Kentucky Derby Picks
Kentucky Derby resource and information including links to extensive resources and past winners of the Kentucky Derby and information on how to bet or wager on horse racing. The Kentucky Derby is a horse race that is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, topping the 2-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2.0 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms). The race is often called "The Run for the Roses" on account of the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is also known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports" in reference to its approximate duration. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, then the Belmont Stakes. Unlike the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, which took hiatuses in 1891–1893 and 1911–1912, respectively, the Kentucky Derby has been run every consecutive year since 1875. The Derby, Preakness, and Belmont all were run even every year throughout the Great Depression and both World Wars (when the Olympics and nearly all professional sports seasons were canceled). A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown. --------------------------------------