Kentucky Derby’s May tradition to be broken for first time since 1945 

Tiz the Law would be within one race of joining the 13 Thoroughbreds who managed to win the Triple Crown with a Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday, but the entire field in the 2020 "Run for the Roses" will be part of a historical anomaly at Churchill Downs.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the historic Louisville track was forced to postpone "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," meaning the traditional first Saturday in May date for the Kentucky Derby was forsaken for the first time in 75 years. What follows is a look back at the 1945 Kentucky Derby, held just after V-E Day.

WWII kept out-of-towners away from the 1943 Kentucky Derby 

The United States became officially involved in World War II just after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Horse racing served as a welcome distraction for the general public for the next few years, though adjustments were made. For example, Saratoga’s traditional summer meet was held at Belmont Park in order to save on travel costs. The Kentucky Derby continued to be held on its customary date, though out-of-town spectators were barred from attending the 1943 Derby – won by eventual Triple Crown champion Count Fleet – due to government concerns over gasoline and rubber needed for the war effort.

By late 1944, mere months after the Allied invasion of Normandy (better known as "D-Day"), it became clear that the Axis powers – particularly Nazi Germany – were weakening. As America began to make its final push, the director of the Office of War Mobilization, James F. Byrnes, requested that all horse races cease indefinitely.

Racetracks reopened following Hitler's death

On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker during the Battle of Berlin. Within days, successor Karl Dönitz authorized the German Instrument of Surrender, which was signed on May 8. This date became widely acknowledged as V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day. Two days later, race tracks were given the green light to resume racing.

Working with the horsemen, Churchill president Col. Matt Winn decided on Saturday, June 9 as the date for the 1945 Kentucky Derby. Despite having less than a month between the resumption of racing and the Derby, most of the contenders squeezed in anywhere from two to four prep races. That included Hoop Jr., a late-blooming son of Sir Gallahad.

Hoop Jr. peaked at just the right time

Hoop Jr. won twice and placed in three stakes races at age two before developing osselets and being turned out with the hopes of making the 71st "Run for the Roses." He checked in fourth in his three-year-old debut on May 22 before winning the Wood Memorial under legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro on May 30.

The 1945 Kentucky Derby was a sloppy mess

The 1945 Kentucky Derby drew a field of 16. A driving rainstorm turned the Churchill oval into a sloppy mess, which was just fine for Hoop Jr., who won the Wood Memorial on a muddy strip. Arcaro wasted no time and sent Hoop Jr. to the lead. The colt was never seriously challenged and drew off to a six-length victory.

Hoop Jr. ran third in the Preakness Stakes, held just one week later, but exited the race with a bowed tendon. He was unable to race in the following week’s Belmont Stakes and soon retired, eventually falling into obscurity. Tiz the Law’s connections are hoping their colt makes an indelible mark on history 75 years later.