Editing Kentucky Derby (section)

==History==
In 1872, Col. [[Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.]], grandson of [[William Clark]] of the [[Lewis and Clark expedition]], traveled to England, visiting [[Epsom]] in Surrey where [[Epsom Derby|The Derby]] had been running annually since 1780.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.derbycraze.com/in-depth-history-of-kentucky-derby.html | title=Racing for the Roses – History of Kentucky Derby | date=February 15, 2014 | access-date=February 22, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306235404/http://www.derbycraze.com/in-depth-history-of-kentucky-derby.html | archive-date=March 6, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> From there, Clark went on to [[Paris, France]], where a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the [[Jockey-Club de Paris|French Jockey Club]] in 1863. They had organized the [[Grand Prix de Paris]] at [[Longchamp Racecourse|Longchamp]], which at the time was the greatest race in France. Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club to raise money for building quality racing facilities just outside the city. The track would soon become known as [[Churchill Downs]], named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack.<ref>{{cite news|title=Talking It Over|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/459977052.html?dids=459977052:459977052&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI|date=April 30, 1936|last=Ward|first=Arch|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=May 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725103807/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/459977052.html?dids=459977052:459977052&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI|archive-date=July 25, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{subscription required}}</ref> The naming went official in 1937.<ref name="ch">{{cite web|title=History Of Churchill Downs |url=http://www.churchilldowns.com/about/history |publisher=Churchill Downs |access-date=February 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301195807/http://www.churchilldowns.com/about/history |archive-date=March 1, 2014 }}</ref>
[[File:Jockey Oliver Lewis atop winner Aristides in first Kentucky Derby.png|alt=A sepia-toned, black and white photograph showing the horse Aristides galloping down the track of the first Kentucky Derby. The horse was ridden by Jockey Oliver Lewis, who was a black man.|left|thumb|[[Alan-a-Dale (horse)|Alan-A-Dale]], ridden by jockey [[Jimmy Winkfield]] won the Derby in 1902.]]
The Kentucky Derby was first run at {{frac|1|1|2}} miles (12 [[furlong]]s; 2.4&nbsp;km) the same distance as the [[Epsom Derby]], before changing lengths in 1896 to its current {{frac|1|1|4}} miles (10 furlongs; 2&nbsp;km). On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. Under jockey [[Oliver Lewis]], a colt named [[Aristides (horse)|Aristides]], who was trained by future [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Ansel Williamson]], won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the [[Belmont Stakes]].

Initially a successful venue, the track ran into financial difficulties due to a protracted, [[Parimutuel betting|gambling-related]] [[Ben Ali (horse)#Wagering monopoly and boycott|horseman boycott]] removing it from the upper echelons of racing that would last until just after the turn of the 20th century. In 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with the new capitalization and improved facilities. Despite this, the business floundered until 1902, when a syndicate led by [[Matt Winn|Col. Matt Winn]] of Louisville acquired the facility. Under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered, and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America.<ref>{{cite book |last=Renau |first=Lynn S. |editor-first=John E. |editor-last=Kleber |year=2001 |title=The Encyclopedia of Louisville |chapter=Winn, Martin J. |pages=946–947 |publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]] |location=[[Lexington, Kentucky]] |isbn=0-8131-2100-0 |oclc=247857447 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC |access-date=January 20, 2024 |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313151808/https://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thoroughbred owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete in two other races. These two are the [[Preakness Stakes]] at the [[Pimlico Race Course]], in [[Baltimore]], and the [[Belmont Stakes]] in [[Elmont, New York]]. The three races offered large purses, and in [[1919 Kentucky Derby|1919]], [[Sir Barton]] became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term "[[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Triple Crown]]" did not come into use for another eleven years. In [[1930 Kentucky Derby|1930]], when [[Gallant Fox]] became the second horse to win all three races, sportswriter [[Charles Hatton (journalist)|Charles Hatton]] brought the phrase into American usage. Fueled by the media, public interest in the possibility of a "superhorse" that could win the Triple Crown began in the weeks leading up to the Derby. Two years after the term went in use, the race (until that time ran in mid-May since inception) changed the date to the first Saturday in May. This change allows for a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. Before 1931, eleven times the Preakness was run before the Derby. On May 12, 1917, and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby took place on the same day. On eleven occasions the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes, and in 2020, the Belmont was run first, then the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes last.
