131 Fun Facts About Kentucky Derby

In which year did 15 horses contest the first Kentucky Derby?

The first Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875, at Churchill Downs, with a field of 15 horses and an estimated crowd of 10,000.

Which horse won the very first Kentucky Derby?

Aristides was meant to be the pacemaking 'rabbit' for his stablemate Chesapeake, but simply never came back to the field.

What is the Kentucky Derby commonly nicknamed?

The Run for the Roses was coined in 1925 by a New York sports columnist, a nod to the garland of roses draped over the winner.

Over what distance has the Kentucky Derby been run since 1896?

The Kentucky Derby has been run over 1 and 1/4 miles, ten furlongs, since 1896, when the original longer trip was shortened.

Which horse was the first to run the Kentucky Derby in under two minutes?

Secretariat ran the 1973 Kentucky Derby in 1:59 2/5, the first sub-two-minute Derby, on his way to sweeping the Triple Crown.

What traditional beverage is most associated with the Kentucky Derby?

Churchill Downs has promoted the julep in association with the race since 1938.

Which Stephen Foster song is played as the horses parade before the grandstand ahead of the Derby?

My Old Kentucky Home is performed by the University of Louisville marching band as the horses parade; in the crowdless 2020 Derby it was played on a bugle instead.

Which 1932 winner was the first to wear the modern Garland of Roses?

Louisville florist Grace Walker designed the garland at the request of Churchill Downs official Samuel Culbertson.

In which year did Queen Elizabeth II attend the Kentucky Derby in person?

Queen Elizabeth II, a lifelong Thoroughbred owner and breeder, attended the 2007 Kentucky Derby during her state visit to the United States for Jamestown's 400th anniversary.

Which two jockeys each won the Kentucky Derby five times?

Eddie Arcaro won five Kentucky Derbies between 1938 and 1952, and Bill Hartack matched him with five between 1957 and 1969.

Who founded Churchill Downs and organized the first Kentucky Derby?

Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. built the track in 1875 on 80 acres leased from his Churchill uncles, whose family name the course took in 1883.

Which horse was the first Triple Crown winner in history?

Sir Barton had never won a race before the 1919 Derby, then swept the series in about a month.

Which feature atop the Churchill Downs grandstand has become the Derby's symbol?

The Twin Spires were added by architect Joseph Baldez when the grandstand was built in 1895, because he felt it needed something striking; they became the track's emblem.

Which trainer matched Ben Jones's six Kentucky Derby wins when Authentic won in 2020?

Bob Baffert drew level with Ben Jones at six Derby wins when Authentic won in 2020; his first had come with Silver Charm in 1997.

In which city is Churchill Downs located?

Churchill Downs is in Louisville, Kentucky, about three miles south of downtown, and has hosted the Derby every year since its first running.

Which filly became the first of her sex to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1915?

Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1915, racing for owner Harry Payne Whitney and Hall of Fame trainer James Rowe Sr.

Assault won the 1946 Kentucky Derby by a record-equalling margin of how many lengths?

Assault won the 1946 Derby by eight lengths, equalling the record margin first set by Old Rosebud in 1914.

Which 91-1 longshot won the 1913 Kentucky Derby?

Donerail won the 1913 Kentucky Derby at 91-1, returning $184.90 on a $2 win bet, a payout unmatched for more than a century.

Which horse won the 2015 Triple Crown, the first sweep in 37 years?

American Pharoah swept the 2015 Triple Crown, the first since Affirmed in 1978, and was retired to Coolmore's Ashford Stud after a nine-for-eleven career.

What was the distance of the Kentucky Derby when it was first run?

The first Derby in 1875 was run over 1 and 1/2 miles, the distance of the English race it was modelled on; the trip was shortened in 1896.

The Kentucky Derby's founder modelled it on the signature race of which English racecourse?

The Derby at Epsom in Surrey had been run annually since 1780 by the time Clark visited.

