History of Kentucky Derby in Timeline

The Kentucky Derby is a prestigious American Grade I stakes race held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 1 1/4-mile race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds, while fillies carry 121 pounds. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous and highly anticipated horse races in the world.

1901: Jimmy Winkfield Wins

In 1901, Jimmy Winkfield won the Kentucky Derby, starting a streak of back-to-back victories.

1902: Col. Matt Winn Acquires Churchill Downs

In 1902, a syndicate led by Col. Matt Winn of Louisville acquired Churchill Downs, leading to its prosperity and the Kentucky Derby becoming a preeminent race.

1913: Donerail's High-Odds Win

In 1913, Donerail won the Kentucky Derby with the highest odds of 91 to 1.

1914: Largest Margin of Victory

In 1914, Old Rosebud achieved the largest margin of victory by 8 lengths.

May 12, 1917: Preakness and Derby on the Same Day

On May 12, 1917, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby were held on the same day.

1919: Sir Barton Wins All Three Races

In 1919, Sir Barton became the first horse to win what would later be known as the Triple Crown races.

1921: "My Old Kentucky Home" Tradition Begins

In 1921, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band began playing Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" during the horses' parade before the grandstands, becoming a lasting Derby tradition.

May 13, 1922: Preakness and Derby on the Same Day

On May 13, 1922, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby took place on the same day.

May 16, 1925: First Live Radio Broadcast

On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired on WHAS and WGN in Chicago, bringing the race to a broader audience.

1925: "Run for the Roses" Phrase

In 1925, New York sports columnist Bill Corum began describing the Kentucky Derby as "The Run for the Roses,"

1930: Term "Triple Crown" Enters American Usage

In 1930, after Gallant Fox won all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the term "Triple Crown" into American usage.

1931: Triple Crown Race Schedule Established

Since 1931, the Kentucky Derby has been run first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes, establishing a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races.

1932: Herbert J. Thompson Wins

In 1932, Herbert J. Thompson won the Kentucky Derby, starting his back-to-back wins as a trainer.

1935: Grantland Rice Quote

In 1935, sportswriter Grantland Rice remarked that the Kentucky Derby's "two minutes and a second or so of derby running carry more emotional thrills, per second, than anything sport can show."

1937: Churchill Downs Official Naming

In 1937, the racetrack, built on land provided by John and Henry Churchill, was officially named Churchill Downs.

1938: Darley Arabian's Influence

Since 1938, all Kentucky Derby winners can be traced back to the Darley Arabian, one of the three foundational sires.

1939: Largest Margin of Victory

In 1939, Johnstown achieved the largest margin of victory by 8 lengths.

1939: Souvenir Glasses Introduced

In 1939, souvenir glasses, printed with previous Derby winners, were first offered at the Kentucky Derby, becoming a tradition.

1941: Largest Margin of Victory

In 1941, Whirlaway achieved the largest margin of victory by 8 lengths.

1945: Derby Postponed

In 1945, the Derby was postponed.

1945: Derby Rescheduled Due to World War II

In 1945, the Kentucky Derby was rescheduled due to World War II, marking one of the two times in its history that the race was not held on its traditional date.

1946: Largest Margin of Victory

In 1946, Assault achieved the largest margin of victory by 8 lengths.

1948: Ben Jones Wins

In 1948, Ben Jones won the Kentucky Derby, leading to consecutive wins as a trainer.

May 7, 1949: First Television Coverage

On May 7, 1949, WAVE-TV in Louisville produced the first television coverage of the Kentucky Derby, aired live in the Louisville market and sent to NBC as a kinescope.

May 3, 1952: First National Television Coverage

On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then-CBS affiliate WHAS-TV.

1954: Purse Exceeds US$100,000

In 1954, the Kentucky Derby's purse exceeded US$100,000 for the first time, marking a significant increase in the race's financial prestige.

1957: Jimmy Jones Wins

In 1957, Jimmy Jones secured a win at the Kentucky Derby, marking the start of successive wins as a trainer.

