The 2026 Kentucky Derby - the 152nd Run For the Roses
The first Kentucky Derby was run at the distance of 1.5 miles, as were the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris. The race was "invented" by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., the grandson of Meriwether Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The entire race day and advertising was allotted $640 (about $19,212 today). On May 17th, 1875, Oliver Lewis rode Aristides to victory in front of a crowd of about 10,000 spectators, besting 14 other colts by 2 lengths, and setting a world record time of 2 minutes and 37.75 seconds for the one-and-one-half mile race. The colt was trained by Ansel Williamson and owned by Hal Price McGrath. The Kentucky Derby was raced at one and a half miles (12 furlongs) for 20 years. In 1896, it was decided to cut the race back to 1.25 miles (10 furlongs), and has been run at this distance for the last 131 races. The only year since 1875 that the Derby was not on the runin May wa...