Kentucky Derby Information

Kentuckyderby.com is the official Web site of the Kentucky Derby and is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. As one of the world's premier sporting events and the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown Challenge, the Kentucky Derby traditionally takes place on the first Saturday in May. The 133rd running of this celebrated event will be held May 5, 2007, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Approximately 150,000 people attend the Derby in person, with more than 20 million people tuning in via television and radio worldwide.

Churchill Downs Incorporated, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, owns and operates world-renowned horse racing venues throughout the United States.

The company's racetracks in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky host 114 graded-stakes events and many of North America's most prestigious races, including the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, Hollywood Gold Cup and Arlington Million. CDI racetracks have hosted ten Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships - more than any other North American racing company. CDI also owns off-track betting facilities and a television production unit, and has interests in various telecommunications and racing services companies that support CDI's network of simulcasting and racing operations. CDI trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found on the Internet at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

The Kentucky Derby has been run at two different distances:

1 1/2 miles from 1875 to 1895
1 1/4 miles from 1896 to present

The largest Derby crowd was 163,628, who attended the 100th running in 1974.

The second largest was 157,536 in 2006.

The leading Kentucky Derby winning jockeys are:

Eddie Arcaro: 5 including Triple Crown wins with Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948
Bill Hartack: 5
Bill Shoemaker: 4
Bill Shoemaker also leads all jockeys in Derby mounts, with 26. Arcaro had 21 rides.

The leading Kentucky Derby winning trainers are:

Ben A. Jones - 6
H.J. Thompson - 4
James Fitzsimmons - 3
Max Hirsch - 3
D. Wayne Lukas – 3

Calumet Farm is the leading owner with 8 wins, and the leading breeder with
9 wins. Eight of the nine Calumet-bred winners were bred at the same farm near Lexington, the exception being Strike The Gold.

Twelve Kentucky Derby winners have sired Kentucky Derby winners:

Halma (Alan-A-Dale)
Bubbling Over (Burgoo King)
Reigh Count (Count Fleet)
Gallant Fox (Omaha)
Bold Venture (Assault)*
Bold Venture (Middleground)*
Pensive (Ponder)
Count Fleet (Count Turf)
Ponder (Needles)
Determine (Decidedly)
Swaps (Chateaugay)
Seattle Slew (Swale)
Unbridled (Grindstone)
*Bold Venture sired 2 winners

The oldest living Derby winner is Spectacular Bid, the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. He still stands at stud at Milfer Farm in upstate New York. There is a book about him written by Timothy T. Capps.

The winningest post position is #2 with 29 winners. Twelve winners won from post #1, and ten winners each from posts #4 and #5. None have won from post #15.

The track and stakes record for 1 1/4 miles is 1:59.40 set in 1973 by Secretariat. When the race was at 1 1/2 miles, the stakes record was 2:34.50 set by Spokane in 1889. The slowest 1 1/4-mile Derby was run in 1908 by Stone Street in 2:15.20.

Kentucky Derby winners by color:

Bay -- 60
Chestnut -- 39
Brown -- 17
Gray -- 6
Black -- 4
Roan -- 1 (Winning Colors)

There have been 32 odds-on favorites of which 17 won and 11 finished second.

Shortest odds on a winning favorite were Citation (coupled with Coaltown) and Count Fleet, who went off at 2-5. Before pari-mutuel wagering was introduced, three winners went off at 1-3: Hindoo, Halma, and Agile. The longest shot to win the Derby was Donerail in 1913, at 91-1.

Only three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby out of 38 who entered. The winners were:

Regret -- 1915
Genuine Risk -- 1980
Winning Colors -- 1988