Louisville, Kentucky hosts, arguably, its biggest and most famous event every year on the first Saturday of May. This year, the 151st Kentucky Derby will be held on May 3, 2025. Celebrities and average citizens from all over gather in the city and fill the boxes and stands of Churchill Downs. But this historical and celebrated horse race wasn’t always this famous.
The construction of Churchill Downs began in 1874, after Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. obtained the land donated by his uncles John and Henry Churchill. This is where the name Churchill Downs came from, however that didn’t become the racetrack’s official title until 1883. After Clark Jr.’s visits to Europe and experiencing horse racing there, he had the idea to create the Louisville Jockey Club.
The first Kentucky Derby was held a year later, on May 17, 1875. African American jockey Oliver Lewis and his horse, Aristides, won the race with a time of 2:37.75.
In the early years of the Derby, the jockeys were predominantly African American as well as trainers and caretakers, most of whom were former slaves. However, prejudice and racism resulted in them informally being pushed out as time passed. The last African American to win the Kentucky Derby was Jimmy Winkfield, who won back to back in 1901 and 1902. While African American jockeys were allied to race again after the Civil War, recently the jockey position has been dominated by Hispanics.
Another change occurred in 1896, when the original 1.5 mile race was shortened to 1.25, which is just one lap around the track.
The Kentucky Derby is also nicknamed “Run for the Roses.” This originates from the tradition of decorating the winning horse with a rose garland. The horse who first received the garland was Ben Brush in 1896. However, this tradition wasn’t made official until 1904.
In 1902, Louisville native Colonel Matt Winn became vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs. He was part of the reason the Kentucky Derby began attracting celebrities and gaining popularity outside of the city. Arguably, the most relevant change was Winn’s introduction to betting. It was introduced in 1908 and soon grew very popular among the fans. Betting remains an important part of the Derby and has also grown. Many now use online apps to place bets if they are unable to attend and bet in-person.
The audience of the Derby continued to grow when it first aired on the radio in 1925. Later, in 1952, it would reach the home of many more, when it was aired on national television. This change allowed people to host parties and enjoy the Derby from the comfort of their home.
As the relevance of the Derby grew, a couple traditions did too. One being the mint julep, which is now known as Derby’s signature alcoholic beverage. It consists of bourbon, sugar, mint and crushed ice.
The fashion choices that come with Derby season have also evolved over time. In the past, women wore extravagant outfits and hats because many were of high society. Standing out with their big hats was a way to show class while catching the attention of many as being the most fashionable. Now, Derby is used as an excuse to get dressed up with big hats and fashionable outfits regardless of class. Derby holds a contest for the best hat and various people online rate some of the fashion choices of celebrities in attendance as well.
Perhaps the most famous Derby winner, Secretariat, or “Big Red” as he was dubbed, won the Derby in 1973 with a record time that remains unbeaten, 1:59.40. His enlarged heart played a massive role in allowing him to win. This iconic thoroughbred later had an equestrian sports brand named after him, Ariat. His statue was built in 2019 in the middle of a roundabout in Lexington, Kentucky.
In 1985, the Kentucky Derby Museum opened a week before the race that year. It is located at Churchill Downs and its mission is to “engage, educate, and excite everyone.” It has two floors, interactive exhibits, tour guides and an 18-minute movie. The museum remains open all year around, allowing people to enjoy and learn about the history of the Kentucky Derby outside of race day.