Which race for fillies is run at Churchill Downs the day before the Derby?

The Kentucky Oaks, the fillies' counterpart to the Derby, has been run at Churchill Downs since 1875 and takes place the day before the Derby.

Which runner-up clocked 1:59 4/5 in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, a time that would have won almost any other?

Sham chased the winner home in the second-fastest Derby ever run to that point, and it took until 2001 for another horse to break 2:00.

What color are the roses in the Kentucky Derby winner's garland?

The garland is made of hundreds of red roses; the first recorded account of roses being draped on a Derby winner dates to 1896.

Which Derby winner was the first since Apollo in 1882 to have not raced at two?

Justify broke the 'Curse of Apollo' in 2018 as the first Derby winner since Apollo in 1882 to have not raced as a two-year-old; he was retired weeks after the Belmont Stakes.

Roughly how many of the Derby's signature bourbon cocktails are served at Churchill Downs over Derby weekend?

Churchill Downs serves roughly 120,000 mint juleps over Oaks and Derby days, nearly all poured into collectible souvenir Derby glasses.

What is the circumference of the main dirt track at Churchill Downs?

The main dirt oval track at Churchill Downs is one mile in circumference and is 79-80 feet wide.

Which horse won the 2022 Kentucky Derby as a massive 80-1 longshot?

Rich Strike stunned the racing world by winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds, paying $163.60 on a $2 win bet. He was only added to the field after a late scratch.

Which races make up American horse racing's Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes (at Pimlico in Baltimore), and the Belmont Stakes (at Belmont Park in New York).

Which trainer won four Kentucky Derbies including Winning Colors in 1988 and Thunder Gulch in 1995?

D. Wayne Lukas trained four Kentucky Derby winners: Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996), and Charismatic (1999).

Which 1968 winner was the first Derby winner ever to be disqualified, after a post-race drug test?

Dancer's Image crossed the line first in 1968, but a urine test found traces of the painkiller phenylbutazone; after a long legal fight the win went to Forward Pass.

Which 1941 Triple Crown winner was known for come-from-behind runs and a distinctive long tail?

Whirlaway, nicknamed 'Mr. Longtail', bore out badly; trainer Ben Jones fitted a one-eyed blinker and cut a tiny hole in it before the Derby so the colt could see just enough to run straight.

Which jockey rode 50–1 shot Mine That Bird up the rail to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby?

Calvin Borel squeezed Mine That Bird up the rail to win by 6¾ lengths at 50-1, the widest Derby margin since 1946.

Which 2001 winner became only the third horse to finish the Kentucky Derby faster than 2:00?

Monarchos clocked 1:59.97; the other two sub-2:00 runs both came in the 1973 race, from the winner and the runner-up.

How big was the Kentucky Derby purse after its January 2024 increase?

Raised in January 2024 to $5 million, with $3.1 million going to the winner.

Approximately how much does the garland of roses placed on the Kentucky Derby winner weigh?

The garland weighs about 40 pounds; it is 122 inches long and 22 inches wide, with each rose stem sitting in its own hidden water vial.

Which horse won the 1948 Triple Crown, the last sweep for 25 years?

Citation swept the 1948 Triple Crown and won 16 races in a row across 1948 and 1950; the next Triple Crown did not come until 1973.

Which horse won the 1977 Triple Crown as the first ever undefeated Triple Crown winner?

Bought for just $17,500 as a yearling, Seattle Slew was nine-for-nine when he completed the sweep at the Belmont.

Which jockey rode the winner of the inaugural Kentucky Derby?

Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old Black jockey, rode the winner of the inaugural 1875 Derby; Black riders won 15 of the first 28 runnings.

What fashion accessory is most famously associated with Kentucky Derby spectators?

Elaborate hats remain the signature Derby look, while 'Millionaire's Row' refers to the pricey box seats favoured by the famous.

Which year's Kentucky Derby drew a crowd of 170,513?

