Where is the Kentucky Derby? How Churchill Downs became the home of horse racing's most famous event

Jacob Camenker

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Where is the Kentucky Derby? How Churchill Downs became the home of horse racing's most famous event image

The Kentucky Derby is the biggest spectacle in horse racing and has been for quite some time.

"The Run for the Roses" has existed for 150 years, and incredibly, it has always been contested in the same place.

Churchill Downs racetrack hosted the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. It will host this year's version of the race, as well, and shows no signs of ever relinquishing its title as the derby's home.

Here's what to know about Churchill Downs, including its location, history, and the horses that have earned Kentucky Derby wins at the historic landmark.

MORE: Who will win the Kentucky Derby in 2024?

Where is the Kentucky Derby held?

The Kentucky Derby is held annually at Churchill Downs, a horse racing track located in Louisville, Ky. The track first opened in 1875 and has hosted the Kentucky Derby since its creation.

Churchill Downs history

Churchill Downs was the brainchild of Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. — grandson of the famed explorer William Clark — after his father-in-law Richard Ten Broeck, a horse breeder and trainer, introduced him to horse racing.

Clark Jr. saw the Epsom Derby in England and desired to create something similar in the United States. Using 80 acres of land leased to him by his uncles, John and Henry Churchill, Clark created the track and established the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association, of which he was president. He then went on to hold races at the track.

Clark eventually sold the track in 1894 to a group headed by William E. Applegate. That group further established traditions at Churchill Downs, crafting the famous grandstand and shortening the derby's length to 1 1/4 miles. They also began adorning a rose garland on the Kentucky Derby winner, which earned the race its nickname "The Run for the Roses."

From there, the Kentucky Derby grew into one of the biggest spectacles in horse racing, with Churchill Downs serving as its lifelong home and one of the most recognizable venues in the sport. It was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

IYER: Fast facts to know before you pick a Kentucky Derby winner in 2024

When was the first Kentucky Derby held?

The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875, the same year Churchill Downs was founded. It took place on May 17 as part of a 15-horse field.

Aristides — ridden by Oliver Lewis and trained by Ansel Williamson — won the 1 1/2-mile race with a time of 2:37.75. The winning team took home a prize of $2,850.

The Kentucky Derby's length was adjusted to 1 1/4 miles in 1896. That iteration of the race was won by Ben Brush, who was ridden by Willie Simms and trained by Hardy Campbell.

The winning team of that eight-horse race received $4,850.

Kentucky Derby winners by year

The Kentucky Derby will be run for the 150th time in 2024. Here's a look at the race's previous 149 winners.

