helped turn the Kentucky Derby into the big event that it is today. Within the first year of ownership renovations were made to the racetrack and grounds to make it more appealing to spectators. In the face of anti-bookmaking laws, Winn replaced bookmaking with the more popular pari-mutuel betting (pool betting) at Churchill Downs in 1908. In 1911 minimum wagering limits were reduced from $5 to $2 which opened the Derby to a larger segment of potential attendees.
An insightful marketer, Winn started the tradition of inviting celebrities to attend the Kentucky Derby and publicized their visits to encourage attendance. He was also a strong supporter of the radio. In 1925 the Kentucky Derby was broadcast over the radio for the first time and an audience of 5-6 million people were able to listen to the call of Flying Ebony’s win furthering the prestige of the race. In that same year the term “Run for the Roses” was first used to describe the race by sports journalist Bill Corum in honor of the rose garland that is placed on the winning horse. The nickname has stuck along with others like, “The fastest two minutes in sports!”
In addition to Winn’s changes, the Kentucky Derby benefitted from a string of headline-making winners in 1913-1915. In 1913 Donerail won with the biggest upset to date at the Derby winning the race at 91-1 odds. Old Rosebud, the 1914 winner, set a new track record that year. 1915’s race made history as Regret became the first filly to win the Derby. The publicity that these winners generated helped solidify the Kentucky Derby as a premier sporting event in the U.S.
Even in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II, the Kentucky Derby was run each year in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1930 the Kentucky Derby was positioned as the first race of the Triple Crown (another idea championed by Matt Winn) along with the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. The following year the Kentucky Derby was scheduled to be run on the first Saturday in May each year. The race’s appeal continued to spread during this time as it was broadcast internationally for the first time in 1932.
The Derby was locally telecast in 1949, and nationally telecast for the first time in 1952 garnering 10-15 million viewers. An offshoot of the introduction of television was a heightening of the Derby’s fashion tradition in the 1960s. Though the Kentucky Derby always possessed a sense of formality, the prospect of being seen on television encouraged attendees to wear sophisticated apparel, most notably large hats that have become more over-the-top as the years have gone on.
The 1970s saw several historic moments at the Kentucky Derby highlighted by Secretariat winning 1973’s race with the fastest time ever recorded on the track. Secretariat’s time of 1:59.40 led him to victory at the Derby and he eventually went on to win the Triple Crown. The 70s brought other Triple Crown winners with Seattle Slew and Affirmed winning in consecutive years in 1977 and 1978. Also, in 1970 Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby finishing fifteenth out of eighteenth.
More recent years have also brought memorable races and memorable horses. 1988’s champion Winning Colors was just the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby and the last filly to do so. In 2006 Barbaro caught the attention of fans after a dominant win in the Derby, and later won their affection and support after he sadly broke his leg competing in the Preakness Stakes. American Pharoah won in 2015 and would eventually go on to win the Triple Crown ending a 37-year drought of no Triple Crown winners. In 2019’s race winner Maximum Security was disqualified for an on-track infraction during the race giving Country House the win after an agonizing 22-minute review. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Kentucky Derby was still able to be run, albeit in September and before a mostly empty grandstand.
Whether good or bad the race always seems to live up to its billing as, “The most exciting two minutes in sports.” After 150 years the Kentucky Derby remains a marquee event on the American sports calendar, and its appeal continues to draw people of all kinds. So, who is in the lineup for this year’s Kentucky Derby? The morning line favorite is Fierceness coming in with 5-2 odds to win the race. Sierra Leone (3-1) and Catching Freedom (8-1) are also being given good chances to win. If you’re feeling lucky you can root for the longshots as West Saratoga, Grand Mo the First, and Society Man have 50-1 odds to win. Regardless of who wins a few things are certain: many mint juleps will be sipped, some statement-making hats will be donned, wagers will be won and lost, and some amazing animal athletes will display their speed and strength.
Chandler Hansen grew up and lives in Easton, NY. He is a graduate of Gordon College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in History. He serves as a writer and editor for Morning Ag Clips.
