Learn about the Kentucky Derby.

1. The
Kentucky
Derby
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2. WhatistheKentuckyDerby?
The Kentucky Derby is a horse
race that is held on the first
Saturday in May at Churchill Downs,
a horse racing track, in Louisville,
Kentucky.
It is extremely popular, with
over 150,000 people attending each
year. It is the longest running
sporting event in the United States,
tracing its history all the way back
to 1875.
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3. DerbyHistory
After seeing horse racing in Europe,
Meriwether Lewis Clark, Junior (son of
William Clark of the famous explorer duo
Lewis and Clark), decided to try to get horse
racing going in Kentucky. He started a
Jockey Club and then fundraising efforts to
build a track on land donated by his
grandfather. His efforts were successful
and Churchill Downs (the race track where
the Derby is held each year) was built in
Louisville, Kentucky.
The first Derby occurred on May 17,
1875 with over 10,000 people in attendance
and the event has been going strong ever
since.
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4. DerbyTraditions:MyOldKentuckyHome
The Derby event begins
with the singing of “My Old
Kentucky Home,” which is
the Kentucky State Song.
It was written by Stephen
Foster, a famous
composer from Louisville,
Kentucky.
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5. DerbyTraditions:MintJuleps
Mint Juleps (a cocktail made with
bourbon, mint, simple syrup, and ice)
are the official drink of the Kentucky
Derby. Each year, a new mint julep
cup is made to celebrate the Derby.
The glass pictured at the top is for
the 2023 Derby and the glasses at the
bottom are from Derbys in the past.
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6. DerbyTraditions:Hats
In the past, women wore
hats to formal occasions.
Since the Derby is a formal
occasion, people wear
dress clothes and hats
have remained a key part
of the fancy event. Hats
are statement pieces, so
the bolder the better!
03
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7. TheHorses
The horses that run in the Derby are three year old Thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds
are a type of horse bred for racing. They have short leg bones that give them long
strides and make them fast runners.
To run in the race, a horse must win a series of other races to qualify.
The most famous Derby horse of all time is Secretariat for holding the record for
fastest race time at 1 minute and 59 ⅖ seconds. Secretariat is the horse shown in
the photo.
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8. WanttoLearnMore?
Derby
History
Thoroughbreds Famous
Winners
Click
Here
Click
Here
Click
Here
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9. References
● https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cocktail-history-mint-julep-kentucky-
derby/index.html#:~:text=But%20it%20wasn't%20till,selling%20the%20glasses%20as%2
0souvenirs.
● https://www.history.com/topics/sports/kentucky-derby
● https://www.kentuckyderby.com/history/kentucky-derby-
history#:~:text=On%20May%2017th%2C%201875%2C%20the,crowd%20of%20approximat
ely%2010%2C000%20spectators.
● https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cocktail-history-mint-julep-kentucky-
derby/index.html#:~:text=But%20it%20wasn't%20till,selling%20the%20glasses%20as%2
0souvenirs.
● https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/women-wear-hats-kentucky-derby/story?id=38927117
● https://www.britannica.com/topic/Man-o-War
● https://www.britannica.com/sports/Kentucky-Derby
● https://www.southernliving.com/holidays-occasions/kentucky-derby/famous-horses
● Images obtained from Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain): www.commons.wikimedia.org
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