The 2015 Derby drew 170,513, the largest crowd in the track's history to that point, beating the 165,307 who had attended in 2012.

Which jockey rode the first-ever Triple Crown winner in the 1919 Kentucky Derby?

Johnny Loftus rode the colt, a maiden before that Derby, and completed the first Triple Crown sweep on him in the Belmont Stakes on June 11, 1919.

Which sportswriter coined the term 'Run for the Roses' for the Kentucky Derby?

Corum coined the phrase in 1925 and later spent nine years as president of Churchill Downs.

What happened in the 2019 Kentucky Derby that had never happened in the race before?

Maximum Security was taken down for swerving into other runners, handing the win to 65-1 shot Country House.

On which day of the week is the Kentucky Derby traditionally run?

The Kentucky Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May each year.

The founder of Churchill Downs was the grandson of which famous American explorer?

The founder was a grandson of William Clark, Lewis's co-captain on the expedition, who later served as governor of Missouri Territory.

How much weight do colts and geldings carry in the Kentucky Derby?

Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds in the Kentucky Derby; fillies carry five pounds less, at 121.

In which two years was the Kentucky Derby rescheduled within the same year?

World War II pushed the 1945 Derby to June 9 and COVID-19 moved the 2020 race to September 5, the only two reschedulings in the race's first 150 runnings.

Which 18-year-old jockey rode Affirmed to the 1978 Triple Crown?

Steve Cauthen, aged 18, rode Affirmed to all three 1978 Triple Crown wins; he had already been named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1977.

Which French race did Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. also visit for inspiration in 1872?

Clark took in the Grand Prix de Paris, run at Longchamp since 1863 and organised by the French Jockey Club, on the same 1872 trip to Europe.

Which two brothers provided the land for the Louisville track named after their family?

John and Henry Churchill leased their nephew the 80 acres for the track; the name Churchill Downs only became official in 1937.

Who rode Secretariat to victory in the 1973 Kentucky Derby?

Ron Turcotte rode Secretariat in all three 1973 Triple Crown races, including the 31-length Belmont; the Canadian jockey was paralysed in a 1978 racing fall.

Who trained the winner of the inaugural Kentucky Derby?

Ansel Williamson, a formerly enslaved Black horseman, trained the 1875 winner for owner H. P. McGrath and was later elected to racing's Hall of Fame.

Which jockey won the 1896 and 1898 Derbies riding with shortened stirrups he developed?

Willie Simms won on Ben Brush in 1896 and Plaudit in 1898; riding short and crouched over the neck, he took the style to English racing in 1895.

Which colonel led the 1902 syndicate that bought Churchill Downs and made it prosper?

Winn had watched the first Derby as a boy in 1875.

Roughly what is the capacity of Churchill Downs with the infield open on Derby day?

With the infield open, Churchill Downs can hold roughly 170,000 on Derby day; a crowd of 170,513 once squeezed in.

Which horse ranked ahead of Secretariat atop Blood-Horse's 20th-century top 100?

Secretariat's 31-length Belmont win is often called the greatest race ever run.

Which son of Seattle Slew won the 1984 Kentucky Derby?

Swale, a Claiborne Farm colt by Seattle Slew, won the 1984 Derby and Belmont, then collapsed and died eight days after the Belmont; his sire led the stallion list that year.

Which rival finished second to Affirmed in all three 1978 Triple Crown races?

Alydar and Affirmed met ten times in their careers, and Alydar was runner-up in each of the three 1978 Triple Crown races.

Citation was the first horse to reach what earnings milestone?

Citation became the first racehorse to earn US$1 million, passing the mark with his win in the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup, after which he was retired.

Who trained Sir Barton, the 1919 Kentucky Derby winner?

H. Guy Bedwell trained Sir Barton for Canadian owner J. K. L. Ross; the colt was reputedly so ill-tempered that the only human he tolerated was his groom.

