Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: One Winner, Two Sires?
Named for 1882 Kentucky Derby winner Apollo, this phenomenon commemorated the Bluegrass-bred colt’s extraordinary victory over a popular choice in Runnymede.
Kentucky Derby
Jennifer Kelly
Jennifer Kelly is a horse racing historian, writer, and author of Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown and The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown. When she's not writing about racing's past, she's watching and wagering on racing's present, eagerly awaiting our next Triple Crown winner.
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Dust Commander, 1970)
In 1970, Dust Commander made dreams come true for a journeyman jockey, a young trainer, and a family new to racing, a victory that rewarded the faith of the few who believed in this long shot from the Land of Lincoln.
Kentucky Derby
5 Key Breeders’ Cup Betting Trends for Turf Races
As you plan your wagers for these two championship days, these five trends can help you narrow down your choices for each race as well as those multi-race wagers.
Breeders Cup
Not Always the First Saturday in May: The Kentucky Derby’s Changing Calendar
Through war, pandemic, and the ever-evolving sport of horse racing, the Run for the Roses has rolled with the punches, finally settling into its familiar place on our calendar.
History
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: ‘The Truck Horse’ Does Good
The 1918 Kentucky Derby brought the sport one of its most beloved figures, Exterminator, whose surprising victory in the Run for the Roses showed that great performances could come from the most unexpected places.
Features
Faded Glory: Forgotten Winners of the Kentucky Derby (Venetian Way, 1960)
In 1960, with a Hall of Famer in the saddle, Venetian Way scored his signature victory for his soft-spoken owner and big-dreaming trainer, with his ultimate legacy coming in the form of another historic moment for America’s most famous race.
Kentucky Derby
Mary Hirsch, father Max Hirsch and Jack Horner (Photo courtesy of Keeneland Library Cook Collection)
She Was the First: Mary Hirsch, No Sir, and the 1937 Kentucky Derby
In the 1930s, as racing grew from coast to coast, more women sought the chance to become a part of the country’s oldest sporting pastime. One of those was Mary Hirsch.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Nellie the First
As Warren Wright transitioned Calumet from trotters to Thoroughbreds, he invested in a band of broodmares to create the families that would eventually produce two Triple Crown winners. To build that program, he purchased a mare with classic credentials and a unique story of her own, one that combines a tobacco farm, a cartoonist, and the 20th century’s greatest horse to create Calumet’s first Kentucky Derby starter, a filly named Nellie Flag.
Kentucky Derby
Dark Star wins the 1953 Kentucky Derby (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Museum/Churchill Downs)
Faded Glory: Forgotten Winners of the Kentucky Derby (Dark Star, 1953)
In 1953, the sport had fallen in love with a gray colt who seemed destined to sweep every race he tried, but in that year’s Kentucky Derby, Native Dancer’s unexpected defeat came thanks to a colt named Dark Star.
Kentucky Derby
Royalty and Roses: The Nobility Comes to Churchill Downs
Not only has the Kentucky Derby played to many Thoroughbred kings and queens, but has also attracted its share of royalty to the day’s celebrations, including famed royal equestrienne herself, Queen Elizabeth II.
History
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: A Cursed Classic Contest
Despite the bright skies and the field brimming with talent, Burgoo King’s 1932 Derby win would prove to be one not of good fortune, but bad luck instead.
Features
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Jet Pilot, 1947)
In a year sandwiched between Triple Crown winners, Jet Pilot capitalized on his good fortune and brought home a rosy victory for his famous owner and Hall of Fame trainer.
History
Coming to You Live: A History of Broadcasting the Kentucky Derby
The 150 years of the Kentucky Derby have seen this famous test follow the evolution of media, where this racing experience has gone from words on a page to images on our screens, creating a day at the races unlike any other.
Education
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Taking a (Long) Shot at Roses
Though the early list for the 1972 Kentucky Derby featured names like Riva Ridge and No Le Hace, as the race grew closer, a maiden named One Eyed Tom grew closer to making his owner’s Derby dreams come true. However, to make his shot at rosy glory a reality, the gelding needed to pass one very important test: the gate test.
History
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Gallahadion, 1940)
Bimelech entered the year as Colonel E.R. Bradley’s best hope for a fifth Derby win, his undefeated record making a win on the first Saturday in May a veritable certainty. In the wings waited a surprise for the overwhelming favorite, Gallahadion, an unheralded contender who would deliver a sweet victory for a familiar name.
