150 years of Kentucky Derby winners throughout the years: 1875-1924
Churchill Downs (Photo by Coady Media)
April 17th, 2024
Kentucky Derby 150 is just around the corner! Celebrate by exploring the rich history of Derby winners and Kentucky Derby Results. From legendary finishes to thrilling races, discover the excitement of betting on the Kentucky Derby. Whether you’re placing a bet on the Kentucky Derby for the first time or a seasoned bettor, drive into past race results and experience the thrill of predicting the next champion. Bet the Kentucky Derby and witness history in the making!
1875 Kentucky Derby winner Aristides
1875 - Aristides
- Time: 2:37.75
- Jockey: Oliver Lewis
- Trainer: Ansel Williamson
- Historical fun fact: A crowd of around 12,000 was in attendance for the first Derby.
Aristides made Derby history on Monday, May 17, 1875 as the first winner of the Kentucky Derby during the second race ever run at Churchill Downs. He later became a top performer in New York.
1876 Kentucky Derby Winner Vagrnt
1876 - Vagrant
- Time: 2:38.25
- Jockey: Bobby Swim
- Trainer: James Williams
- Historical fun fact: The United States celebrates its centennial.
Vagrant was the first gelding ever to win the Kentucky Derby in 1876.
1877 Kentucky Derby Winner Baden-Baden
1877 - Baden-Baden
- Time: 2:38.00
- Jockey: Billy Walker
- Trainer: Edward D. Brown
- Historical fun fact: Reconstruction ends, a dozen years after the close of the U.S. Civil War.
Baden-Baden made history as the first horse ever to win both the Kentucky Derby and Travers Stakes.
1878 Kentucky Derby Winner Day Star
1878 - Day Star
- Time: 2:37.25
- Jockey: Jimmy Carter
- Trainer: Lee Paul
- Historical fun fact: Churchill Downs hosts a famous match between Ten Broeck and Mollie McCarty.
Day Star cut his win close and became the first horse to win the Derby in wire-to-wire fashion.
1879 Kentucky Derby Winner Lord Murphy
1879 - Lord Murphy
- Time: 2:37.00
- Jockey: Charlie Shauer
- Trainer: George Rice
- Historical fun fact: Thomas Edison creates the first light bulb.
Foaled in Tennessee, Lord Murphy became the first non Kentucky-bred to win the Derby.
1880 Kentucky Derby Winner Fonso
1880 - Fonso
- Time: 2:37.50
- Jockey: George Lewis
- Trainer: Tice Hutsell
- History fun facts: The census reveals that the U.S. population has exceeded 50 million.
Fonso won both the Derby and the oldest stakes run in the U.S. — the Phoenix Stakes.
1881 Kentucky Derby Winner Hindoo
1881 - Hindoo
- Time: 2:40.00
- Jockey: Jim McLaughlin
- Trainer: James G. Rowe, Sr.
- History fun facts: James Garfield becomes the second president to die by an assassin's bullets.
Hindoo won 30 of 35 starts and is the earliest Derby winner enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
1882 Kentucky Derby Winner Apollo
1882 - Apollo
- Time: 2:40.00
- Jockey: Babe Hurd
- Trainer: Green B. Morris
- History fun facts: Legendary outlaw Jesse James is killed at age 34.
Apollo was the last Derby winner unraced as a juvenile for the next 136 years.
1993 Kentucky Derby Winner Leonautus
1883 - Leonautus
- Time: 2:43.00
- Jockey: Billy Donohue
- Trainer: Raleigh Colston
- History fun facts: The still standing Brooklyn Bridge at that time was opened
Leonatus is the first Derby winner to go undefeated as a three-year-old, with 10 wins in stakes races.
1884 Kentucky Derby Winner Buchanan
1884 - Buchanan
- Time: 2:40.25
- Jockey: Isaac Murphy
- Trainer: William Bird
- History fun facts: The Washington Monument is completed and is briefly the world's tallest structure.
Buchanan is one of 14 horses to win the Derby and the Clark Stakes, which also has its 150th running at Churchill in 2024.
1885 Kentucky Derby Winner Joe Cotton
1885 - Joe Cotton
- Time: 2:37.25
- Jockey: Erskine Henderson
- Trainer: Abe Perry
- History fun facts: The first rabies vaccine is developed by Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux.
Joe Cotton's margin of victory (a neck) was the smallest in the Derby up to that time.
