The 1875 Kentucky Derby was the first running of the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. The race took place on May 17, 1875. The first Kentucky Derby was a 1.5-mile race, and the traditional distance of 1.25 miles was not established until the 1896 Derby. Thirteen of the fifteen jockeys in the race, including winner

Oliver Lewis Oliver Lewis (1856–1924) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. On May 17, 1875, Lewis won the very first Kentucky Derby aboard Aristides. The pair won by a reported two lengths, setting a new American record time for a mile-and- ...

, were African-American. Attendance was estimated at 10,000. The winner was Aristides, by two lengths. His jockey was Oliver Lewis, his trainer was Ansel Williamson, and his owner was H.P. McGrath. Aristides' half-brother and stablemate Chesapeake also ran in the race. Both Aristides' jockey and trainer were black. Aristides's time of 2 minutes and 37.75 seconds was at the time a world record for the distance. The present day Kentucky derby has seen a massive numbers increase since then. With the growth of the kentucky derby as of 2021; the derby, still held at the Churchhill Downs racetrack can see in-person attendance as high as 65,000 with an average of around 50,000 spectators. These numbers do not include Off-track spectators. One of the most beautiful parts of the kentucky derby is the journey it has undergone to become what it is today.

Full results

Payout

The winner received a purse of $2,850. The second-place finisher received $200. The winner of the 2021 Derby received a $186,000 payout. A massive increase from earlier derbies.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * ''Home: Library of Congress''. The Library of Congress. (n.d.), from https://www.loc.gov/ * atNickVega.(2021, May 1). ''2021 Kentucky Derby: How much prize money the winning jockey will earn''. CNBC, from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/01/2021-kentucky-derby-how-much-prize-money-the-winning-jockey-will-earn.html * Coleman, M. (2021, May 1). ''Medina spirit, Bob Baffert win 2021 Kentucky Derby''. Sports Illustrated, from https://www.si.com/horse-racing/2021/05/01/medina-spirit-bob-baffert-2021-kentucky-derby-winner {{Authority control

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

Derby May 1875 sports events