Most kids, especially little girls go thru an "Oh my gosh I love horses SO MUCH" stage. Some of us outgrown it, unfortunately for my husband, I have not. This weekend marks the 143 running of The Kentucky Derby. I remember being a little girl, getting excited about the race. All that week, my Great Grandmother, Deedee, and I would talk about the horses. We would read horse books, and share horse tales from our own horse adventures. We didn't have a lot of money, so instead of going out and buying a fancy hat like the ladies I would see at the races on TV she would give me an old straw hat that I would decorate. That poor hat! Here's a kid, maybe 6 or 7, going thru bits of old fabric and saved leftover ribbons from Birthday presents past, globbing white school glue all over everything trying to make the perfect Derby hat. Come Derby Day, we were in one of two places....either in front of the TV in her bedroom, the one with rabbit ears made from an old metal coat hanger and aluminum foil, or we were at her sister Gin's house. I loved Gin. She never outgrew that horse stage I mentioned earlier, and to me, that was just great. She knew so much about horses, she even still had one right there in her yard. A big black beast of a horse named Taffy. Taffy was a saddlebred, not a thoroughbred like the horses we were watching on TV, but I was sure Taffy was much faster than those famous horses. Deedee, Gin and I would gather around the TV, me with my glass of tea and the ladies with an afternoon cocktail, all of which were in these beautiful glasses that had horses painted on them. I sure thought I was something in my fancy ribbon hat and grown lady tea glass! Then the horses would make their way across the TV screen. the announcers would give their names and some stats. Deedee would say things like "That looks like an old nag to me" or "Oh my, Would you look at that one, isn't he something!?" Gin would comment on their confirmation and how the jockey handled them. We would pick the one we liked the best, and when the race started we would yell "Run horse, RUN!" at the television. In less than three minutes it was over, but those memories stayed a lifetime. Up until my Deedee's death at the age of 96, we would still make it a point to be together to watch the Run For The Roses, so called for the drape of roses the horse gets upon their win. Deedee always made sure if I was interested in something, that I learned as much as I could about it. Today, as I get excited for this weekends race I thought I would share with you some Kentucky Derby history...and do just as Deedee did to me...trick me into learning!
The Kentucky Derby is the longest running sporting event in the US, getting it's start back in 1875. Even during struggling times in our Nation like the World Wars and even the great Depression,, the race was still held. Sometimes folks just need a tradition. It all began when a fella named Meriwether Lewis Clark traveled across the ocean to Europe. While he was there he was a spectator atthe Epsom Derby in England. he was in awe of the event, and vowed to recreate a race like it in the US. Two of his uncles, John & Henry Churchill, gave Clark the land to develop a racetrack, and by formally organizing a group of local race fans to be named the Louisville Jockey Club, Clark and his new club raised the money to build a permanent racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. On May 17th, 1875, the racetrack opened its gates and the Louisville Jockey Club sponsored the very first Kentucky Derby. A total of fifteen three-year-old Thoroughbred horses raced one and a half miles in front of a cheering crowd of approximately 10,000 spectators, and the rest is history. I've included a timeline below, for those that really want the details on the changes at the track. Times have changed, but the traditions continue at the Derby. In 1875, ladies wanted to wear their finest to the races, and in those days that definitely included a hat! Lucky for us gals (and unlucky for that ole straw hat) we still have the chance to show off out magnificent hats today! Take a look at the full list of Kentucky Derby Winners below, as well as a list of the 20 steeds running for the Roses this weekend. NBC Sports will have live coverage of the Kentucky Derby with coverage beginning at 2:30pm ET on Saturday (5/6/17) on NBC. Pick your favorite, wear your hat, sip on that Mint Julep (recipe below) and don't forget to yell "Run horse, RUN!"
1874 – Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark forms the Louisville Jockey Club and acquires land for racetrack from his uncles John & Henry Churchill.
1875 – The first Kentucky Derby race takes place on May 17th. Aristides races 1.5 miles to win, in a field of fifteen horses, in front of a crowd of 10,000 spectators.
1883 – Leonatus wins the Derby, and the name “Churchill Downs” is first used to landmark the racetrack that is the home of the Kentucky Derby.
1889 – Bookmakers demand that Colonel Clark remove pari-mutuel betting machines, because they are cutting into the bookmakers profits. Spokane wins the Derby.
1894 – Due to the growing crowd size, a 285-foot grandstand is constructed to accommodate race fans. Chant wins the Derby.
1895 – The famed Twin Spires greet the Kentucky Derby crowd, on May 6th. Halma wins the Derby.
1896 – It is thought that the distance of the Derby race is too long for three year old Thoroughbreds that early in the spring, so the distance of the Derby race is shortened from one and a half miles to one and a quarter miles. Ben Brush wins the Derby, and he receives a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.