1880 Kentucky Derby Winner Ben Ali
1886 - Ben Ali
- Time: 2:36.50
- Jockey: Paul Duffy
- Trainer: Jim Murphy
- History fun facts: The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the U.S., is dedicated.
Ben Ali becomes the third son of the stallion Virgil to win the Kentucky Derby.
1887 Kentucky Derby Winner Montrose
1887 - Montrose
- Time: 2:39.25
- Jockey: Isaac Lewis
- Trainer: John McGinty
- History fun facts: Queen Victoria marks her 50th year on the throne of the British Empire.
Montrose in 1887 was the co-highest priced winner of the Kentucky Derby (10-1) up to that time.
1888 Kentucky Derby Winner Macbeth II
1888 - Macbeth II
- Time: 2:38.00
- Jockey: George Covington
- Trainer: John Campbell
- History fun facts: Grover Cleveland is defeated for reelection as president despite winning the popular vote.
Macbeth II had the second longest career of any Derby winner, running in a total of 106 races.
1889 Kentucky Derby Winner Spokane
1889 - Spokane
- Time: 2:34.50
- Jockey: Thomas Kiley
- Trainer: John Rodegap
- History fun facts: Four states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington) are admitted to the union.
Spokane runs the fastest Derby ever contested at 1 1/2 miles (2:34.50).
1890 Kentucky Derby Winner Riley
1890 - Riley
- Time: 2:45.00
- Jockey: Isaac Murphy
- Trainer: Edward Corrigan
- History fun facts: The Battle of Wounded Knee, the last major skirmish in the American Indian Wars, occurs.
A son of Longfellow, Riley was originally named Shortfellow.
1891 Kentucky Derby Winner Kingman
1891 - Kingman
- Time: 2:52.25
- Jockey: Isaac Murphy
- Trainer: Dud Allen
- History fun facts: Tchaikovsky conducts the first concert performed at Carnegie Hall.
Kingman was the first of six consecutive favorites to win the Derby, a feat not repeated until 2013-18.
1892 Kentucky Derby Winner Azra
1892 - Azra
- Time: 2:41.50
- Jockey: Alonzo Clayton
- Trainer: John H. Morris
- History fun facts: A financial panic kicks off an economic downturn that lasts for much of the second Cleveland administration.
Azra defeated only two other starters, the co-smallest Derby field in history.
1893 Kentucky Derby Winner Loojout
1893 - Lookout
- Time: 2:39.25
- Jockey: Eddie Kunze
- Trainer: William McDaniel
- History fun facts: More than 25 million attend the Chicago World's Fair, which takes place over the span of 179 days.
Late in his career, Lookout would compete in hurdle events in Canada.
1894 Kentucky Derby Winner Chant
1894 - Chant
- Time: 2:41.00
- Jockey: Frank Goodale
- Trainer: H. Eugene Leigh
- History fun facts: Thomas Edison publicly showcases his kinetoscope motion picture invention.
Chant's six-length margin of victory was a record that stood for the following 20 years.
1895 Kentucky Derby Winner Halma
1895 - Halma
- Time: 2:37.50
- Jockey: Soup Perkins
- Trainer: Byron McClelland
- History fun facts: The first U.S. patent for the automobile is issued.
Halma wins the last Kentucky Derby contested at its original distance of 1 1/2 miles.
1896 Kentucky Derby Winner Ben Brush
1895 - Ben Brush
- Time: 2:07.75
- Jockey: Willie Simms
- Trainer: Hardy Campbell, Jr.
- History fun facts: The first modern Olympic games are held in Athens.
Ben Brush was one of the original inductees into the Racing Hall of Fame at its founding in 1955.
1897 Kentucky Derby Winner Typhoon II
1897 - Typhoon II
- Time: 2:12.50
- Jockey: Buttons Garner
- Trainer: J. C. Cahn
- History fun facts: Boston becomes the first U.S. city to operate a subway system.
After his racing career, Typhoon II was gelded and was later used as a cart horse hauling hay.
1898 Kentucky Derby Winner Plaudit
1898 - Plaudit
- Time: 2:09.00
- Jockey: Willie Simms
- Trainer: John E. Madden
- History fun facts: The Spanish-American War begins and ends within this year.
Plaudit becomes the third winner of the prestigious Champagne Stakes at two to win the Derby in the 1890s.
