The first ever Coral Kentucky Derby Race was on the 17th of May in 1875, at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The Race was started by Meriweather Lewis Clarke Jnr, who wanted a race that would rival England’s Epson Derby. Meriweather came to England and studied the Epsom Derby tracks and its races and then went back to Louisville and established the Kentucky Derby Race that most Race goers know and still love today.
You can now also make bets online at coral.co.uk by going to their online sports book.
The Kentucky Derby was however just another Derby race, until 1902 when Colonel Matt J Winn took over the track and although he knew very little about horses and horse racing, he was a great promoter. After frequent trips to new York and persuading owners to enter their horses into the race, the Kentucky Derby became the best known horse race in North America by 1920.
Leading up to this great race you will find a fantastic week of activities going on around the track and it brings in spectators totaling over 100,000. The Kentucky Derby race has always been one and a quarter miles long except in 1879 and 1895, when it was one and a half miles long.
Recent Kentucky Derby Winners from 2000 – 2007
Year Horse Jockey
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus Kent Desmormeaux
2001 Monarchos Jorge Chavez
2002 War Emblem Victor Espinozo
2003 Funny Cide Jose Santos
2004 Smarty Jones Stewart Elliot
2005 Giacomo Mike Smith
2006 Barbaro Edgar Prado
2007 Street Sense Calvin Borel
If you want to make a bet on who will win in 2008 then visit www.coral.co.uk by clicking here.
