ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) – This Saturday, May 3, 2025, the world famous Kentucky Derby returns for its one hundred and fifty first race. The race is often referred to as “the most exciting two minutes in sports” for how quickly the horses stampeded around the track. Before the horses burst forth from the gates, spend a moment learning the rich history of Kentucky’s claim to fame.
Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously running sporting event in the United States. It was first held on May 17, 1875 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, where it is still held today. Inspired by England’s Epsom Derby, it was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of explorer William Clark who surveyed the Louisiana Territory after President Thomas Jefferson purchased it from France.
The inaugural race featured 15 horses and drew 10,000 spectators. The winner, Aristides, was ridden by Oliver Lewis, an African American jockey. Black jockeys won 15 of the first 28 Derbies, though they were largely pushed out of the sport by the early 1900’s due to racial discrimination.
Over time, the Derby developed signature traditions such as the garland of roses and the mint julep. The singing of “My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night” is also a time-honored treasure of the event, the State Song of Kentucky written by Stephen Foster.
The derby was first televised in 1952. Before then, radio had spread the word of the winners nationwide. Since airing on television, the Kentucky Derby has become the premiere horse race in the country, followed by the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. In the history of the races, known as the Triple Crown, only 13 horses have won all three titles.
Today, the derby’s distance is 1.25 miles, taking roughly two minutes for the horses to lap. But the horses are only part of the spectacle. The annual tradition at Churchill Downs blends Southern fashion, Kentucky culture, sports betting and elite tier competition into one of the most iconic sporting events in the world.
