The Kentucky Derby: Race History & Key Facts

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A Brief History of the Kentucky Derby

The most famous horse race in the world is the most thrilling two minutes in sport.  It takes place on the first Saturday in May at the historic Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky and regularly attended by more than 150,000 people. The record attendance was 165,307 in 2012, and in 2014 164,906 watched California Chrome win "the run for the roses".

The inaugural Kentucky Derby took place in 1875 after Col. Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr had visited England three years earlier and witnessed the Epsom Derby, a famous race which had been run since 1780 on the outskirts of London. The Kentucky Derby was originally raced over the same distance of 1 & 1/2 miles as the Epsom Derby (it was changed to its current distance of 1 & 1/4 miles in 1896. An estimated crowd of 10,000 watched the colt Aristides crowned winner of the first running of the race at the newly constructed Churchill Downs racecourse.

The first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was in 1925, and it wasn't until 1949 that the first television coverage of the race happened. In 2015 the race will be covered live by NBC.

The race is so popular that in the preceding two weeks leading up to the running, the city of Louisville holds the Kentucky Derby Festival, Kentucky’s largest single annual event. The Kentucky Derby Festival is comprised of several events, including Thunder Over Louisville (the biggest annual fireworks display in North America), the Great Balloon Race, the Pegasus Parade (one the countries largest), and The Great Steamboat Race.

Entries into the Kentucky Derby include some of the most famous racehorses to ever compete. Notable entries into the race include Regret, Sir Burton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Citation, Northern Dancer, Seattle Slew, War Emblem, and California Chrome.

Visit our Derby Trivia page for more insights into the most famous race in the world, including detailed facts about entries, records, and winners.

BetAmerica is a licensed supplier of online betting on the Kentucky Derby.  You can bet on the Kentucky Derby legally online at BetAmerica with a regulated U.S. based website where your deposits are safe and your winnings are guaranteed.  All bets are placed directly into the official Churchill Downs betting pools and all winnings are paid at full track odds.

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Bet On The Kentucky Derby – Race Records

Scroll over any box below to view the historical records for the Kentucky Derby: