Founded: 1875
Venue: Churchill Downs
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Track Info: A mile and a quarter in length.
Derby Traditions: Women wearing colorful hats. Mint Juleps. Singing "My Old Kentucky Home".
Derby Nicknames: Run for the Roses & The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.
Notable Derby Winners: Secretariat, War Admiral, Seattle Slew, Smarty Jones
See Also: Triple Crown Horse Racing tickets
The Kentucky Derby is the most famous horse race in the world today. The Kentucky Derby is raced on the first Saturday in May; always preceded by the Kentucky Oaks race on Friday. The Derby was first raced in 1875. It is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses raced at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The track at Churchill is 1 mile long, but the race itself is a mile and a quarter in length. The Kentucky Derby is known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate time length. It is also called "The Run for the Roses" for the blanket of roses awarded to the winner. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the United States. Approximately 150,000 fans attend the Kentucky Derby each year.
The Kentucky Derby has many colorful traditions that make it unique in American sports lore. Women who attend the race wear colorful hats, known as Derby Hats. These hats are usually large and elaborately decorated. The mint julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint and a sugar syrup is the official beverage of the race. Most Churchill Downs patrons sip their mint julep from a souvenir glass printed with all previous Kentucky Derby winners. Over 80,000 mint juleps are consumed on Kentucky Derby/Oaks weekend. And just prior to the start of the race, the crowd sings "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses parade in-front of the Churchill Downs grandstand.
A more recent tradition at the Derby is the heavy attendance of celebrities. The Kentucky Derby is the sporting event for big celebrities to attend each year. The following stars have all been spotted at the Derby over the past few years: Kid Rock, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Rob Thomas, Rebecca Romijn, George Strait, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Eli & Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, P Diddy, Brooks & Dunn, Larry King, Jamie Foxx, Cal Ripken, Wayne Gretzky, Bob Costas and Donald Trump. These celebrities often buy seats in the prestigious Millionaire's Row section of Churchill Downs. TicketCity offers tickets to the prestigious Millionaire's Row in our extensive Derby ticket inventory.
In 2006, the Louisville-based fast food company Yum! Brands announced a sponsorship deal to name the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands". The 2006 Kentucky Derby was won by Barbaro, with jockey Edgar Prado aboard. The race was attended by 157,536 fans, the second-largest crowd in Kentucky Derby history. Big Brown, with jockey Kent Desormeaux, won the 2008 Kentucky Derby.
Each year TicketCity has a local presence at the Kentucky Derby, as well as the Kentucky Oaks, to assist our clients with ticket pickup and additional purchases. As the weekends' events draw near, our sales associates are available for personal assistance as needed. Therefore, clients have the option to purchase online or over the phone and pick up locally at the event.
Items patrons may take into Churchill Downs on Derby and Oaks days:
- Small radio, TV and iPods.
- Binoculars.
- Purses and baby bags (all subject to search).
- Chairs (Gate 3 only).
- Blankets (Gates 1 & 3 for infield use only).
- Strollers (only if carrying a child).
- Food items in clear plastic bag. Limit 2 per person.
Items you may not carry into Churchill Downs on Derby and Oaks Days:
- Weapons of any kind (includes knives and scissors).
- Bottles & cans of any kind (includes all beverage and lotion containers).
- Coolers, Grills or Thermoses.
- Backpacks, luggage and duffel bags.
- Umbrellas.
- Wagons.
- Boom boxes.
Visit our
Churchill Downs Tickets page for more information on the race track.