Topend Sports Logo

The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is the second oldest horse race in America (the oldest is the Belmont Stakes). The race track was built on farmland in Louisville, Kentucky. The first race was held on May 17, 1875, with 10 thousand people in attendance, and has been held every year since. In the first event, an African-American named Oliver Lewis rode the winner, Aristides.

The Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby

The race is held yearly in Louisville, Kentucky, United States during the first Saturday in May. It caps off the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival.

The race is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds with a length of 2 kilometers at Churchill Downs. Colts and Geldings carry 57 kilograms or 126 pounds and fillies 55 kilograms or 121 pounds.

In the United States, the race is known to be “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because of its duration. It is also known to be “The Run for the Roses” because the winner is draped with 554 red roses, a tradition which started in 1883.



The Kentucky Derby is one event of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and is the most prestigious of these races. The other events are Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. To win the Triple Crown, the horse must win all the three races in the same year.

The audience for the Kentucky Derby usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races including the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup.

More Information

Recent Races



Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Major Events Extra

The largest sporting event in the world is the Olympic Games, but there are many other multi-sport games. In terms of single sport events, nothing beats the FIFA World Cup. To see what's coming up, check out the calendar of major sporting events.

 → How to Cite