The Kentucky Derby is here! Known as the “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” The “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” or “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” it has set the standard for tradition and pageantry, and elegance since 1875, and was established by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of the famed explorer William Clark.
Clark traveled to Europe, where he met with leading figures in the racing industry at the time and conceived the idea of starting a jockey club to sponsor races. With the help of his uncles, John and Henry Churchill, a racetrack was established,and the first Derby (a term in the industry used to describe a race for three-year-old horses) was run on May 17th, 1875, with Aristides rode by jockey Oliver Lewis establishing two firsts in the races history as the first horse and the first African American jockey to win the now famed Kentucky Derby.
More Derby Firsts
The Kentucky Derby has long been a stage for historic firsts, none more groundbreaking than in 1970, when Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the storied race. Already a trailblazer with 228 career wins, Crump made headlines by winning the opening race on the undercard before saddling up on Fathom for the main event. She finished 15th in a field of 17, but her presence alone marked a pivotal moment in racing history.
For horses: Secretariat, also known as Big Red and considered to be the greatest racehorse of all time and widely regarded as one of the most legendary horses to compete in the Kentucky Derby, holds the record for the fastest time in the race’s history with an unbeaten 1:59.40. Another legendary name in horse racing, Seattle Slew made history in 1977 by becoming the first horse to win the American Triple Crown while remaining undefeated.
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