The first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky and is the oldest consecutively held thoroughbred race in America. The first jewel of the Triple Crown, which includes the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes, the Kentucky Derby is a high stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. The fastest Kentucky Derby was run by Secretariat, who covered the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 2/5.

Known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” for the approximate amount of time it takes all horses to cross the finish line, the Kentucky Derby is now held annually on the first Saturday in May and draws close to 155,000 hat wearing, mint julep drinking, fried chicken eating horse racing fans to its legendary stands and infield.

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