1899 – Founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, commits suicide on April 22, 1899, just twelve days before the 25th running of the Kentucky Derby, where Manuel wins.
1903 – Now under the leadership of Colonel Matt J. Winn, the racetrack celebrates its first profit after the Kentucky Derby on May 2nd where Judge Himes wins the race.
1904 – The red rose becomes the official flower of the Kentucky Derby and Elwood wins the race.
1908 – The use of pari-mutuel wagering machines is restored, and bookmakers are outlawed. The Derby day crowd bets a total of $67,570 of which $18,300 is placed on the Derby race alone. Stone Street wins the Derby.
1911 – The minimum bet is reduced from $5 to $2, and a betting booth is introduced. Two men are stationed in a booth to receive fans’ bets – one sells the wagering ticket, and the other operates a clicker to account for the number of tickets sold. Meridian wins the Derby.
1913 – The fees to enter a horse in the Derby and the Derby winning prize money are restructured. The new charges are $25 to nominate a horse for the Kentucky Derby and $100 for the horse to actually run in the race. With those collected fees, plus Churchill Downs adding $5,000 to the purse, the winning horse receives $5,475. Donerail wins the Derby, and becomes the longest shot to win. He pays $184.90 to win bets, $41.20 to place bets, and $13.20 to show bets.
1914 – Old Rosebud wins the Derby and sets a new track record, finishing the race in 2:03:04 and eight lengths ahead of the second place finisher.
1915 – For the third consecutive year, the Kentucky Derby splashes the news, as the first filly, Regret, wins the race. This publicity establishes the Kentucky Derby as a premier sporting event in America, after its 41st running.
1919 – Sir Barton wins the Derby and is also the first winner of what would become the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. In the span of just 32 days, Sir Barton won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Withers Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
1922 – Mor Vich wins the Derby and, in addition to the winning purse, he receives a gold buffet service piece including a cup and candlesticks. The prize is valued at $7,000 and is the first Derby presentation of its kind. 1924 – Black Gold wins the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby, and he receives a trophy, exactly like the one presented today.
1925 – The first network radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby takes place on May 16th, with about 5 to 6 million listeners tuning in to hear Flying Ebony win the Derby. Also, notable in the year, the phrase “Run for the Roses®” is coined by Bill Corum, a sports columnist for the New York Evening Journal and the New York Journal - American.
1930 – Gallant Fox wins the Derby, and the term Triple Crown is officially used by the New York Times to describe his combined wins in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
1931 – The Kentucky Derby is permanently scheduled for the first Saturday in May, as opposed to an undetermined date in mid-May. The move was largely due to the popularity of the idea of a Triple Crown winner, and allowed for a consistent racing schedule for horses that would participate in the three races – The Kentucky Derby, followed by the Preakness Stakes, followed by the Belmont Stakes.
1932 – Despite the Great Depression, the Kentucky Derby race continues to take place and has much to celebrate. The race is internationally broadcast, reaching England’s British Broadcasting Company, and the winner, Burgoo King, is the first Kentucky Derby winner to be draped in a garland of red roses.
1938 – A tunnel is constructed under the racetrack that connects the grandstand, spectator seats to the field inside the racetrack, called the “infield”. Admission is 50 cents to enjoy the Derby from the infield. Lawrin wins the Derby and he is the first to take to a stand built in the infield for the official presentation to the Kentucky Derby winning horse.
1943 – Regardless of the war-time travel restrictions from World War II and no out-of-town tickets sold to the Kentucky Derby, 65,000 fans gather at Churchill Downs to see Count Fleet easily defeat the field at 2-5 odds.
1949 – The 75th Kentucky Derby is locally telecast for the first time, and Ponder wins the Derby.
1952 – The public exposure of the Kentucky Derby is expanded with the first national live television coverage in its history. An estimated 10 to 15 million viewers tune in to watch Hill Gale win the Derby.
1954 – The Kentucky Derby winning purse exceeds $100,000, and Determine is the horse to cash in.
1966 – The famed “Millionaires Row” dining room is introduced, and Kauai King wins the Derby.
1968 – Dancer’s Image is the first Derby winner to be disqualified. Following the race, Dancer’s Image tested positive for an illegal medication, so the purse is taken from him, and awarded to the second-place finisher Forward Pass, who is declared the winner.
1970 – Diane Crump is the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby race. Crump finished 15th out of 18 horses in the field; and even though her Derby race wasn’t a win, she brought women to the forefront of horse racing. Dust Commander wins the Derby.
1973 – In the 99th running of the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat wins with the fastest finishing time to date. Secretariat completed the race in 1:59:40, and went on to win the Triple Crown, for the first time in 25 years.