1964: Northern Dancer's Record

In 1964, Northern Dancer set a speed record before it was broken in 1973.

1968: Dancer's Image Disqualification

In 1968, Dancer's Image became the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby and then face disqualification due to traces of phenylbutazone; Forward Pass was declared the winner after a protracted legal battle.

1970: First Female Jockey

In 1970, Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 15th aboard Fathom.

1972: Lucien Laurin Wins

In 1972, Lucien Laurin won the Kentucky Derby, contributing to consecutive wins as a trainer.

1973: Secretariat Sets Speed Record

In 1973, Secretariat set the fastest time ever run in the Kentucky Derby at 1:59.4 minutes, breaking the previous record set by Northern Dancer.

1980: "Run for the Roses" Song Release

In 1980, Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed and released the song "Run for the Roses", in time for the running of the race.

1982: Eddie Delahoussaye Wins

In 1982, Eddie Delahoussaye secured a win at the Kentucky Derby, setting the stage for another victory the following year.

1995: D. Wayne Lukas Wins

In 1995, D. Wayne Lukas won the Kentucky Derby, beginning a series of consecutive wins as a trainer.

1996: $1 Million Purse

The Derby first offered a $1 million purse in 1996.

1997: Bob Baffert Wins

In 1997, Bob Baffert won the Kentucky Derby, paving the way for consecutive wins as a trainer.

2001: Monarchos Sub-Two-Minute Finish

In 2001, Monarchos achieved a sub-two-minute finish at 1:59.97, marking the first year the race used hundredths of seconds in timing.

2002: Norman Adams Designs Kentucky Derby Logo

Norman Adams has been the designer of the Kentucky Derby Logo since 2002.

2004: Jockeys Allowed Corporate Logos

The 2004 Kentucky Derby marked the first time jockeys were allowed to wear corporate advertising logos on their clothing, due to a court order.

2005: Purse Distribution Change

In 2005, the purse distribution for the Kentucky Derby changed, allowing horses finishing fifth to receive a share of the purse, expanding beyond the top four finishers.

2005: $2 Million Purse

In 2005, the purse was doubled to $2 million.

February 1, 2006: Yum! Brands Corporate Sponsorship

On February 1, 2006, Yum! Brands, Inc. announced a corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands."

2007: Calvin Borel's Win

In 2007, Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby as part of his three wins in a four-year span.

2007: Queen Elizabeth II Attends Derby

In 2007, HM Queen Elizabeth II joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs during a visit to the United States, adding international prestige to the event.

2009: Calvin Borel Wins

In 2009, Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby. It was his second win in a four-year span.

2012: "Riders Up!" Recited by Grand Marshal

Since 2012, the grand marshal recites the phrase "Riders Up!", the traditional command for jockeys to mount their horses, prior to the Kentucky Derby.

2014: Victor Espinoza Wins

In 2014, Victor Espinoza won the Kentucky Derby, initiating a sequence of consecutive wins.

2014: Jumbotron Installation

In 2014, a jumbotron was installed in the infield, which offered general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race.

2015: Wagering increase

In 2015, wagering increased.

2016: Wagering increase

In 2016, wagering increased.

2017: Large Attendance

In 2017, 158,070 watched Always Dreaming win the Derby, making it the seventh biggest attendance in the history of the racetrack.

2018: Justify Wins Without Two-Year-Old Competition

In 2018, Justify won the Kentucky Derby without competing as a two-year-old.

2018: Woodford Reserve Sponsorship

In 2018, Woodford Reserve replaced Yum! Brands as the presenting sponsor of the Kentucky Derby.

2019: $3 Million Purse

In 2019, the Kentucky Derby began offering $3 million in purse money, influenced by the success of historical race wagering terminals.

2020: Belmont Run First

In 2020, the Belmont Stakes was run first, then the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes last.

2020: Derby Postponed to September

In 2020, the Kentucky Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Derby Rescheduled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the Kentucky Derby was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking only the second time in its history that the race was not held on its traditional date.