Kentucky Derby


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. Colts and geldings carry and fillies.
Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown of [Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]. It is preceded by the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is known as "The Run for the Roses", as the winning horse is draped in a blanket of roses. Lasting approximately two minutes, the Derby has been alternately called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports", "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports", or "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports", coined by Churchill Downs president Matt Winn. At least two of these descriptions are thought to be derived from the words of sportswriter Grantland Rice, when in 1935 he said "Those two minutes and a second or so of derby running carry more emotional thrills, per second, than anything sport can show."
The race was first run in 1875. Unlike the other, older races of the Triple Crown—the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes—along with the Travers Stakes, the Kentucky Derby and its sibling race, the Kentucky Oaks, have been run every year since inception. They were twice rescheduled within the same year, the first time due to World War II in 1945, and the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Derby and the Oaks are the oldest major sporting events in the US held annually since their beginning. Among thoroughbred stakes races, they are the oldest that have been held annually on the same track every year.
The Derby is the most-watched and most-attended horse race in the United States. The 151st running took place on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

History

In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, traveled to England, visiting Epsom in Surrey where The Derby had been running annually since 1780. From there, Clark went on to Paris where a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club in 1863. They had organized the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, which at the time was the greatest race in France. Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association to raise money for building quality racing facilities just outside the city. First known as the Louisville Jockey Club grounds, seven years later the track was commonly referred to as Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack. The naming went official in 1937.
The Kentucky Derby was first run at miles the same distance as the Epsom Derby, before changing lengths in 1896 to its current miles. On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. Under jockey Oliver Lewis, a colt named Aristides, who was trained by future Hall of Famer Ansel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby. Later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes.
In these early decades, Black jockeys were very influential at the Derby. Horses, including race horses, had been cared for, trained and exercised by Blacks in the ante-bellum slave-holding states and this expertise laid the groundwork for future racing standards. Jockeying was seen as activity unsuitable for Whites during that era and in the decades after the Civil War when it was becoming lucrative. Black jockeys dominated the Derby in all the years before 1894, except for one. In 1886 the track, which had been successful, ran into financial difficulties when a protracted, gambling-related horseman boycott removed it from the upper echelons of racing until just after the turn of the 20th century. In 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with new capital and improved facilities. The rise of on-track betting and increasing audience sizes brought larger purse sizes, and this began to attract White jockeys to the profession. White jockeys on tracks everywhere began to use violence to attack and intimidate Black jockeys and the horses they rode. This caused horse owners to stop hiring Black jockeys. Though they were consistent Derby winners, Black jockeys began to disappear from the Derby after 1894. Jimmy Winkfield was the last Black jockey to win the derby and Black jockeys were gone by 1911. But they had instituted innovations now universal in the sport. Willie Simms won the Derby in 1896 and 1898 on the shortened stirrups he evolved from those used by Black jockeys before him. After his racing career, Oliver Lewis began collecting and analyzing racing data, developing a system very much like the ones used today.
Initially a successful venue, the track ran into financial difficulties due to a protracted, gambling-related horseman boycott removing it from the upper echelons of racing that would last until just after the turn of the 20th century. In 1894 the New Louisville Jockey Club was incorporated with the new capital and improved facilities. Despite this, the business floundered until 1902, when a syndicate led by Col. Matt Winn of Louisville acquired the facility. Under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered, and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America.
Thoroughbred owners began sending their successful Derby horses to compete in two other races. These two are the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Race Course, in Baltimore, and the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York. The three races offered large purses, and in 1919, Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races. However, the term "Triple Crown" did not come into use for another eleven years. In 1930, when Gallant Fox became the second horse to win all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase into American usage. Fueled by the media, public interest in the possibility of a "superhorse" that could win the Triple Crown began in the weeks leading up to the Derby. Two years after the term went in use, the race changed the date to the first Saturday in May. This change allows for a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. Before 1931, eleven times the Preakness was run before the Derby. On May 12, 1917, and again on May 13, 1922, the Preakness and the Derby took place on the same day. On eleven occasions the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes, and in 2020, the Belmont was run first, then the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes last.
On May 16, 1925, the first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby aired on WHAS as well as on WGN in Chicago. On May 7, 1949, the first television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, produced by WAVE-TV, the NBC affiliate in Louisville. This coverage was aired live in the Louisville market and sent to NBC as a kinescope newsreel recording for national broadcast. On May 3, 1952, the first national television coverage of the Kentucky Derby took place, aired from then-CBS affiliate WHAS-TV. In 1954, the purse exceeded US$100,000 for the first time. In 1968, Dancer's Image became the first horse to win the race and then face disqualification. A urine test revealed traces of phenylbutazone inside Dancer's Image. Forward Pass won after a protracted legal battle by the owners of Dancer's Image. Forward Pass thus became the eighth winner for Calumet Farm. Unexpectedly, the regulations at Kentucky thoroughbred race tracks were changed some years later, allowing horses to run on phenylbutazone. In 1970, Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the Derby, finishing 15th aboard Fathom.
The fastest time ever run in the Derby was in 1973 at 1:59.4 minutes, when Secretariat broke the record set by Northern Dancer in 1964. Also during that race, Secretariat did something unique in Triple Crown races: for each successive quarter run, his times were faster. Although the races do not record times for non-winners, in 1973 Sham finished second, two and a half lengths behind Secretariat in the same race. Using the thoroughbred racing convention of one length equaling one-fifth of a second to calculate Sham's time, he also finished in under two minutes. Another sub-two-minute finish, only the third, was set in 2001 by Monarchos at 1:59.97, the first year the race used hundredths of seconds instead of fifths in timing.
In 2005, the purse distribution for the Derby changed, so that horses finishing fifth would henceforth receive a share of the purse; previously only the first four finishers did so.
The Kentucky Derby began offering $3 million in purse money in 2019. Churchill Downs officials have cited the success of historical race wagering terminals at their Derby City Gaming facility in Louisville as a factor behind the purse increase. The Derby first offered a $1 million purse in 1996; it was doubled to $2 million in 2005.
In 2020, the Derby was postponed from May 2 to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the second time in history the race had been postponed, the other being in 1945. Churchill Downs used a new singular 20-stall starting gate for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, replacing the previous arrangement that used a standard 14-stall gate and an auxiliary six-stall gate. The old setup contributed to congestion at the start of the race, especially in the gap between the two gates.
Rich Strike, a reserve who only made it into the final field after a late scratching, won the race in 2022 at final odds of 80:1 and parimutuel betting payouts were even larger.
In January 2024, the purse for the Kentucky Derby was increased to $5 million.