Kentucky Derby
A Battle of Titans: The 1917 Brooklyn Handicap
On June 25, 1917, another memorable clash played out at old Aqueduct Racetrack, as three Kentucky Derby winners and three Hall of Famers made that dirt oval their arena in a historic battle of titans. In this epic saga, the finale yields a surprising twist as these superstars play off each other over nine furlongs on the Gotham stage.
History
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Watch Out!
The maiden colt Great Redeemer became a part of Derby history thanks to his unconventional connections and inauspicious Run for the Roses, including a close call of the photographic kind.
Kentucky Derby
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Lawrin, 1938)
While the majority of the 150 winners of the Kentucky Derby were born in the Bluegrass State, 14 other states boast Derby victors of their own, with seven producing one each. New York has Funny Cide, Maryland gave us Kauai King, and in 1938, Kansas got its lone victory with a colt named Lawrin.
Features
Double the Joy: Trainer/Jockey Duos Who Won Roses and Lilies
The 150th Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby were memorable for more than the milestone anniversaries for both classics. When Thorpedo Anna took the Oaks and then Mystik Dan eked out a Derby victory, they gave Kenny McPeek and Brian Hernandez, Jr. a rare double victory, just the third trainer/jockey combo to win both races in the same year. The previous pairs include multiple Hall of Famers, each leaving their mark on the sport through their achievements under the Twin Spires.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Close Encounters of Unlucky Kind
Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is nothing more than a bit of bad luck, as jockey Charley Kurtsinger discovered in the 1936 Kentucky Derby.
Features
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Whiskery, 1927)
The history of the Kentucky Derby is rich with names that have left their mark on this classic race: Bradley, Woodward, Chenery, and Whitney, owners who all celebrated more than one victory of their own. The Whitney family’s connection to the Run for the Roses spans more than a century with four wins from their long list of starters.
Kentucky Derby
Why I'm Betting Sierra Leone in the Kentucky Derby
Sierra Leone closed fast in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 6 to earn another 100 points and morning line odds of 3-1 for today's Kentucky Derby. This son of Gun Runner's record of 4-3-1-0 is just one reason why I will be betting on #2 Sierra Leone in the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby
How to bet against the Kentucky Derby 150 favorite
Fierceness entered Kentucky Derby week as the morning-line favorite at 5-2 on the strength of his 13 1/2-length victory in the Florida Derby on March 30. Yet I find myself considering putting my betting dollars elsewhere Saturday.
Kentucky Derby
The Big Payoff: Donerail’s Derby
In 1913, Donerail became the talk of the town and the nation with his surprise Derby win, establishing a record that may never be broken.
Features
Catching up with champions: Second careers for two fan favorites
Fan favorites Whitmore, 2020 Eclipse champion sprinter, and Finnick the Fierce, the one-eyed gelding who captured hearts on the 2020 Derby Trail, both demonstrate what second careers can look like and why aftercare should be a focus for everyone who loves the sport of horse racing.
Aftercare
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: A Question of Calks
Blue Larkspur had what it takes to win the 1929 Kentucky Derby – speed, power, and tactical talent – yet met defeat for one surprising reason: calks.
Kentucky Derby
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Omar Khayyam, 1917)
The list of Kentucky Derby victors currently stands at 149 names long, a roster of horses famed and forgotten, each with a story of their own. In its fifth decade, the historic equine contest emerged from its lean years with new vigor, ignited by a filly, a longshot, and in 1917, another first for America’s signature race: an international victor.
Features
A Clean Start: The Evolution of the Kentucky Derby Starting Gate
In its 150 years, the Kentucky Derby has gone from a standing start to a barrier to the modern starting gate, a journey that shows the ever-evolving science of a clean start.
Kentucky Derby
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Bets, Brawls, and Beefs at the 1911 Derby
In 1911, the famed Kentucky Derby was the scene of a racing drama with a cast of characters that included a Kentucky hardboot, a Chicago plunger, a classic-winning jockey, and a suspicious bit of cash.
Kentucky Derby
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Worth, 1912)
In Louisville, the big show went on as racing fans once again celebrated another Kentucky Derby, its victor a champion colt whose brief time on the racetrack left the sport wondering “what if?”
Kentucky Derby