---
title: "Kentucky Derby Inaugural Race"
year: 1875
country: "United States"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1875/kentucky-derby-1875"
slug: "kentucky-derby-1875"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1875-01-01"
---

# Kentucky Derby Inaugural Race

> The first Kentucky Derby established American horse racing as a major sporting tradition and created the oldest continuously held sporting event in the United States.

On May 17, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville—a 1¼-mile horse race that would become America's most prestigious thoroughbred event. Aristides won that inaugural running in 2:37¾, establishing a tradition that persists 150 years later, making it the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States.

## Summary

The Kentucky Derby is an American Grade I stakes race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds and fillies 121 pounds.

## Key facts

- **Winner**: Aristides
- **Date**: May 17, 1875
- **Venue**: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
- **Distance**: 1¼ miles
- **Winning Time**: 2:37¾
- **Attendance**: Approximately 10,000
- **Field Size**: 15 starters
- **Prize Purse**: $2,850

## Timeline

- **1874-11-15** - Churchill Downs Opens
  The racetrack opens in Louisville under the ownership of Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., who envisions a signature sporting event for the region.
- **1875-05-17** - Inaugural Kentucky Derby
  Aristides, ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis, wins the first Kentucky Derby in 2:37¾ over a field of 15 three-year-old thoroughbreds.
- **1884-01-01** - Derby Becomes Grade I Stakes
  The race is formally recognized as a Grade I stakes race, establishing its position atop American thoroughbred racing hierarchy.
- **1931-05-16** - First Radio Broadcast
  The Kentucky Derby receives its first national radio broadcast, expanding its reach beyond Louisville.
- **1952-05-03** - First Television Broadcast
  CBS broadcasts the Kentucky Derby live on television for the first time, bringing the race into American homes nationwide.

## Impact

The 1875 Kentucky Derby launched what would become a defining American sporting institution and a crown jewel of the thoroughbred racing calendar. Its establishment reflected the post-Civil War South's embrace of organized sport as a vehicle for regional prestige and economic activity. The race's longevity—unbroken since its first running—gives it claim to being the oldest continuously held sporting event in the U.S.

## Sources

- [Kentucky Derby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Derby) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1875/kentucky-derby-1875