American Pharoah completed racing's modern 'Grand Slam' by adding which race?

American Pharoah won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland by 6½ lengths, completing the first 'Grand Slam' of the three Triple Crown races plus the Classic.

Justify tested positive for which banned substance after the 2018 Santa Anita Derby?

Justify's post-race sample from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby showed scopolamine; the CHRB blamed jimson-weed contamination and dismissed the case, a decision made public only in 2019.

Smarty Jones was named after whom?

Smarty Jones took the nickname of co-owner Pat Chapman's late mother, Mildred 'Smarty Jones' McNair, who shared a birthday with the colt.

Funny Cide was the first Derby winner bred in which state?

Funny Cide, the first New York-bred to win the Derby, was foaled at a farm in Saratoga Springs and spent his retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Which Triple Crown winner lost the 1938 'Match Race of the Century' to Seabiscuit?

War Admiral, the 1937 Triple Crown winner, lost the 'Match Race of the Century' to Seabiscuit by four lengths in the Pimlico Special on November 1, 1938.

By what then-record margin did Count Fleet win the 1943 Belmont Stakes?

Count Fleet won the 1943 Belmont by 25 lengths, a record until Secretariat's 31 in 1973, and was never beaten as a three-year-old.

Which Texas-bred Triple Crown winner was nicknamed the 'Club-footed Comet'?

Assault, bred at Texas's King Ranch, stepped on a surveyor's stake as a foal, leaving a deformed hoof that earned him the nickname 'the Club-footed Comet'.

Which Triple Crown winner sired fellow Triple Crown winner Omaha?

Gallant Fox, the 1930 Triple Crown winner, sired Omaha, who swept the 1935 series; both were trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons for William Woodward's Belair Stud.

Which newspaper is credited with popularising the term 'Triple Crown' in 1930?

Daily Racing Form columnist Charles Hatton is credited with popularising 'Triple Crown' while covering Gallant Fox's 1930 sweep, though the phrase had appeared in print as early as 1923.

Which 1964 winner was the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby?

Northern Dancer, bred at E. P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Ontario, won the 1964 Derby in a then-record 2:00 flat and became one of the most influential sires in history.

Which 1979 Derby winner set a 1:57 4/5 world record for 10 furlongs in 1980?

Spectacular Bid set the dirt world record of 1:57 4/5 for 1 1/4 miles in the 1980 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita; a safety pin in his hoof before the 1979 Belmont cost him the Triple Crown.

Which horse nearly knocked Alysheba down in the stretch of the 1987 Derby?

Bet Twice drifted in front of Alysheba in the stretch; Alysheba clipped heels and nearly fell, yet recovered to win, with Bet Twice second as he would be again in the Preakness.

Which rival denied Sunday Silence the 1989 Triple Crown by winning the Belmont?

Easy Goer, Sunday Silence's great rival, won the 1989 Belmont by eight lengths; Sunday Silence was later exported to Japan, where he led the sire list thirteen times.

For how much was Mine That Bird bought as a yearling in 2007?

Mine That Bird cost just $9,500 as a yearling in 2007; after winning the Grey Stakes at Woodbine he was sold on for $400,000.

Which 2011 Derby winner later won the 2013 Dubai World Cup?

Animal Kingdom won the 2011 Derby and then, at five, the $10 million 2013 Dubai World Cup at Meydan, run that year on a synthetic Tapeta surface.

Why was I'll Have Another scratched the day before the 2012 Belmont Stakes?

I'll Have Another was scratched the day before the 2012 Belmont with tendonitis in his left front leg and retired; owner Paul Reddam had named him for his reply when offered more cookies.

What did the 'DAP' in California Chrome's owners' partnership DAP Racing stand for?

Dumb Ass Partners was the name Steve Coburn and Perry Martin took after a passerby at the sale said only a dumb ass would buy California Chrome's dam, Love the Chase.

The 2016 Derby winner Nyquist was named after a player in which sport?

