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Event Information:
The
Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes
race for three-year-old Thoroughbred
horses, held annually in Louisville,
Kentucky, United States on the first
Saturday in May, capping the
two-week-long Kentucky Derby
Festival. The race is one and a
quarter mile (2 km) at Churchill
Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126
pounds and fillies 121 pounds. The
race is known in the United States
as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in
Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes
in Sports" for its approximate
duration, and is also called "The
Run for the Roses" for the blanket
of roses draped over the winner. It
is the first leg of the United
States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred
Racing and is followed by the
Preakness Stakes then the Belmont
Stakes. The horse must win all three
to win the Triple Crown. The
attendance at the Kentucky Derby
ranks first in North America and
usually surpasses the attendance of
all other stakes races including the
Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and
the Breeders' Cup. For more
information, see American
Thoroughbred Racing top Attended
Events.
Watch the Kentucky Derby live
streaming online
The
Kentucky Derby is one of the USA's
oldest Thoroughbred horse races (the
Phoenix Stakes being the oldest,
first run in 1831). From the time
the region was settled, the fields
of the Bluegrass region were noted
for producing superior racehorses.
In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis
Clark, Jr., grandson of William
Clark of the Lewis and Clark
expedition, traveled to England,
visiting the Epsom Derby, a famous
race that had been running annually
since 1780. From there, Clark went
on to Paris, France, where in 1863,
a group of racing enthusiasts had
formed the French Jockey Club and
had organized the Grand Prix de
Paris, which at the time was the
greatest race in France.
Returning home to Kentucky, Clark
organized the Louisville Jockey Club
for the purpose of raising money to
build quality racing facilities just
outside of the city. The track would
soon become known as Churchill
Downs, named for Meriwether Lewis
Clark Jr.'s relatives, John and
Henry Churchill, who had provided
the land for the racetrack.
Officially, the racetrack was
incorporated as Churchill Downs in
1937. In addition to the race
itself, a number of traditions play
a large role in the Derby
atmosphere. The Mint Julep, an iced
drink consisting of bourbon, mint
and a sugar syrup is the traditional
beverage of the race. The historic
drink can be served in an
ice-frosted silver julep cup but
most Churchill Downs patrons sip
theirs from souvenir glasses (first
offered in 1939 and available in
revised form each year since)
printed with all previous Derby
winners. Also, burgoo, a thick stew
of beef, chicken, pork and
vegetables, is a popular Kentucky
dish served at the Derby.
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