The Tom Fool Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens , New York . The event currently offers a purse of $ 200,000.
54-709: The race is named for U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Tom Fool who was champion two-year-old of 1951 and U.S. Horse of the Year in 1953. He is one of four horses to win the New York Handicap Triple which consists of the Metropolitan Handicap , the Suburban Handicap and the Brooklyn Handicap . The inaugural running of event was on 17 December 1975 with conditions for three-year-olds and older over
108-667: A filly . † Designates a horse that won American Horse of the Year in the same year they won the Derby. ‡ Designates a horse that was inducted in subsequent years into the National Racing Hall of Fame . Winners of the Kentucky Derby can be connected to each other due to the practice of arranging horse breeding based on their previous success. All of the horses can be traced back to the three foundational sires, with Godolphin Arabian
162-666: A corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands." In 2018, Woodford Reserve replaced Yum! Brands as the presenting sponsor. In addition to the race itself, several traditions play a significant role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep —an iced drink consisting of bourbon , mint , and sugar syrup—is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic beverage comes served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. However, most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from souvenir glasses (first offered in 1939 and available in revised form each year since) printed with all previous Derby winners. Also, burgoo ,
216-493: 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 percent increase compared to the total of $ 192.6 million in 2016 and an increase of 8 percent over the previous record set in 2015 of $ 194.3 million. TwinSpires,
270-491: A distance of seven furlongs and was won by Hobeau Farm 's five-year-old Kinsman Hope who was trained by US Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens and ridden by jockey John Ruane winning by a margin of one and one-half lengths in a time of 1:21 2 ⁄ 5 . The following year the event was moved and scheduled in the summer meet at Aqueduct and held in July and in 1977 the summer meeting returned to Belmont Park . The winner of
324-665: A group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club in 1863. They had organized the Grand Prix de Paris at 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
378-485: A horse must have been retired for a minimum of five full calendar years to be eligible for the hall of fame. (Exceptions to this rule have been made; for example, Secretariat was inducted the year after his retirement and Ruffian was inducted the year after her death.) Thoroughbreds remain eligible in the contemporary category between five and 25 calendar years following their final racing year. Thoroughbreds retired for more than 25 calendar years may become eligible through
432-532: A large area, flying in hundreds of private aircraft to Louisville International Airport . The Derby is frequently referred to as " The Run for the Roses ", because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. New York sports columnist and future Churchill Downs president Bill Corum in 1925 began describing the race thusly, but the tradition originated in 1883 when New York City socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at
486-509: A longer distance culminating with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic . Ghostzapper 's outstanding season would earn him US Horse of the Year honors for 2004. After not being held in 2010, the event was downgraded to Grade III and moved to Aqueduct in 2011 where it is held in March. From 2011 to 2017, the event was run on the inner track but is now run on the main track. In 2015 the conditions of
540-554: 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 percent increase over the preceding year. On the Kentucky Derby race alone, the handle of TwinSpires was $ 20.1 million, which is a 22 percent rise compared to the prior year. The race often draws celebrities. HM Queen Elizabeth II , on
594-460: A post-Derby party. The Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., attended that event. This gesture is believed to have led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to draping roses on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky and the Chairman of Churchill Downs Incorporated present
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#1733085101042648-419: 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. The fastest time ever run in
702-475: A share of the purse; previously only the first four finishers did so. The Kentucky Derby began offering $ 3 million in purse money in 2019. Churchill Downs officials have cited the success of 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. In 2020,
756-433: A thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby. The infield —a spectator area inside the track—offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race, particularly before the jumbotron installation in 2014. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract
810-588: A visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs in 2007. The 2004 Kentucky Derby marked the first time that jockeys—as a result of a court order —were allowed to wear corporate advertising logos on their clothing. 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
864-473: Is 8 lengths, a feat tied by four different horses: Old Rosebud in 1914, Johnstown in 1939, Whirlaway in 1941, and Assault in 1946. The highest odds of a winning horse were 91 to 1 for Donerail in 1913. The second-highest odds occurred in 2022, when Rich Strike went off at 80 to 1 and won the race. Three horses have won the Kentucky Derby without competing as a two-year-old: Apollo (1882), Justify (2018), and Mage (2023). 107 jockeys have won
918-572: Is usually a five-year waiting period after retirement in such cases. Source: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Legend: * Still active (+ Win totals from Equibase.com as of 30 September 2018 ) ** Wins in North America only Contemporary trainers become eligible for the Hall of Fame after they have been licensed for at least 25 years, and remain eligible until 25 years after retirement. In special circumstances such as fragile health,
972-702: 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 , Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term " Triple Crown " did not come into use for another eleven years. In 1930 , when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought
