The California Derby is a race for

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horses held early in the year at

Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area. With the closing of the ...

. An ungraded stakes, it is open to three-year-olds at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on a Tapeta surface. The Derby offers a purse of $100,000. Northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

's first major test for horses hoping to run for the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

, the California Derby is also the main local prep race for the $200,000

El Camino Real Derby The El Camino Real Derby is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on Tapeta, a synthetic ra ...

also run at Golden Gate. The California Derby has been run since 1873. At that time it was set at twelve

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in ho ...

or a mile and a half and was won by Camilla Urso.

Mollie McCarty Mollie McCarty, (sometimes spelled Mollie McCarthy), foaled in 1873, was an outstanding California-based Thoroughbred racehorse who won her first 13 race starts and was second on the two occasions when she was defeated. Breeding Mollie McCarty ...

won the 1876 edition and in 1909,

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

jockey James Lee won the race aboard High Private. Royal Orbit, who ran third in the California Derby, won the 1959 Preakness, and in 1909 Joe Madden, who ran second in the California Derby to High Private, won the Belmont Stakes. The 1996 winner, Pike Place Dancer won the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

Winners of the California Derby since 1991

Winners before 1991

* 1990 - Stalwart Charger * 1989 - Endow * 1988 - All Thee Power * 1987 - Simply Majestic * 1986 - Vernon Castle * 1985 - Hajjis Treasure * 1984 - Distant Ryder * 1983 - Paris Prince * 1982 - Rockwall * 1981 - Always a Cinch * 1980 - Jaklin Klugman * 1979 - Beau's Eagle * 1978 - Noble Bronze * 1977 - Cuzwuzwrong * 1976 - Telly's Pop * 1975 - Diabolo * 1974 - Agitate * 1973 - Linda's Chief * 1972 -

Quack Quack, The Quack or Quacks may refer to: People * Quack Davis, American baseball player * Hendrick Peter Godfried Quack (1834–1917), Dutch economist and historian * Joachim Friedrich Quack (born 1966), German Egyptologist * Johannes Quack (b ...

* 1971 -

Unconscious Unconscious may refer to: Physiology * Unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli Psychology * Unconscious mind, the mind operating well outside the attention of the conscious mind a ...

* 1970 - George Lewis

* 1969 - Jay Ray * 1968 - Proper Proof * 1967 - Reason to Hail * 1966 - Tragniew * 1965 - Perfect Sky * 1964 - Real Good Deal * 1963 - On My Honor * 1962 - Doc Jocoy * 1961 - Mr. Consistency * 1960 - Noble Noor * 1959 - Finnegan * 1958 - Nice Guy * 1957 - NOT RUN * 1956 - No Regrets * 1955 - Trackmaster * 1954 - Miz Clementine * 1949 - 1953 - NOT RUN * 1948 - May Reward * 1947 - NOT RUN * 1946 - War Spun * 1945 - NOT RUN

* 1944 - Jade Boy * 1942 & 1943 - NOT RUN * 1941 - Pirate * 1939 & 1940 - NOT RUN * 1938 - Grim Reaper * 1937 - Rockwood * 1936 - Lloyd Pan * 1935 - Toro Flight * 1923 - Victoire * 1910 - Turrets * 1909 - High Private * 1908 - Meelick * 1907 - Temaceo * 1906 - Good Luck * 1905 - Dr Leggo * 1904 - Bombardier * 1903 - Claude * 1902 - Sombrero * 1901 - Joe Frey * 1900 - NOT RUN * 1899 - Corsini

* 1898 - Traverser * 1897 - Scarborough * 1890 - Muta * 1889 - Hotspur * 1888 - Peel * 1887 - Jim Duffy * 1886 - May Blossom * 1885 - Ned Cook * 1884 - Phillip S * 1883 - Augusta E * 1882 - Duke of Monday * 1881 - Jim Douglas * 1880 - Sally Black * 1879 - Sister Anne * 1878 - Mark L * 1877 - Lena Dunbar * 1876 -

* 1875 - Bradley * 1874 - NOT RUN * 1873 - Camilla Urso

{{clear

References

The California Derby at Pedigree Derby
Horse races in California Golden Gate Fields Restricted stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1873 Triple Crown Prep Races 1873 establishments in California