"Run for the Roses" is a song written and recorded by singer/songwriter

Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his 1970s and 1980s songs, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1980), and ...

in 1980.

Background

The chorus mentions "the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance", at once describing the experience of horse racing and life itself. The song has since been used as an unofficial theme for the Kentucky Derby.

Chart performance

Released as a single from the album ''

The Innocent Age ''The Innocent Age'' is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1981. It was also one of his most successful albums; three of his four Top 10 singles on the ''Billboard'' pop chart (" Hard to Say" (no. 7), "Sam ...

'' the following year, it peaked at number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Popular culture

The song was commissioned by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

for its telecast of the 106th running of the Derby in 1980, and premiered on the network's Derby preview special the night before. Fogelberg stated that it was written in two days. The performance was broadcast from the Red Barn, the student activities building at the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one o ...

References

1980 songs 1981 singles Kentucky Derby Dan Fogelberg songs Songs written by Dan Fogelberg Songs about horses Songs about Kentucky Full Moon Records singles {{1980s-single-stub