1026-460: The 1978 running, J. O. Tobin as top weight carrying 129 lbs won easily by 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths in a very fast time of 1:20 4 ⁄ 5 . Although this would J. O. Tobin's last victory his six wins would be enough to capture US Champion Sprint Horse for 1978. In although the event continued with handicap conditions in 1979 the event's name was modified to the Tom Fool Stakes and
1080-631: The 25 year requirement may be waived though there is usually a five-year waiting period after retirement in such cases. Established in 2013, the Hall of Fame states that the Pillars of the Turf category honors those "who have made extraordinary contributions to Thoroughbred racing in a leadership or pioneering capacity at the highest national level." In addition to the Hall of Fame, the museum houses numerous exhibits. These include: The Museum Collection includes just over 300 paintings. These range from paintings of
1134-435: The Derby in back-to-back years: Herbert J. Thompson (1932–33), Ben Jones (1948–49), Jimmy Jones (1957–58), Lucien Laurin (1972–73), D. Wayne Lukas (1995–96), and Bob Baffert (1997–98). Seventeen owners have won the Kentucky Derby multiple times with horses they fully or partially owned. * Partnered with other entities in an ownership group for one or more winning horses. Jockeys, trainers, and owners competing in
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#17330851010421188-456: The Derby was in 1973 at 1:59.4 minutes, when Secretariat broke the record set by Northern Dancer in 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
1242-462: The Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in 1945 . 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. The old setup contributed to congestion at
1296-473: The Historic Review Committee. [REDACTED] ( steeplechaser ) [REDACTED] Source: National Museum of Racing and Hall Contemporary jockeys become eligible for the Hall of Fame after they have been licensed for at least 20 years, and remain eligible until 25 years after retirement. In special circumstances such as fragile health, the 20 year requirement may be waived, though there
1350-561: The Kentucky Derby and its sibling race, the Kentucky Oaks , have been run every year since inception. They were twice rescheduled within the same year, the first time due to World War II in 1945 , and the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 . The Derby and the Oaks are the oldest major sporting events in the US held annually since their beginning. Among thoroughbred stakes races, they are
1404-418: The Kentucky Derby often will compete in the Kentucky Oaks , a race for fillies held the day before the Derby. Winning both these races in the same year is referred to as an "Oaks/Derby Double;" 7 jockeys, 3 trainers, and 4 owners have accomplished this feat: *Until the 1950s, the Oaks was held several days or weeks after the Derby. Triple Crown winners are in bold and highlighted with gold. # Designates
1458-606: The Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes last. On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired on WHAS as well as on WGN in Chicago. 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,
1512-513: The Kentucky Derby, with 27 doing so multiple times. Isaac Murphy (1890–91), Jimmy Winkfield (1901–02), Ron Turcotte (1972–73), Eddie Delahoussaye (1982–83), Calvin Borel (2009–10), and Victor Espinoza (2014–15) are the only jockeys to win the Derby in back-to-back years. Borel is the only jockey with three wins in a four-year span (2007, '09, '10). 116 trainers have won the Kentucky Derby, with 19 doing so multiple times. Six trainers have won
1566-612: The Triple Crown trophies of Count Fleet. 43°04′35″N 73°46′24″W / 43.0763°N 73.7734°W / 43.0763; -73.7734 Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby ( / ˈ d ɜːr b i / ) is an American Grade I stakes race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky . The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (10 furlongs; 2,012 metres). Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms). Held annually on
1620-580: The ancestor of 7 winners, Byerley Turk the ancestor of 11 winners, and Darley Arabian the ancestor of 132 winners, including all winners since 1938. The Darley Arabian (1700c) sire line (all branched through the Eclipse (1764) line) produced 132 Derby winners (124 colts, 5 geldings, 3 fillies), including all winners from 1938 to present. The main branches of this sire line are: The Byerley Turk (1680c) sire line produced 11 winners (8 colts, 3 geldings). The main branches of this sire (all branched through
1674-556: The early days of racing in England by John E. Ferneley Sr . to more contemporary champions by Richard Stone Reeves . Featured artists include: William Smithson Broadhead, Vaughn Flannery, Sir Alfred J. Munnings , Frederic Remington , Martin Stainforth , George Stubbs , Henry Stull, Edward Troye and Franklin Brooke Voss . Also on display are Kelso's five Jockey Club Gold Cup trophies and
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1728-475: The evaluation of a panel of racing historians. In 1955, a group of nine horses from the earliest years of the American turf were inducted. The 1956 class included 11 horses that raced around the turn of the century, while the 1957 class included 10 horses that raced up to the mid-thirties. Since then, the classes have been significantly smaller as the inductions shifted to more contemporary horses. Under current rules,
1782-547: The event were modified not allow three-year-olds to enter. Speed record: Margins: Most wins: Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: Notes: § Ran as an entry National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York , to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses , jockeys , and trainers . In 1955,
1836-458: The first Derby. Under jockey Oliver Lewis , a colt named Aristides , who was trained by future 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, gambling-related horseman boycott removing it from the upper echelons of racing that would last until just after
1890-706: The first Saturday in May, the Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown . It is preceded by the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival . The race is known as "The Run for the Roses", as the winning horse is draped in a blanket of roses. Lasting approximately two minutes, the Derby has been alternately called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports", "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports", or "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports", coined by Churchill Downs president Matt Winn . At least two of these descriptions are thought to be derived from
1944-412: The first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then- CBS affiliate WHAS-TV . 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 urine test revealed traces of phenylbutazone (an anti-inflammatory painkiller drug) inside Dancer's Image. Forward Pass won after