[[File:Churchill Downs 1901.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Churchill Downs]] in 1901]]
On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired on [[WHAS (AM)|WHAS]] as well as on [[WGN (AM)|WGN]] in Chicago.<ref>"Derby To Go On The Air", ''The New York Times'', May 16, 1925, p. 11</ref> On May 7, 1949, the first television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, produced by [[WAVE-TV]], the NBC affiliate in Louisville. This coverage was aired live in the Louisville market and sent to NBC as a kinescope newsreel recording for national broadcast. On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then-[[CBS]] affiliate [[WHAS-TV]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Kentucky Derby Info |title=Kentucky Derby History |url=http://www.kentuckyderby.ag/kentuckyderby-history1950.php |access-date=December 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029171901/http://www.kentuckyderby.ag/kentuckyderby-history1950.php |archive-date=October 29, 2012 }}</ref> In 1954, the purse exceeded US$100,000 for the first time. In 1968, [[Dancer's Image]] became the first horse to win the race and then face disqualification. A [[urinalysis|urine test]] revealed traces of [[phenylbutazone]] (an [[Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug|anti-inflammatory]] painkiller drug) inside Dancer's Image. [[Forward Pass (horse)|Forward Pass]] won after a protracted legal battle by the owners of Dancer's Image (which they lost). Forward Pass thus became the eighth winner for [[Calumet Farm]]. Unexpectedly, the regulations at Kentucky thoroughbred race tracks were changed some years later, allowing horses to run on [[phenylbutazone]]. In 1970, [[Diane Crump]] became the first female jockey to ride in the Derby, finishing 15th aboard Fathom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/26/sport/diane-crump-first-female-jockey/index.html|title=Jockey who refused to stay in the kitchen|last=McKenzie|first=Sheena|website=CNN|access-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202190618/https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/26/sport/diane-crump-first-female-jockey/index.html|archive-date=February 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The fastest time ever run in the Derby was in [[1973 Kentucky Derby|1973]] at 1:59.4 minutes, when [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]] broke the record set by [[Northern Dancer]] in [[1964 Kentucky Derby|1964]]. Also during that race, Secretariat did something unique in Triple Crown races: for each successive quarter run, his times were faster. Although the races do not record times for non-winners, in 1973 Sham finished second, two and a half lengths behind Secretariat in the same race. Using the thoroughbred racing convention of one length equaling one-fifth of a second to calculate [[Sham (horse)|Sham]]'s time, he also finished in under two minutes. Another sub-two-minute finish, only the third, was set in [[2001 Kentucky Derby|2001]] by [[Monarchos]] at 1:59.97, the first year the race used hundredths of seconds instead of fifths in timing.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dandrea|first=Phil|title=Sham: Great Was Second Best|year=2010|publisher=Acanthus Publishing|url=http://www.ShamHorse.com|access-date=May 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201042823/https://www.shamhorse.com/|archive-date=December 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2005, the [[purse distribution]] for the Derby changed, so that horses finishing fifth would henceforth receive a share of the purse; previously only the first four finishers did so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/horse/news/2005/0104/1958932.html|title=Horse Racing – Kentucky Derby purse doubled to $2 million|website=ESPN|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501005010/http://www.espn.com/horse/news/2005/0104/1958932.html|archive-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Kentucky Derby began offering $3 million in purse money in 2019. Churchill Downs officials have cited the success of [[Instant Racing|historical race wagering terminals]] at their Derby City Gaming facility in Louisville as a factor behind the purse increase. The Derby first offered a $1 million purse in 1996; it was doubled to $2 million in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/231501/kentucky-derby-purse-increased-to-3-million|title=Kentucky Derby Purse Increased to $3 Million|last=Angst|first=Frank|date=January 10, 2019|website=bloodhorse.com|publisher=The Bloodhorse|access-date=January 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111054942/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/231501/kentucky-derby-purse-increased-to-3-million|archive-date=January 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, the Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/major-events-cancelled-or-postponed-due-to-the-coronavirus-2020|title=Here are the latest major events that have been canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Burning Man, and the 74th Annual Tony Awards|last1=Hadden|first1=Joey|last2=Casado|first2=Laura|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=April 10, 2020|access-date=May 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412063437/https://www.businessinsider.com/major-events-cancelled-or-postponed-due-to-the-coronavirus-2020|archive-date=April 12, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in [[1945 Kentucky Derby|1945]].<ref name="Kleber"/> Churchill Downs used a new singular 20-stall starting gate for the [[2020 Kentucky Derby]], replacing the previous arrangement that used a standard 14-stall gate and an auxiliary six-stall gate.<ref name=gate20/> The old setup contributed to congestion at the start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates.<ref name=gate20>{{cite web |title=Churchill to Debut 20-Horse Derby Gate Sept. 1 |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243106/churchill-to-debut-20-horse-derby-gate-sept-1 |website=BloodHorse.com |access-date=September 1, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128042905/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243106/churchill-to-debut-20-horse-derby-gate-sept-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Rich Strike]], a [[Substitution (sport)|reserve]] who only made it into the final field after a late scratching, won the [[2022 Kentucky Derby|race in 2022]] at final odds of 80:1 and [[parimutuel betting]] payouts were even larger.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kentucky Derby Payouts Guide – Horses for Win, Place & Show |url=https://kentuckyderbybettingsites.net/payouts/ |access-date=May 1, 2024 |website=kentuckyderbybettingsites.net |language=en-US |archive-date=May 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501103039/https://kentuckyderbybettingsites.net/payouts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:2024 Derby sign and Spire.jpg|thumb|The Kentucky Derby sign for the 2024 Derby, the 150th running of the Derby, with one of the twin spires in the background.]]
