This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.
From its beginning in 1875, the Kentucky Derby has been held annually in Louisville, KY. It is one and a fourth miles long currently, though before 1895 it was one and a half miles long. The Kentucky Derby is the highest level in the grading system used to identify thoroughbred stakes races. The graded-stakes earnings decide which horses, all three-years old, will make the race with the maximum number of entrants set at twenty. The derby is currently over 2 million dollars and the winner makes 1.4 million.
It is often referred to as the “greatest two minutes in sports” because that is about how long it takes. Secretariat is still known as the fastest because he ran it in 1:59 seconds. In addition, it is known as the “race for the roses,” since the winner receives a blanket of roses in the winner’s circle.
Celebrities and politicians attend the race with a crowd of around 150,000 people. There are many traditions that people follow when celebrating the Kentucky Derby. These consist of Mint Juleps, Derby Hats, The Derby Festival in Louisville, and the song “My Old Kentucky Home,” which is sung as the horses enter the track. Following the Kentucky Derby are the two other legs of the Triple Crown: the Preakness and the Belmont.
The horses include:
- Orb
- Varrazano
- Golden Cents
- Java’s War
- Overanalyze
- Revolutionary
- Lines of Battle
- Vyjack
- Will Take Charge
- Itsmyluckyday
- Governor Charlie
- Black Onyx
- Palace Malice
- Normandy Invasion
- Frac Daddy
- Mylute
- Oxbow
- Falling Sky
- Charming Kitten
- Winning Cause
For many, the decision on which horse to bet on is based on the name of the horse, which may be in part because since the beginning, no name was allowed to be reused. The jockeys (in the same order) are: J. Rosario, J. Velazquez, K. Krigger, J. Learoux, R. Benjarano, C. Borel, R. Moore, G. Gomez, J. Court, E. Trujillo, M. Garcia, J. Bravo, M. Smith, J.Castellano, V. Lebron, R. Napravnik, G. Stevens, and the last three are unknown. The only real requirement for jockeys is that they cannot be more than 116 pounds.
The race will be held this Saturday, May 4th from 7 PM until approximately 7:30 PM on NBC. There will also be a Derby Prep from 11 AM until 4 PM and a discussion of the 139th Derby from 4- 7 PM 1. Make sure to check it out!