1998-433: The four Contemporary categories (colts and horses, fillies and mares, jockey and trainer) to be presented to the voters. Changes in voting procedures that commenced with the 2010 candidates allow the voters to choose multiple candidates from a single Contemporary category, instead of a single candidate from each of the four Contemporary categories. For example, in 2016, two mares (Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta) were inducted at
2052-526: The garland and the Kentucky Derby Trophy to the winner. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed the song " Run for the Roses ", released in time for the 1980 running of the race. "Riders Up!" is the traditional command from the Paddock Judge for jockeys to mount their horses in advance of the upcoming race. Since 2012, the grand marshal recites this phrase. Grand marshals In the weeks preceding
2106-464: The land for the racetrack. The naming went official in 1937. The Kentucky Derby was first run at 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (12 furlongs ; 2.4 km) the same distance as the Epsom Derby , before changing lengths in 1896 to its current 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (10 furlongs; 2 km). On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested
2160-402: The main entrance of the historic Saratoga Race Course . The museum was relocated to a newly reconstructed building and a thoroughbred racing Hall of Fame was included. Since then, the museum has expanded several times to allow for the display of its extensive art collection and more multimedia displays on the history of the sport. In the early years, inductions to the hall of fame were based on
2214-507: The museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga Race Course , at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting. The Hall of Fame's nominating committee selects eight to ten candidates from among
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2268-583: The oldest that have been held annually on the same track every year. The Derby is the most-watched and most-attended horse race in the United States. The 2024 Kentucky Derby marked the 150th running of the race. 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 The Derby had been running annually since 1780. From there, Clark went on to Paris, France , where
2322-574: 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
2376-407: 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,
2430-508: The race, numerous activities took place for the Kentucky Derby Festival . Thunder Over Louisville —an airshow and fireworks display—generally begins the festivities in earnest two weeks before the Derby. Secretariat set the record for speed in 1973 with a time of 1:59.4. During its first two decades when the Derby was run at 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles, the record was 2:34.5, set by Spokane in 1889. The largest margin of victory
2484-581: The rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in elegant outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. Following the Call to the Post played on bugle by Steve Buttleman, as the horses start to parade before the grandstands, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays Stephen Foster 's " My Old Kentucky Home ". This song is a tradition which began in 1921. The event attracts spectators from
2538-512: The same time. The museum also houses a large collection of art, artifacts, and memorabilia that document the history of horse racing from the eighteenth century to the present. The National Museum of Racing was founded in 1950, led by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and a group of people interested in thoroughbred racing. The museum first opened its doors in 1951, at which time it occupied a single room in Saratoga's Canfield Casino . The establishment
2592-443: The start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates. Rich Strike , a reserve who only made it into the final field after a late scratching, won the race in 2022 at final odds of 80:1 and parimutuel betting payouts were even larger. In January 2024, the purse for the Kentucky Derby was increased to $ 5 million. Millions of people from around the world bet at various live tracks and online sportsbooks. In 2017,
2646-434: The thoroughbred racing convention of one length equaling one-fifth of a second to calculate Sham 's time, he also finished in under two minutes. Another sub-two-minute finish, only the third, was set in 2001 by Monarchos at 1:59.97, the first year the race used hundredths of seconds instead of fifths in timing. In 2005, the purse distribution for the Derby changed, so that horses finishing fifth would henceforth receive
2700-605: 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 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. Thoroughbred owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete in two other races. These two are
2754-455: The winner Left Bank started as the 8/5 favorite and set a new track record of 1:20.17 for the seven-furlong distance. The 2004 running of the event only attracted four entrants. Stronach Stables ' four-year-old Ghostzapper was returning after a lengthy nine-month layoff after his Grade I Vosburgh Stakes win and continued his winning streak comfortable winning the event in 1:20.42. Trainer Bobby Frankel however would pursue events that were
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#17330851010422808-582: The words of sportswriter Grantland Rice , when in 1935 he said "Those two minutes and a second or so of derby running carry more emotional thrills, per second, than anything sport can show." The race was first run in 1875. Unlike the other, older races of the Triple Crown—the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes —along with the Travers Stakes (the oldest comparable stakes race in the US),
2862-471: Was supported by the city of Saratoga Springs , which donated $ 2,500, the Saratoga Racing Association, which donated $ 5,000, and various patrons of the sport, who also donated various pieces of art and memorabilia. The first item in the museum's collection was a horseshoe worn by the great Lexington . In 1955, the museum relocated to its current location on Union Avenue, across the street from
2916-575: Was used as such until 1995. In 1981 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III and the following year to Grade II. In 1987 Groovy won the event for the second time in easily by 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 lengths as the 3/5 odds-on favorite. Groovy's win was his fourth straight. He would win two more events before finishind 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Sprint . His efforts won him an Eclipse Award as US Champion Sprint Horse for 1987. In 2002
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