In January 2024, the purse for the Kentucky Derby was increased to $5 million.<ref name="Frakes-2024"/>

=== Attendance ===
Millions of people from around the world bet at various live tracks and online sportsbooks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/05/07/record-betting-reported-2017-kentucky-derby/101403510/|title=Record betting reported on 2017 Kentucky Derby|work=The Courier-Journal|access-date=April 4, 2018|language=en|archive-date=January 28, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128042854/https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/05/07/record-betting-reported-2017-kentucky-derby/101403510/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, a crowd of 158,070 watched Always Dreaming win the Derby, making it the seventh biggest attendance in the history of the racetrack. The track reported a wagering total of $209.2 million from all the sources on all the races on the Kentucky Derby Day program. It was a 9% increase compared to the total of $192.6 million in 2016 and an increase of 8% over the previous record set in 2015 of $194.3 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.betfirm.com/how-much-is-bet-on-the-kentucky-derby/|title=How Much Money is Wagered on the Kentucky Derby Each Year?|website=betfirm.com|language=en|access-date=April 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404200855/https://www.betfirm.com/how-much-is-bet-on-the-kentucky-derby/|archive-date=April 4, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> TwinSpires, a platform for betting online and a partner of the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup, recorded $32.8 million in handle on the Churchill Down races for the Kentucky Derby Day program. This record was a 22% increase over the preceding year. On the Kentucky Derby race alone, the handle of TwinSpires was $20.1 million, which is a 22% rise compared to the prior year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2016/05/09/the-2016-kentucky-derbyy-the-numbers.html|title=The 2016 Kentucky Derby: By the numbers|last=Finley|first=Marty|date=May 9, 2016|website=bizjournals.com|access-date=April 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323031836/http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2016/05/09/the-2016-kentucky-derbyy-the-numbers.html|archive-date=March 23, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The race often draws celebrities. HM [[Queen Elizabeth II]], on a visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-derby/kentucky-derby-queen-elizabeth-draw-festive-crowd-idUSN0528586820070506?feedType=RSS|title=Kentucky Derby, Queen Elizabeth draw festive crowd|last=Hopkins|first=Andrea|work=U.S.|access-date=April 30, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501004952/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-derby/kentucky-derby-queen-elizabeth-draw-festive-crowd-idUSN0528586820070506?feedType=RSS|archive-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Sponsorship ===
The 2004 Kentucky Derby marked the first time that jockeys—as a result of a [[court order]]—were allowed to wear corporate advertising [[logo]]s on their clothing.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2004/04/29/Derby-jockeys-can-wear-ads/90091083276857/|title=Derby jockeys can wear ads|work=UPI|access-date=April 30, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501004323/https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2004/04/29/Derby-jockeys-can-wear-ads/90091083276857/|archive-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wdrb.com/story/25344845/jockey-advertising-at-kentucky-tracks-remains-rare-a-decade-after-ruling|title=Jockey advertising at Kentucky tracks remains rare a decade after ruling|last=Green|first=Marcus|access-date=April 30, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501004609/http://www.wdrb.com/story/25344845/jockey-advertising-at-kentucky-tracks-remains-rare-a-decade-after-ruling|archive-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Norman Adams has been the designer of the Kentucky Derby Logo since 2002. On February 1, 2006, the Louisville-based [[fast-food]] company [[Yum! Brands, Inc.]] announced a corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/05/news/companies/yum_derby/index.htm|title=Kentucky Derby including Yum Brands in its name|last=Isidore|first=Chris|date=May 5, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517235236/http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/05/news/companies/yum_derby/index.htm|archive-date=May 17, 2006|access-date=May 10, 2010}}</ref>  In 2018, [[Woodford Reserve]] replaced Yum! Brands as the presenting sponsor.<ref name=Woodford>{{cite web|title=Woodford Reserve is New Kentucky Derby Sponsor|url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/224298/woodford-reserve-is-new-kentucky-derby-sponsor|website=BloodHorse.com|access-date=April 15, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415125014/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/224298/woodford-reserve-is-new-kentucky-derby-sponsor|archive-date=April 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Swiss watchmaker [[Longines]] is the official sponsor timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby.