What Is The Biggest Horse Race In America? (Find Out!)

As the world watched the Tokyo Olympics this summer, I was enamored by the equestrian events.

I watched all three disciplines for both individual and team competitions and cheered for the U.S. Equestrian team as they took home the silver medal in the Team Jumping Final.

All of my excitement about the Olympics Equestrian events made me wonder: What does horse racing look like in America, and what is considered the biggest horse race in America?

So, I decided to do a bit of research.

Now, I’d like to present my findings to you.

So, here is the answer to the question: “What is the biggest horse race in America?”

The answer is that The Kentucky Derby is the biggest horse race in America. While there are certainly other prestigious horse races across the country, The Kentucky Derby is widely considered to be the “Holy Grail” of horse racing.

In this article, we’re going to dive deeper into The Kentucky Derby horse race.

 

What is The Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race in Louisville, Kentucky and one of the three major U.S. horse races that comprise the Triple Crown.

It is a grade 1 stakes race for 3-year-old Thoroughbred horses at a distance of one and a quarter miles.

It has also been dubbed the “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because it only lasts approximately two minutes.

One other nickname for The Kentucky Derby is  “The Run for the Roses,” as the winner is usually draped in roses.

 

When is The Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby almost always takes place the first Saturday in May.

It wraps up the Kentucky Derby Festival, which is a two-week festival marked by airshows, fireworks, and more.

 

What is a Grade 1 Horse Race?

Grade 1 is the highest level of horse racing that exists.

It is reserved for higher-class races with larger prizes.

A Grade 1 race must have a purse (or prize split among top finishers) of at least $300,000. As of 2019,

The Kentucky Derby offers $3 million in purse money.

Grade 1 races are also generally for horses of the same age group — either 2-year-old horses, 3-year-old horses, or 3-and-up. As stated above, The Kentucky Derby is reserved for 3-year-old horses.

 

When did The Kentucky Derby Originate?

The Kentucky Derby began in 1875 after the grandson of legendary explorer William Clark, Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., developed the idea of establishing a jockey club in Louisville.

He established Churchill Downs, the race track where The Kentucky Derby is run each year, in 1874.

The track officially opened on May 17, 1875 and the first race was run in front of a crowd of around 10,000 people.

Fifteen 3-year-old Thoroughbreds raced.

 

Who won the first Kentucky Derby?

 The first Kentucky Derby was won by a chestnut Thoroughbred horse named Aristides.

He finished the race in just over two minutes and 37 seconds.

Aristides was ridden by 19-year-old jockey Oliver Lewis — who would never again race in the Kentucky Derby following his first win.

At the time, Aristides’ prize was just $2,850.

 

Who won the most recent Kentucky Derby?

The 147th Kentucky Derby was won by a racehorse named Medina Spirit.

The win was an upset and is being investigated for suspicious circumstances after the horse tested positive for the anti-inflammatory steroid betamethasone following the race.

One month after the race, Medina Spirit failed a second test for banned substances, resulting in the suspension of the horse’s trainer, Bob Baffert, from entering any horse in any race at Churchill Downs for two years.

Pending further investigation, Medina Spirit could be disqualified, nullifying the horse’s win.

 

Have any other horses been disqualified from The Kentucky Derby?

Yes, there have been two other horses disqualified from The Kentucky Derby.

In 1968, Dancer’s Image was the first horse to face disqualification after failing a drug test — similar to Medina Spirit.

In 2019, Maximum Security was disqualified from the race for interference, meaning it swerved into another horse’s lane.

 

What are some of the most famous horses to race in The Kentucky Derby?

Arguably the most famous horse to ever race in The Kentucky Derby is Secretariat.

Secretariat won the 99th Kentucky Derby in 1973.

The horse went on to win the Triple Crown and still holds The Kentucky Derby record, completing the course in just under two minutes.

The official time is 1:59:40. In fact, Secretariat holds the record for all three of the Triple Crown races.

Another Kentucky Derby winner that is quite well known is Donerail.

Donerail was an underdog horse that won the race in 1913. Donerail and his jockey Roscoe Goose overcame 91-1 odds to win.

Other notable winners include Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), Genuine Risk (1980), Monarchos (2001), Smarty Jones (2004), and American Pharaoh (2015).

 

Has any horse won The Kentucky Derby more than once?

The answer is no.

Because The Kentucky Derby is restricted to 3-year-old horses and the race only occurs once per year, horses are only eligible to compete once.

After that, they no longer qualify due to their age.

 

How many horses race in The Kentucky Derby?

In modern times, 20 horses run in The Kentucky Derby each year.

However, this number has changed over the years.

In 1875, just 15 horses competed in the first Kentucky Derby.

Only three horses raced in the 1892 Kentucky Derby.

 

Has The Kentucky Derby ever been canceled?

Believe it or not, the Kentucky Derby has never been canceled in its 147 year history.

Even during both World Wars and the Great Depression, the race continued.

Twice in history, the race has been postponed.

The first time was in 1945 due to a wartime ban on horse racing, and the second was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the 146th race occurred on September 5, 2020.

The next year, The Kentucky Derby returned to the first Saturday in May.

 

How many people attend The Kentucky Derby?

Now, over 150,000 gather at Churchill Downs each year for the race.

However, over one million people watch The Kentucky Derby in real-time from their televisions across the globe.

 

What year was the race first televised?

The Kentucky Derby was first televised in 1949.

The coverage was produced by WAVE-TV, the NBC affiliate in Louisville.

However, the coverage was only live in the Louisville area.

The footage was sent nationally to be aired after the race.

In 1952, the first live footage of the race was aired nationally.

 

Where can I watch The Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is now televised nationally on NBC each year.

In recent years, it has also been available on the NBC Sports app.

 

As you can see, The Kentucky Derby has a long and storied history behind it.

Maybe that’s why it is widely considered the biggest horse race in America and one of the biggest in the world.

Of course, if you’re looking to become a horse racing aficionado, then there are a few other horse races you should keep an eye out for — especially the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, which are the other two races that comprise the Triple Crown.