Every year, on the first Saturday of May, on the final day of the Kentucky Derby Festival and following the Kentucky Oaks race, the Kentucky Derby race is held at the Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby race is a famous, prestigious group 1 thoroughbreds race run on dirt over a distance of 1mile 2 furlong, and one that has been celebrated for the past 136 years, a celebration of the end of the Kentucky Derby Festival and of great horse racing.
Visit the Kentucky derby to enjoy the geratest hospitality on the tace cource. Hospitality Venues for your style, starting with the top floor, gourmet food and drinks and all the way to the ground level, with the best bookies and horse racing tipsters.
The Kentucky Derby Experiences Concierge Services is open for you to ensures that you will get the ultimate Derby Experience outside the gates of Churchill Downs. Check the block seating requests so you can enjoy the races together.Since this is the event of the year, we will try to make it perfect for you and to offer convenience-tickets, hotel and hospitality ,accommodations and the Official Kentucky Derby® 137 Gift Bag.
Check one of the packages below:
- Millionaires Row – recommended package by the racing betting online site.
- Turf Club – Get best price for this Kentucky Derby Ticket
- Trophy Room – most valuable position to enjoy the Kentucky Derby Races.
- Triple Crown Room – Available for Triple Crown members.
- Winner’s Party – additional information to get the Winners party pass, available for all packages on the Kentucky Derby.
History of Kentucky Derby
Dated back to 1875 when it was first run, the Kentucky Derby is one of North America’s oldest thoroughbreds races, the oldest being the Phoenix Oaks first run in 1831. The founder of the Kentucky Derby is Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., traveled to England in 1872 where he visited the Epsom Derby race. He then headed to Paris, to witness the Grand Prix de Paris (now known as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe), France’s biggest race in those days which was established by a group of enthusiastic french jockeys. Upon his return home, Clark has decided to form a race gathering similar in distance and conditions to the Epsom Derby and Grand Prix de Paris. On May 17, 1875, a group of 15 three year old horses lined up for the race in front of a crowd of over 10,000 spectators at what would eventually become the Churchill Downs Racecourse. The first Ketucky Derby winner was a colt named Aristides who made the race under jockey Oliver Lewis. Though the first race turned out to be a great success, the event failed to rise and become prominent in the landscape of horse racing and the track fell into financial problems when it wasn’t until 1894 that the new Louisville Jockey Club raised capital to support and improve the track. Their efforts were in vain and so in 1902 Col. Known for his famous Kentucky grades Matt Winn gathered a group of businessmen and created a syndicate which will purchase and maintain the track. The Churchill Downs track flourished under Win, followed by the establishment of the Kentucky Derby race as the major events in 3 year old thoroughbreds racing.
Modern Kentucky Derby and Traditions
Nowadays, the Kentucky Derby is still the greatest race in North America. It attracts a large crowd of over 150,000 horse racing spectators, among them are many well known celebrities which maintain the prestigious reputation of the race. The media offers full coverage of news and updates and a live broadcast at the day of the race. In Racing Betting Online, get to know all famous Kentucky grades for the last years. There are also many horse racing bettors enthusiastically participating in Kentucky Derby horse betting activities, following every bit of updates and comments made by professional handicappers and commentators. All of these join the old traditions of the race event such as the burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables and Mint Julep, an alcoholic icy drink made with bourbon, mint and sugar syrup. Other traditions are the University of Louisville marching band playing Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” and the blanket of roses which is laid upon the winner upon receiving the trophy from the hands of the Governor of Kentucky, a tradition which gave the event one of his well known references, “The Run For The Roses”. The Kentucky Derby is without a doubt one of the great horse racing events in the world.