The 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby will be held on May 7th. Here are some fun facts you may not know about the “Greatest Two Minutes In Sports”:
- The fastest horse in Derby history was Secretariat, who in 1973 finished the 1¼ mile distance in 1:59.40.
- The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Derby. Over 120,000 of these are served each year and most of them are served in a souvenir Kentucky Derby glass.
- Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack are both tied with the most wins at five each. Arcaro won races between 1938 and 1952 and Hartack won his between 1957 and 1969.
- The winner’s 14-karat gold trophy for this year is 22 inches tall and weighs 65 ounces, excluding its jade base.
- In 1913 and at 91 to 1 odds, Donerail became the biggest underdog to ever win the Derby.
- Only three fillies have ever won the Derby. Regret won in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.
- The slowest horse to ever win was Kingman. In 1912, he won with a record slow time of 2:52.25.
- A record number of 170,513 people were at the Derby to watch American Pharoah win in 2015. A wagering record was also set at 137.9 million dollars.
- The youngest jockey to ever win the Derby is Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton. In 1892, he rode Azra to win when he was only 15 years old!
- The winning trainers in two of the first three Derbys were former slaves – Ansel Williamson in 1875 and Ed Brown in 1877.
It’s time to place your bets. Are you putting your money on Nyquist to win this year?