1899 Kentucky Derby Winner Manuel
1899 - Manuel
- Time: 2:12.00
- Jockey: Fred Taral
- Trainer: Robert J. Walden
- History fun facts: The Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico become U.S. possessions.
Manuel was one of three Derby winners to earn less than $10,000 during his career.
1900 Kentucky Derby Winner Lieut Gibson
1900 - Lieut. Gibson
- Time: 2:06.25
- Jockey: Jimmy Boland
- Trainer: Charles Hughes
- History fun facts: The Galveston Hurricance becomes the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
Lieut. Gibson clipped 1 1/2 seconds off the stakes record when winning by three lengths.
1901 Kentucky Derby Winner His Eminence
1901 - His Eminence
- Time: 2:07.75
- Jockey: Jimmy Winkfield
- Trainer: Frank B. Van Meter
- History fun facts: President William McKinley is assassinated in Buffalo, New York.
His Eminence is the last horse to win the Derby and the Clark Stakes in the same season.
1902 Kentucky Derby Winner Allan-a-Dale
1902 - Alan-a-Dale
- Time: 2:08.75
- Jockey: Jimmy Winkfield
- Trainer: Thomas C. McDowell
- History fun facts: Cuba gains independece from the United States.
Alan-a-Dale bravely clung to victory by a nose despite going lame in the stretch.
1903 Kentucky Derby Winner Judge Himes
1903 - Judge Himes
- Time: 2:09.00
- Jockey: Hal Booker
- Trainer: John P. Mayberry
- History fun facts: The Wright brothers make their first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Judge Himes posted an upset over Early, the first odds-on Derby favorite in the pari-mutuel era.
1904 Kentucky Derby Winner Elwood
1904 - Elmwood
- Time: 2:08.50
- Jockey: Shorty Prior
- Trainer: Charles E. Durnell
- History fun facts: St. Louis hosts both the World's Fair and the Summer Olympics.
Elwood (15-1) was the only horse among the field of five to start at double-digit odds.
1905 Kentucky Derby Winner Agile
1905 - Agile
- Time: 2:10.75
- Jockey: Jack Martin
- Trainer: Robert Tucker
- History fun facts: The future gambling capital Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded.
Although 145 horses were nominated, Agile beat only two rivals in this edition.
1906 Kentucky Derby Winner Sir Huon
1906 - Sir Huon
- Time: 2:08.80
- Jockey: Roscoe Troxler
- Trainer: Pete Coyne
- History fun facts: A devastating earhquake destroys much of San Francisco.
Sir Huon was one of several winners in this era to have won the Derby in his first start of the season.
1907 - Pink Star
- Time: 2:12.60
- Jockey: Andy Minder
- Trainer: W. H. Fizer
- History fun facts: A record 1.1 million immigrants pass through Ellis Island this year.
Pink Star had the smallest career earnings of any Derby winner, a mere $5,750.
1908 Kentucky Derby Winner Stone Street
1908 - Stone Street
- Time: 2:15.20
- Jockey: Arthur Pickens
- Trainer: J. W. Hall
- History fun facts:The Chicago Cubs win the World Series and would not win it again for 108 years.
Stone Street record the slowest Derby time ever for 1 1/4 miles—2:15.20.
1909 Kentucky Derby Winner Wintergreen
1909 - Wintergreen
- Time: 2:08.20
- Jockey: Vincent Powers
- Trainer: Charles Mack
- History fun facts: Auto racing begins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Wintergreen remains the only Ohio-bred to wear the roses at Churchill Downs.
1910 Kentucky Derby Winner Donau
1910 - Donau
- Time: 2:06.40
- Jockey: Frederick Herbert
- Trainer: George Ham
- History fun facts: The Boy Scouts of America organization is incorporated.
Donau made an incredible 41 starts as a two-year-old, winning 15 times.
1911 Kentucky Derby Winner Meridian
1911 - Meridian
- Time: 2:05.00
- Jockey: George Archibald
- Trainer: Albert Ewing
- History fun facts: Standard Oil determined to be in violation by anti-trust laws by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Meridian's win was both a stakes record and a track record-equalling performance.
1912 Kentucky Derby Winner Worth
1912 - Worth
- Time: 2:09.40
- Jockey: Carroll H. Shilling
- Trainer: Frank M. Taylor
- History fun facts: The RMS Titantic sinks in the Atlantic Ocean en route to New York on its maiden voyage.
