Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a 1 ¼ mile thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run on the first Saturday of May each year at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky along with the Kentucky Oaks since 1875.
Modeled after the Epsom Derby in England, it is the first race of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing followed two Saturdays later by the Preakness Stakes and three weeks later, the Belmont Stakes.
The winner of the very first race was Aristides in front of a crowd of 10,000 people on May 17, 1875.
The speed record for the race is 1 minute 59 2/5 seconds, set by Secretariat in 1973.
- Year Winner
- 1875 Aristides
- 1876 Vagrant
- 1877 Baden Baden
- 1878 Day Star
- 1879 Lord Murphy
- 1880 Fonso
- 1881 Hindoo
- 1882 Apollo
- 1883 Leonatus
- 1884 Buchanan
- 1885 Joe Cotton
- 1886 Ben Ali
- 1887 Montrose
- 1888 Macbeth II
- 1889 Spokane
- 1890 Riley
- 1891 Kingman
- 1892 Azra
- 1893 Lookout
- 1894 Chant
- 1895 Halma
- 1896 Ben Brush
- 1897 Typhoon II
- 1898 Plaudit
- 1899 Manuel
- 1900 Lieutenant Gibson
- 1901 His Eminence
- 1902 Alan-a-Dale
- 1903 Judge Himes
- 1904 Elwood
- 1905 Agile
- 1906 Sir Huon
- 1907 Pink Star
- 1908 Stone Street
- 1909 Wintergreen
- 1910 Donau
- 1911 Meridian
- 1912 Worth
- 1913 Donerail
- 1914 Old Rosebud
- 1915 Regret
- 1916 George Smith
- 1917 Omar Khayyam
- 1918 Exterminator
- 1919 Sir Barton*
- 1920 Paul Jones
- 1921 Behave Yourself
- 1922 Morvich
- 1923 Zev
- 1924 Black Gold
- 1925 Flying Ebony
- 1926 Bubbling Over
- 1927 Whiskery
- 1928 Reigh Count
- 1929 Clyde Van Dusen
- 1930 Gallant Fox*
- 1931 Twenty Grand
- 1932 Burgoo King
- 1933 Broker's Tip
- 1934 Cavalcade
- 1935 Omaha*
- 1936 Bold Venture
- 1937 War Admiral*
- 1938 Lawrin
- 1939 Johnstown
- 1940 Gallahadion
- 1941 Whirlaway*
- 1942 Shut Out
- 1943 Count Fleet*
- 1944 Pensive
- 1945 Hoop, Jr
- 1946 Assault*
- 1947 Jet Pilot
- 1948 Citation*
- 1949 Ponder
- 1950 Middleground
- 1951 Count Turf
- 1952 Hill Gail
- 1953 Dark Star
- 1954 Determine
- 1955 Swaps
- 1956 Needles
- 1957 Iron Liege
- 1958 Tim Tam
- 1959 Tomy Lee
- 1960 Venetian Way
- 1961 Carry Back
- 1962 Decidedly
- 1963 Chateaugay
- 1964 Northern Dancer
- 1965 Lucky Debonair
- 1966 Kauai King
- 1967 Proud Clarion
- 1968 Forward Pass++
- 1969 Majestic Prince
- 1970 Dust Commander
- 1971 Canonero II
- 1972 Riva Ridge
- 1973 Secretariat*
- 1974 Cannonade
- 1975 Foolish Pleasure
- 1976 Bold Forbes
- 1977 Seattle Slew*
- 1978 Affirmed*
- 1979 Spectacular Bid
- 1980 Genuine Risk
- 1981 Pleasant Colony
- 1982 Gato del Sol
- 1983 Sunny's Halo
- 1984 Swale
- 1985 Spend a Buck
- 1986 Ferdinand
- 1987 Alysheba
- 1988 Winning Colors
- 1989 Sunday Silence
- 1990 Unbridled
- 1991 Strike the Gold
- 1992 Lil E. Tee
- 1993 Sea Hero
- 1994 Go for Gin
- 1995 Thunder Gulch
- 1996 Grindstone
- 1997 Silver Charm
- 1998 Real Quiet
- 1999 Charismatic
- 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
- 2001 Monarchos
- 2002 War Emblem
- 2003 Funny Cide
++ Dancer's Image finished first, but was disqualified when a postrace examination revealed traces of a banned drug in the horse.