Owner Paul Reddam, a Detroit Red Wings fan, named Nyquist for the team's ice hockey forward Gustav Nyquist; the colt's 2016 Derby win kept him unbeaten at eight for eight.

Which jockey's objection led to Maximum Security's disqualification in the 2019 Derby?

Flavien Prat, rider of Country House, claimed foul against Maximum Security after the wire; the stewards upheld it and Country House was promoted to victory at 65-1.

Which inaugural international race did Maximum Security win in February 2020?

Maximum Security won the first Saudi Cup in Riyadh on February 29, 2020, then the world's richest race at $20 million; trainer Jason Servis was later jailed over doping.

Medina Spirit lost the 2021 Derby after testing positive for which steroid?

New York officials then barred him and trainer Bob Baffert from the Belmont.

Whose late scratch let Rich Strike into the 2022 Derby field the day before the race?

Ethereal Road was scratched on the Friday morning, and owner Rick Dawson learned Rich Strike had drawn in about 30 seconds before the deadline.

Which sire of 2023 winner Mage had himself finished second in the 2018 Derby?

Good Magic, runner-up to Justify in 2018, sired 2023 winner Mage, whose full brother Dornoch won the 2024 Belmont Stakes.

Which racing operation owns 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty?

Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed's operation, owns Sovereignty, whose 2025 Derby and Belmont wins made him the first since Justify to take two legs of the Triple Crown.

What flowers make up the garland given to the Kentucky Oaks winner?

The Oaks winner is draped with a garland of stargazer lilies, hence the nickname 'Lilies for the Fillies'.

Over what distance is the Kentucky Oaks run?

The Kentucky Oaks is run over 1 1/8 miles, nine furlongs, a furlong shorter than the Derby; it was modelled on Britain's Epsom Oaks.

Which horse's 1853 wins gave rise to the term 'Triple Crown' in England?

West Australian swept the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger in 1853, the first horse to complete the English series later called the Triple Crown.

In which Arizona town did Bob Baffert grow up racing Quarter Horses?

Bob Baffert grew up on a cattle ranch outside Nogales, Arizona, riding and training Quarter Horses there before switching to Thoroughbreds in the late 1980s.

Before training horses, which sport did D. Wayne Lukas coach at a Wisconsin high school?

D. Wayne Lukas coached high-school basketball in Wisconsin before turning to Quarter Horses, where he trained 24 world champions, and then to Thoroughbreds in 1978.

Which jockey rode Sovereignty to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Junior Alvarado rode Sovereignty past favourite Journalism on a sloppy track in the 2025 Derby, then was fined for exceeding the six-strike whip limit.

Which filly did Calvin Borel ride to win the 2009 Kentucky Oaks and Preakness?

Rachel Alexandra won the 2009 Kentucky Oaks by 20¼ lengths, then beat the colts in the Preakness, making Calvin Borel the first jockey to win the Derby and Preakness on different horses in one year.

Bill Shoemaker became the oldest jockey to win the Derby at 54 aboard which horse?

He won the Derby four times and 8,833 races in all.

Which jockey broke Bill Shoemaker's career wins record in 1999?

Laffit Pincay Jr. passed Shoemaker's 8,833 career wins at Hollywood Park in December 1999; Russell Baze later overtook Pincay in 2006.

Which jockey rode both Whirlaway and Citation to the Triple Crown?

Eddie Arcaro rode Whirlaway and then Citation to Triple Crown sweeps seven years apart; no other jockey had swept it twice by the time Justify completed the 13th sweep in 2018.

Bill Hartack became the youngest rider elected to racing's Hall of Fame at what age?

Bill Hartack was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1959, aged 26; two years earlier he had become the first jockey whose mounts earned $3 million in a season.

How old was Mike Smith when he rode Justify to the 2018 Triple Crown?