An odds-on favorite, Worth was the fourth consecutive Derby winner to lead wire to wire.
1913 Kentucky Derby Winner Donerail (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Musuem/Churchill Downs)
1913 - Donerail
- Time: 2:04.80
- Jockey: Roscoe Goose
- Trainer: Thomas P. Hayes
- History fun facts: The Ford Motor Company begins production of the Model T.
Donerail is the longest-priced winner in Derby history, returning $184.90 to win on a $2 bet.
1914 Kentucky Derby Winner Old Rosebud
1914 - Old Rosebud
- Time: 2:03.40
- Jockey: John McCabe
- Trainer: Frank D. Weir
- History fun facts: First World War commences with German invasion of Belgium.
Old Rosebud won by a co-record margin of eight lengths and was a posthumous Hall of Fame inductee.
1915 Kentucky Derby Winner Regret
1915 - Regret
- Time: 2:05.40
- Jockey: Joe Notter
- Trainer: James G. Rowe, Sr.
- History fun facts: Babe Ruth hits the first of his record 714 home runs.
The first filly to win the Derby, Regret was making her first start since the previous August and first beyond six furlongs.
1916 Kentucky Derby Winner George Smith
1916 - George Smith
- Time: 2:04.00
- Jockey: Johnny Loftus
- Trainer: Hollie Hughes
- History fun facts: 12,000 U.S. troops are sent to Mexico to hunt for revolutionary Pancho Villa.
George Smith spent the latter years of retirement as a stallion for the U.S. Army Remount Service.
1917 Kentucky Derby Winner Omar Khayyam
1917 - Omar Khayyam
- Time: 2:04.60
- Jockey: Charles Borel
- Trainer: Charles T. Patterson
- History fun facts: The first Pulitzer Prizes—in biography, history, and journalism—are awarded.
Foaled in England, Omar Khayyam was the first Derby winner bred outside the U.S.
1918 Kentucky Derby Winner Exterminator (Courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Museum, Please ask Permission for Use)
1918 - Exterminator
- Time: 2:10.80
- Jockey: Willie Knapp
- Trainer: Henry McDaniel
- History fun facts: Armistice Day (Nov. 11) marks the end of the first World War.
"Old Bones" is considered among the four great geldings of the 20th century, racing along with Kelso, Forego, and John Henry.
1919 Kentucky Derby Winner Sir Barton
1919 - Sir Barton
- Time: 2:09.80
- Jockey: Johnny Loftus
- Trainer: H. Guy Bedwell
- History fun facts: The Prohibition era begins with the adoption of the 18th Amendment.
The Derby was the maiden-breaking win for Sir Barton, which lead to the U.S. racing's first Triple Crown winner.
1920 - Paul Jones
- Time: 2:09.00
- Jockey: Ted Rice
- Trainer: Billy Garth
- History fun facts: Women gain universal suffrage in the U.S. with adoption of the 20th Amendment.
Paul Jones was the first Derby winner to carry the current scale weight of 126 pounds.
1921 Kentucky Derby Winner Behave Yourself
1921 - Behave Yourself
- Time: 2:04.20
- Jockey: Charles Thompson
- Trainer: Herbert J. Thompson
- History fun facts: The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery on Armistice Day.
Behave Yourself was the first of four Derby winners owned by famed sportsman Col. Edward R. Bradley.
1922 Kentucky Derby Winner Morvich
1922 - Morvich
- Time: 2:04.60
- Jockey: Albert Johnson
- Trainer: Fred Burlew
- History fun facts: The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. is dedicated.
Morvich was the first horse bred in California to win the Kentucky Derby.
1923 Kentucky Derby Winner Zev
1923 - Zev
- Time: 2:05.40
- Jockey: Earl Sande
- Trainer: David J. Leary
- History fun facts: President Warren G. Harding dies and is succeeded by Calvin Coolidge.
In addition to his upset Derby win, Zev won several notable match races as a three-year-old.
1924 Kentucky Derby Winner Black Gold
1924 - Black Gold
- Time: 2:05.20
- Jockey: J. D. Mooney
- Trainer: Hanley Webb
- History fun facts: Macy's department store holds its first Thanksgiving Day parade in New York.
The first Louisiana Derby winner to wear the roses, Black Gold is buried in the infield at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.