Year Horse Time to finish
1875 Aristides 2:37.75
1876 Vagrant 2:38.25
1877 Baden-Baden 2:38
1878 Day Star 2:37.25
1879 Lord Murphy 2:37
1880 Fonso 2:37.50
1881 Hindoo 2:40
1882 Apollo 2:40.25
1883 Leonatus 2:43
1884 Buchanan 2:40.25
1885 Joe Cotton 2:37.25
1886 Ben Ali 2:36.25
1887 Montrose 2:39.25
1888 Macbeth II 2:38.25
1889 Spokane 2:34.50
1890 Riley 2:45
1891 Kingman 2:52.25
1892 Azra 2:41.50
1893 Lookout 2:39.25
1894 Chant 2:41
1895 Halma 2:37.50
1896 Ben Brush 2:07.75
1897 Typhoon II 2:12.50
1898 Plaudit 2:09
1899 Manuel, F. Taral 2:12
1900 Lieut. Gibson 2:06.25
1901 His Eminence 2:07.75
1902 Alan-a-Dale 2:08.75
1903 Judge Himes 2:09
1904 Elwood 2:08.50
1905 Agile 2:10.75
1906 Sir Huon 2:08.80
1907 Pink Star 2:12.60
1908 Stone Street 2:15.20
1909 Wintergreen 2:08.20
1910 Donau 2:06.40
1911 Meridian 2:05
1912 Worth 2:09.40
1913 Donerail 2:04.80
1914 Old Rosebud 2:03.40
1915 Regret 2:05.40
1916 George Smith 2:04
1917 Omar Khayyam 2:04.60
1918 Exterminator 2:10.80
1919 Sir Barton 2:09.80
1920 Paul Jones 2:09
1921 Behave Yourself 2:04.20
1922 Morvich 2:04.60
1923 Zev 2:05.40
1924 Black Gold 2:05.20
1925 Flying Ebony 2:07.60
1926 Bubbling Over 2:03.80
1927 Whiskery 2:06
1928 Reigh Count 2:10.40
1929 Clyde Van Dusen 2:10.80
1930 Gallant Fox 2:07.60
1931 Twenty Grand 2:01.80
1932 Burgoo King 2:05.20
1933 Brokers Tip 2:06.80
1934 Cavalcade 2:04
1935 Omaha 2:05
1936 Bold Venture 2:03.60
1937 War Admiral 2:03.20
1938 Lawrin 2:04.80
1939 Johnstown 2:03.40
1940 Gallahadion 2:05
1941 Whirlaway 2:01.40
1942 Shut Out 2:04.40
1943 Count Fleet 2:04
1944 Pensive 2:04.20
1945 Hoop Jr. 2:07
1946 Assault 2:06.60
1947 Jet Pilot 2:06.80
1948 Citation 2:05.40
1949 Ponder 2:04.20
1950 Middleground 2:01.60
1951 Count Turf 2:02.60
1952 Hill Gail 2:01.60
1953 Dark Star 2:02
1954 Determine 2:03
1955 Swaps 2:01.80
1956 Needles 2:03.40
1957 Iron Liege 2:02.20
1958 Tim Tam 2:05
1959 Tomy Lee 2:02.20
1960 Venetian Way 2:02.40
1961 Carry Back 2:04
1962 Decidedly 2:00.40
1963 Chateaugay 2:01.80
1964 Northern Dancer 2:00
1965 Lucky Debonair 2:01.20
1966 Kauai King 2:02
1967 Proud Clarion 2:00.60
1968 *Forward Pass 2:02.20
1969 Majestic Prince 2:01.80
1970 Dust Commander 2:03.40
1971 Canonero II 2:03.20
1972 Riva Ridge 2:01.80
1973 Secretariat 1:59.40
1974 Cannonade 2:04
1975 Foolish Pleasure 2:02
1976 Bold Forbes 2:01.60
1977 Seattle Slew 2:02.20
1978 Affirmed 2:01.20
1979 Spectacular Bid 2:02.40
1980 Genuine Risk 2:02
1981 Pleasant Colony 2:02
1982 Gato Del Sol 2:02.40
1983 Sunny's Halo 2:02.20
1984 Swale 2:02.40
1985 Spend a Buck 2:00.20
1986 Ferdinand 2:02.80
1987 Alysheba 2:03.40
1988 Winning Colors 2:02.20
1989 Sunday Silence 2:05
1990 Unbridled 2:02
1991 Strike the Gold 2:03
1992 Lil E. Tee 2:03
1993 Sea Hero 2:02.42
1994 Go for Gin 2:03.72
1995 Thunder Gulch 2:01.77
1996 Grindstone 2:01.06
1997 Silver Charm 2:02.44
1998 Real Quiet 2:02.38
1999 Charismatic 2:03.29
2000 Fusaichi Pegasus 2:01.12
2001 Monarchos 1:59.97
2002 War Emblem 2:01.13
2003 Funny Cide 2:01.19
2004 Smarty Jones 2:04.06
2005 Giacomo 2:02.75
2006 Barbaro 2:01.36
2007 Street Sense 2:02.17
2008 Big Brown 2:01.82
2009 Mine That Bird 2:02.66
2010 Super Saver 2:04.45
2011 Animal Kingdom 2:02.04
2012 I'll Have Another 2:01.83
2013 Orb 2:02.89
2014 California Chrome 2:03.66
2015 American Pharoah 2:03.02
2016 Nyquist 2:01.31
2017 Always Dreaming 2:03.59
2018 Justify 2:04.20
2019 Country House 2:03.93
2020 Authentic 2:00.61
2021 Mandaloun 2:01.02
2022 Rich Strike 2:02.61
2023 Mage 2:01.57

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.