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Kentucky Derby Facts

For those of you new to horse racing, I thought I would take the time to list some interesting facts dealing with horse racing's biggest race – the Kentucky Derby. These facts will give you a crash course in the history of the race and will have you feeling like an old horse racing vet in no time. I hope you enjoy these Kentucky Derby facts.

The Kentucky Derby was founded by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of William Clark who explored the Louisiana Purchase territory with Meriwether Lewis. The Churchill Downs race track was name for Colonel Lewis Jr.'s relatives John and Henry Churchill. As you can see, just the names associated with this track make it historic. The Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday in May every year and concludes the two week long Kentucky Derby festival which include a balloon race, steamboat race, marathon, and one of the largest parades in the United States. The Kentucky Derby was run on a 1 ½ mile track from the first 20 years and is now run on a 1 ¼ mile track. While many tracks have gone to synthetic surfaces, Churchill Downs remains a dirt track, sticking with its tradition. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 155,000 fans attend the Derby each year, making it one of the highest attended sporting events in the United States. The Kentucky Derby is also known by its nicknames, "the most exciting two minutes in sports" and "the run for the roses." The first one refers to the approximate duration on the race and the second one stems from the tradition of the winning horse getting a blanket of roses draped on its back.

Race in General

The race is for three-year-old thoroughbreds. Colts and Geldings can carry 126 pounds and fillies get to carry five pounds less. For really strong fillies, this can be a serious advantage. The current purse for the 2008 Kentucky Derby is 2 millions dollars. Prior to 2005, only the top four Derby horses were paid. Now the top five horses receive their portion of the purse for their efforts. Besides its 130-plus year tradition, the Kentucky Derby is the biggest horse race of the year because it is the first leg of the Triple Crown, which also consists of the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. We usually don't here too much Triple Crown talk until after we have a Derby winner. The Derby has had some great horses, 11 that have gone on to win the Triple Crown, but none have ran the Derby faster than the great Secretariat. Secretariat won the race in 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds in 1973, breaking the previous record held by Northern Dancer in 1964. Secretariat went on to win the Triple Crown and also set a track record at the Belmont Stakes.

Biggest Underdog Winner

If you can sniff out a big dog at the Derby, you'll be well on your way to a nice chunk of change. Those who pegged Donerail in 1913 as a 91.45/1 underdog really got paid as the horse won the Kentucky Derby as the biggest dog of all time. Giacomo, the 2005 winner, is the second biggest underdog if Derby history at 50.3/1 odds.

Mint Julep

Besides the excitement of seeing powerful horses in action and wagering on that action, the Derby is a big social event with the Mint Julep at the center of it. It is an iced drink with Kentucky bourbon, mint, and a sweet sugar syrup. You'll see race aficionados carrying them around in their souvenir cups with all the previous Derby winners printed on them. And race goers have to get their hands on some Burgoo also. The thick stew of chicken, pork, beef, and veggies is the most popular dish served at the Derby and it spurred on the name of 1932 Kentucky Derby winner Burgoo King.

Make sure you check out all of Jimmy Boyd's Kentucky Derby articles, especially his Kentucky Derby predictions and Kentucky Derby Betting Guide, for all you need to know to bet this year's big race.

April 23rd, 2008