1974 – The second largest crowd in the history of U.S. Thoroughbred racing watches Cannonade win the 100th Derby. There were a total of 163,628 fans at Churchill Downs to watch the race, which also had a record large field size of 23 horses.
1977 – Seattle Slew wins the Kentucky Derby and goes on to win the Triple Crown. He is the 10th Triple Crown winner, and the only horse to take that title while also undefeated.
1978 – Affirmed wins the Kentucky Derby and goes on to win the Triple Crown.
1984 – The Kentucky Derby is simulcast at 24 racetracks across the nation, allowing those racetracks to live wager on the Kentucky Derby race. A North American record is set for wagering on a single race, at $18,941,933. Swale wins the Derby.
1985 – The Kentucky Derby Museum is opened on the grounds of Churchill Downs Racetrack just one week before the Kentucky Derby is run. The museum’s mission was, and still is, to continue to preserve the history and to share the fun of the Kentucky Derby experience. Spend A Buck wins the Derby.
1986 – The home of the Kentucky Derby race, Churchill Downs Racetrack, is formally placed on the register of National Historic Landmarks. Ferdinand wins the Derby.
1988 – Winning Colors wins the Derby, she is only the third filly in racing history to capture the Kentucky Derby win.
1995 – Thunder Gulch wins the Derby, when the purse is increased to $1 million.
1996 – The Kentucky Derby general admission price is raised to $30; it was only 50 cents when it was first opened in 1938. Grindstone wins the Derby.
1999 – The Kentucky Derby celebrates its 125 running, and Charismatic wins the race. This is the first year Kentucky Derby fans are able to place Future Wagers. The Future Wager allows fans to bet on contenders leading up to the Derby race, when the odds are higher and there is an opportunity to win more money if the contender wins.
2000 – This year marked the third century in which the Kentucky Derby was run; Fusaichi Pegasus wins the Kentucky Derby.
2004 – The Kentucky Derby winner is Smarty Jones, and he is later featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
2006 – Barbaro wins the Kentucky Derby, by six and a half lengths; the largest victory since 1946. Barbaro was injured just weeks later in the Preakness Stakes, and passed away after complications of that injury. He was a Kentucky Derby fan favorite, and a bronze statue is placed above his remains at the entrance of Churchill Downs Racetrack.
2012 – The 138th Kentucky Derby was a record-setting year. I’ll Have Another wins the race in front of the highest attended Kentucky Derby of 165,307 fans. Wagering also set a record, with $133.1 million wagered on the Kentucky Derby race across all-sources.
2015 – American Pharoah wins the Kentucky Derby and goes on to win the Triple Crown. He is the last horse to date to win the Triple Crown.
Kentucky Derby post draw, early odds
Post Horse Odds
1 Lookin at Lee 20-1
2 Thunder Snow 20-1
3 Fast and Accurate 50-1
4 Untrapped 30-1
5 Always Dreaming 5-1
6 State of Honor 30-1
7 Girvin 15-1
8 Hence 15-1
9 Irap 20-1
10 Gunnevera 15-1
11 Battle of Middway 30-1
12 Sonneteer 50-1
13 J Boys Echo 20-1
14 Classic Empire 4-1
15 McCracken 5-1
16 Tapwrit 20-1
17 Irish War Cry 6-1
18 Gormley 15-1
19 Practical Joke 20-1
20 Patch 30-1
Kentucky Derby winners
Here's a list of every Kentucky Derby winner with their times.
1875: Aristides, 2:37.75
1876: Vagrant, 2:38.25
1877: Baden-Baden, 2:38
1878: Day Star, 2:37.25
1879: Lord Murphy, 2:37
1880: Fonso, 2:37.50
1881: Hindoo, 2:40
1882: Apollo, 2:40.25
1883: Leonatus, 2:43
1884: Buchanan, 2:40.25
1885: Joe Cotton, 2:37.25
1886: Ben Ali, 2:36.25
1887: Montrose, 2:39.25