Mike Smith was 52 when Justify swept the 2018 Triple Crown, the oldest jockey to do so at the time; Justify won the Belmont by 1¾ lengths over Gronkowski.

Which horse gave Victor Espinoza his first Derby win, in 2002?

War Emblem, bought by Prince Ahmed bin Salman only weeks before the race, gave Victor Espinoza his first Derby in 2002; he later won on California Chrome and American Pharoah.

Which Kentucky Derby Festival event is billed as the largest annual fireworks display in North America?

Thunder Over Louisville heads a festival first held from 1935 to 1937 and revived in 1956, alongside the Great Steamboat Race and the Pegasus Parade.

Which steamboat, launched in 1914 as the Idlewild, races in the Derby Festival's Great Steamboat Race?

The Belle of Louisville, launched in 1914 as the Idlewild, has been the home boat in the Great Steamboat Race since its first contest against the Delta Queen in 1963.

Which type of mint is traditionally used in a Kentucky mint julep?

Spearmint, especially the Kentucky Colonel variety, is the traditional julep mint; the drink belongs to the family of cocktails called smashes.

Who was the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, in 1970?

Diane Crump rode Fathom to 15th in the 1970 Derby; a year earlier she had needed a police escort to become the first woman to ride in a US pari-mutuel race, at Hialeah.

Which three-time Derby winner was the first jockey inducted into racing's Hall of Fame?

Isaac Murphy, winner on Buchanan (1884), Riley (1890) and Kingman (1891), was the first jockey voted into the Hall of Fame at its creation in 1955.

After winning the 1901 and 1902 Derbies, Jimmy Winkfield found success in which country?

Jimmy Winkfield became a star in Russia, winning the Russian Derby there; in 1917 he helped lead an evacuation of some 250 racehorses from Ukraine to Poland.

In what year did the Kentucky Derby Museum open?

The Kentucky Derby Museum opened beside Churchill Downs in 1985; its 360-degree theatre shows the film The Greatest Race.

How many starting-gate positions are available in the Kentucky Derby?

The Derby field is capped at 20 starters, a limit in place since 1975; one spot has been offered to the top finisher on the Japan Road since 2017.

Which filly won the 1980 Kentucky Derby?

Genuine Risk won the 1980 Derby by a length over Rumbo; she was sired by Exclusive Native, who also sired Affirmed.

Which owner campaigned Winning Colors, the 1988 Derby-winning filly?

Eugene V. Klein, the former San Diego Chargers owner, campaigned Winning Colors; she went gate to wire in the 1988 Derby, holding off Forty Niner by a neck.

Which 2006 Derby winner shattered a hind leg in the Preakness two weeks later?

Barbaro, unbeaten when he won the 2006 Derby by 6½ lengths, broke his right hind leg in the Preakness; after eight months of treatment he was euthanised in January 2007.

Which trainer won the Derby with both Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994?

Nick Zito trained Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994); Go for Gin lived to 31, dying at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2022.

Which jockey dismounted to cradle Charismatic's fractured leg after the 1999 Belmont?

Chris Antley jumped off and cradled Charismatic's fractured left foreleg after the 1999 Belmont, likely saving the colt's life; Charismatic was nevertheless voted Horse of the Year.

Which 2007 Derby winner had taken the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by a record margin?

Street Sense won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 10 lengths, then became the first Juvenile winner to take the Derby; Carl Nafzger trained him and Calvin Borel rode.

Which veteran Phipps trainer won the 2013 Derby with Orb?

Shug McGaughey, long the Phipps family's private trainer, won his first Derby with Orb in 2013; Orb's dam was a daughter of 1990 winner Unbridled.

Which 2008 winner was the first to win the Derby from post position 20?

Big Brown won the 2008 Derby by 4¾ lengths from post 20, the first winner from the outside stall; he then took the Preakness before finishing last in the Belmont.

Which 1998 Derby winner, nicknamed 'The Fish', lost the Belmont by just four inches?

