The Kentucky Derby (The Run for the Roses)
The Kentucky Derby (The Run for the Roses)The Kentucky Derby is one of thoroughbred racing’s most prestigious events and has been held annually since its inception. It is the first leg of the famed “Triple Crown in Thoroughbred Racing” or simply “Triple Crown.” The Kentucky Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday of May as the finale to the weeklong Kentucky Derby Festival.Started by Colonel M. Lewis Clark in 1875 at Clark’s then newly opened Louisville Jockey Club Course, the Kentucky Derby was designed to make Kentucky a hotspot for thoroughbred racing and was aimed to be one of the biggest social events in Kentucky. The first Kentucky Derby, held on May 17, 1875 (the facility’s inauguration day), saw the derby’s first winner in a steed named Aristides, driven by African-American jockey Oliver Lewis.Subsequent races were patterned after the Epsom Derby that ran for 1.5 miles long. However, horse owners and breeders voiced their disagreement over the length of the course. Consequently, in 1896, the distance was reduced to 1.25 miles. The race’s popularity dwindled by the late 1800s and the early 1900s, largely because of the growing antigambling sentiments during the time.Colonel Matt Winn came and gained part-ownership of the racetrack in 1903, a move that would save the facility from closure. Under Winn’s leadership, the race regained its prominence in the thoroughbred racing circuit.The 2008 Kentucky Derby winner is a 3-year old colt named Big Brown. Big Brown also won the 2008 Preakness Stakes.