The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875 which ranks it as the longest continuously held major sporting event in the United States.
This year is the 152nd edition of the Derby, which had been held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs every year since 1946.
The only glitch in that streak is 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the race until September 5th.
In 2021, the Kentucky Derby returned to its normal place on the calendar as the first jewel of the Triple Crown and things finally returned to normal.
There is a plethora of history surrounding the Run for the Roses since ARISTIDES won the inaugural contest in the 19th century.
Here then are ten Derby tidbits:
1) The most common color of Kentucky Derby winners is bay with 58, including SOVEREIGNTY last year, chestnut comes in 2nd with 50 winners, including MAGE in 2023, and brown horses with 17. Eight Kentucky Derby winners were gray or roan, most recently GIACOMO in 2005.
2) Twenty Kentucky Derby winners’ names have started with the letter S, the most of any letter. The letters B and C rank next with 13 winners each. The only three letters not represented by a Derby winner are Q, X, and Y.
3) There have been nine undefeated Kentucky Derby winners from 37 undefeated horses who have run in the race since 1915. Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY in 2018 is the most recent.
4) Bill Shoemaker was 54 years old when he won the Kentucky Derby in 1986 aboard FERDINAND making him the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.
5) The Florida Derby has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners over the years to rank as the most productive prep race on the Derby trail, including SOVEREIGNTY last year, who one race prior finished 2nd in the Florida Derby. The Blue Grass Stakes and Champagne Stakes rank second with 23.
6) There have been 23 editions of the Kentucky Derby in which the winner led from start to finish for a wire-to-wire victory, most recently AUTHENTIC in 2020.
7) Favorites have won 56 of the previous 151 editions of the Kentucky Derby, according to the official media guide, including six straight from 2013 to 2018.
8) The 2005 Kentucky Derby produced the record payout for the exacta, trifecta, and superfecta due to several massive longshots in the top four, led by 50-1 winner GIACOMO. Runner-up CLOSING ARGUMENT was even more overlooked at 71-1 odds and 4th-place finisher DON’T GET MAD was 29-1. AFLEET ALEX at a meager 9-2 ran 3rd. As a result, the $2 exacta paid $9,814.80, the $2 trifecta returned a whopping $133,134.80, and the $1 superfecta paid a life-changing $864,253.
9) While on the topic of blowing up the tote board, in 2022 RICH STRIKE left the gate at odds of 81-1leading to a whopping $163.60 return for a $2 win bet. That win payout trails only the $184.90 a $2 win bet paid on 1913 Derby winner DONERAIL, who shocked the Churchill Downs crowd when he came home at odds of 94-1.
10) The record for money wagered on Kentucky Derby day came just last year when $349 million (all sources) was wagered on the card of races at Churchill Downs.