1888: Macbeth II, 2:38.25
1889: Spokane, 2:34.50
1890: Riley, 2:45
1891: Kingman, 2:52.25
1892: Azra, 2:41.50
1893: Lookout, 2:39.25
1894: Chant, 2:41
1895: Halma, 2:37.50
1896: Ben Brush, 2:07.75
1897: Typhoon II, 2:12.50
1898: Plaudit, 2:09
1899: Manuel, F. Taral, 2:12
1900: Lieut. Gibson, 2:06.25
1901: His Eminence, 2:07.75
1902: Alan-a-Dale, 2:08.75
1903: Judge Himes, 2:09
1904: Elwood, 2:08.50
1905: Agile, 2:10.75
1906: Sir Huon, 2:08.80
1907: Pink Star, 2:12.60
1908: Stone Street, 2:15.20
1909: Wintergreen, 2:08.20
1910: Donau, 2:06.40
1911: Meridian, 2:05
1912: Worth, 2:09.40
1913: Donerail, 2:04.80
1914: Old Rosebud, 2:03.40
1915: Regret, 2:05.40
1916: George Smith, 2:04
1917: Omar Khayyam, 2:04.60
1918: Exterminator, 2:10.80
1919: Sir Barton, 2:09.80
1920: Paul Jones, 2:09
1921: Behave Yourself, 2:04.20
1922: Morvich, 2:04.60
1923: Zev, 2:05.40
1924: Black Gold, 2:05.20
1925: Flying Ebony, 2:07.60
1926: Bubbling Over, 2:03.80
1927: Whiskery, 2:06
1928: Reigh Count, 2:10.40
1929: Clyde Van Dusen, 2:10.80
1930: Gallant Fox, 2:07.60
1931: Twenty Grand, 2:01.80
1932: Burgoo King, 2:05.20
1933: Brokers Tip, 2:06.80
1934: Cavalcade, 2:04
1935: Omaha, 2:05
1936: Bold Venture, 2:03.60
1937: War Admiral, 2:03.20
1938: Lawrin, 2:04.80
1939: Johnstown, 2:03.40
1940: Gallahadion, 2:05
1941: Whirlaway, 2:01.40
1942: Shut Out, 2:04.40
1943: Count Fleet, 2:04
1944: Pensive, 2:04.20
1945: Hoop Jr., 2:07
1946: Assault, 2:06.60
1947: Jet Pilot, 2:06.80
1948: Citation, 2:05.40
1949: Ponder, 2:04.20
1950: Middleground, 2:01.60
1951: Count Turf, 2:02.60
1952: Hill Gail, 2:01.60
1953: Dark Star, 2:02
1954: Determine, 2:03
1955: Swaps, 2:01.80
1956: Needles, 2:03.40
1957: Iron Liege, 2:02.20
1958: Tim Tam, 2:05
1959: Tomy Lee, 2:02.20
1960: Venetian Way, 2:02.40
1961: Carry Back, 2:04
1962: Decidedly, 2:00.40
1963: Chateaugay, 2:01.80
1964: Northern Dancer, 2:00
1965: Lucky Debonair, 2:01.20
1966: Kauai King, 2:02
1967: Proud Clarion, 2:00.60
1968: *Forward Pass, 2:02.20
1969: Majestic Prince, 2:01.80
1970: Dust Commander, 2:03.40
1971: Canonero II, 2:03.20
1972: Riva Ridge, 2:01.80
1973: Secretariat, 1:59.40
1974: Cannonade, 2:04
1975: Foolish Pleasure, 2:02
1976: Bold Forbes, 2:01.60
1977: Seattle Slew, 2:02.20
1978: Affirmed, 2:01.20
1979: Spectacular Bid, 2:02.40
1980: Genuine Risk, 2:02
1981: Pleasant Colony, 2:02
1982: Gato Del Sol, 2:02.40
1983: Sunny's Halo, 2:02.20
1984: Swale, 2:02.40
1985: Spend a Buck, 2:00.20
1986: Ferdinand, 2:02.80
1987: Alysheba, 2:03.40
1988: Winning Colors, 2:02.20
1989: Sunday Silence, 2:05
1990: Unbridled, 2:02
1991: Strike the Gold, 2:03
1992: Lil E. Tee, 2:03
1993: Sea Hero, 2:02.42
1994: Go for Gin, 2:03.72
1995: Thunder Gulch, 2:01.77
1996: Grindstone, 2:01.06
1997: Silver Charm, 2:02.44
1998: Real Quiet, 2:02.38
1999: Charismatic, 2:03.29
2000: Fusaichi Pegasus,2:01.12
2001: Monarchos, 1:59.97
2002: War Emblem, 2:01.13
2003: Funny Cide, 2:01.19
2004: Smarty Jones, 2:04.06
2005: Giacomo, 2:02.75
2006: Barbaro, 2:01.36
2007: Street Sense, 2:02.17
2008: Big Brown, 2:01.82
2009: Mine That Bird, 2:02.66
2010: Super Saver, 2:04.45
2011: Animal Kingdom, 2:02.04
2012: I'll Have Another, 2:01.83
2013: Orb, 2:02.89
2014: California Chrome, 2:03.66
2015: American Pharoah, 2:03.02
2016: Nyquist, 2:01.31
HOW TO MAKE A MINT JULEP
Although today intimately associated with the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep's exact origins are lost to the 18th century.
INGREDIENTS IN THE MINT JULEP:
2 ½oz Bourbon
¾ oz Simple Syrup
1 ea Mint
MINT JULEP DIRECTIONS:
Muddle mint into glass.
Combine remain ingredients the glass.
Add crushed ice.
Garnish with mint and yell "Run Horse, RUN!"