Perhaps one of the most prestigious and the most well-attended horse races of all time is the Kentucky Derby. Also known as the Run for the Roses to refer to the rich blanket of 554 roses given to the winner of the race, horses at the Kentucky Derby race for a distance of 2 km or 1 ? miles at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. Also hailed as the "Fastest Two Minutes in Sports", the Kentucky Derby is held every first Saturday of May and is the first leg of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes follow the Run for the Roses respectively. A horse needs to win all three stakes to win the Triple Crown.
One of the oldest Thoroughbred races in North America, the Kentucky Derby was started in 1875 with Aristides ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis emerging as the champion. One of the notable winners of this Derby was Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte in 1973 with a time of 1:59:40 seconds. This time remains unsurpassed even today and still holds the record as the fastest run in the Derby.
Some jockeys who have made Kentucky Derby history include Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack. They are the only two jockeys who have won this race five times. Bill Shoemaker has four wins to his name, although he could have bagged a fifth had he not committed a judgment error and stood up the irons too early in 1957. This caused Bill Hartack riding on Iron Liege to overtake him and win the race. Now, Calvin Borel is making a name for himself in the Run for the Roses as the "Borail" for his uncanny ability to squeeze his horse in between immense traffic for upsetting "come from behind" victories. He bagged the prize in 2007 when he rode Street Sense. He won back-to-back in 2009 and 2010 riding on Mine That Bird and Super Saver, respectively.
Betters and gamblers look forward to the Kentucky Derby since it offers them a wide array of choices for their wagers. In addition to the usual bets, they can also try out their luck at the Trifecta and the Superfecta in this race.
Mint julep served on a souvenir glass with names of previous derby winners is the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby.
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