Real Quiet, called 'The Fish' for his narrow frame, had sold for $17,000 as a yearling because of crooked knees; Victory Gallop caught him by a nose in the 1998 Belmont.

Which Kentucky retirement farm took in Silver Charm on his 2014 return from Japan?

Silver Charm returned from stud duty in Japan in December 2014 and was retired to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm at Georgetown, Kentucky.

Which jockey rode Thunder Gulch to victory at 25-1 in the 1995 Derby?

Gary Stevens rode Thunder Gulch to win the 1995 Derby; the colt was the least fancied of his trainer's three runners, with stablemates Timber Country and Serena's Song finishing behind him.

Which philanthropist's Rokeby Stables owned 1993 Derby winner Sea Hero?

Paul Mellon's Rokeby Stables bred Sea Hero in Virginia; the 1993 win gave the 85-year-old philanthropist his first Kentucky Derby after decades of trying.

The 1992 upset winner Lil E. Tee was reportedly named after which movie character?

Lil E. Tee was named for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial because he was so ugly and gangly as a foal; he upset Arazi and the 1992 field under Pat Day.

Which sire produced both Derby winners Donerail and Exterminator?

McGee, a modestly regarded stallion standing in Kentucky, sired both Donerail and Exterminator; the latter was gelded young because he was awkward and coarse-looking.

Which 1924 winner took the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby?

Black Gold, the Oklahoma-bred 'Indian Horse', won the 50th Derby in 1924; his dam U-See-It had been banned from racing for life along with owner Al Hoots after a claiming-race dispute.

Which Epsom Derby winner sired Triple Crown winner Whirlaway?

Blenheim, the 1930 Epsom Derby winner imported to stand at Claiborne Farm, sired Whirlaway, who added the 1941 Travers to his Triple Crown sweep.

Which artist designed the standard Kentucky Derby Trophy commissioned in 1924?

George L. Graff of Louisville jewellers Lemon & Son designed the 14-karat gold trophy, first presented for the 50th 'Golden Jubilee' running in 1924.

Which trainer won the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty, his second Derby win?

Bill Mott's first Derby came via Country House's 2019 promotion; Sovereignty's 2025 win was his second, and he had entered racing's Hall of Fame in 1998 at 45.

Which two horses gave Todd Pletcher his first two Kentucky Derby wins?

Super Saver (2010, under Calvin Borel) and Always Dreaming (2017, under John Velazquez) gave Todd Pletcher his first two Kentucky Derby wins.

Which filly gave Kenny McPeek the 2024 Kentucky Oaks alongside Mystik Dan's Derby?

Thorpedo Anna's Oaks win and Mystik Dan's Derby gave Kenny McPeek the first Oaks-Derby trainer sweep since Ben Jones in 1952; Thorpedo Anna was later voted 2024 Horse of the Year.

Who became the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks, in 2012?

Rosie Napravnik won the 2012 Oaks on Believe You Can, the first woman to do so, and took it again in 2014 on Untapable.

In which year was the Kentucky Derby first broadcast live on radio, on WHAS and Chicago's WGN?

The Derby was first carried live on radio in 1925 via WHAS and WGN; local television followed in 1949 on Louisville's WAVE-TV, and national TV in 1952.

Which bourbon brand became the Kentucky Derby's presenting sponsor in 2018, taking over from a Louisville fast-food company?

Woodford Reserve took over in 2018 from the Louisville-based fast-food company that had held the title since 2006; Longines serves as the official timekeeper.

What traditional command from the Paddock Judge tells jockeys to mount their horses before the race?

'Riders up!' is the Paddock Judge's traditional order to mount, given about 20 minutes before post; since 2012 a celebrity guest has delivered the call.

Since 2005, the Kentucky Derby purse has paid through which finishing position?

Fifth place has been paid since 2005; previously only the first four finishers got a share, and the purse had first topped $100,000 back in 1954.