Attendance

Millions of people from around the world bet at various live tracks and online sportsbooks. In 2017, a crowd of 158,070 watched Always Dreaming win the Derby, making it the seventh biggest attendance in the history of the racetrack. The track reported a wagering total of $209.2 million from all the sources on all the races on the Kentucky Derby Day program. It was a 9% increase compared to the total of $192.6 million in 2016 and an increase of 8% over the previous record set in 2015 of $194.3 million. TwinSpires, a platform for betting online and a partner of the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup, recorded $32.8 million in handle on the Churchill Down races for the Kentucky Derby Day program. This record was a 22% increase over the preceding year. On the Kentucky Derby race alone, the handle of TwinSpires was $20.1 million, which is a 22% rise compared to the prior year.
The race often draws celebrities. HM Queen Elizabeth II, on a visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs in 2007.

Sponsorship

The 2004 Kentucky Derby marked the first time that jockeys—as a result of a court order—were allowed to wear corporate advertising logos on their clothing.
Norman Adams has been the designer of the Kentucky Derby Logo since 2002. On February 1, 2006, the Louisville-based fast-food company Yum! Brands, Inc. announced a corporate sponsorship deal to call the race "The Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands." In 2018, Woodford Reserve replaced Yum! Brands as the presenting sponsor.
The Swiss watchmaker Longines is the official sponsor timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby.

Traditions

In addition to the race itself, several traditions play a significant role in the Derby atmosphere. The mint julep—an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup—is the traditional beverage of the race. The historic beverage comes served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. However, most Churchill Downs patrons sip theirs from souvenir glasses printed with all previous Derby winners. Also, burgoo, a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork, and vegetables, is a popular Kentucky dish served at the Derby.
The infield—a spectator area inside the track—offers general admission prices but little chance of seeing much of the race, particularly before the jumbotron installation in 2014. Instead, revelers show up in the infield to party with abandon. By contrast, "Millionaire's Row" refers to the expensive box seats that attract the rich, the famous and the well-connected. Women appear in elegant outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats. Following the Call to the Post played on bugle by Steve Buttleman, as the horses start to parade before the grandstands, the University of Louisville Cardinal Marching Band plays Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" sung by the University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, except 2020 when the song is played on bugle by Steve Buttleman. This song is a tradition which began in 1921. The event attracts spectators from a large area, flying in hundreds of private aircraft to Louisville International Airport.
The Derby is frequently referred to as "The Run for the Roses", because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year. New York sports columnist and future Churchill Downs president Bill Corum in 1925 began describing the race thusly, but the tradition originated in 1883 when New York City socialite E. Berry Wall presented roses to ladies at a post-Derby party. The Churchill Downs founder and president, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., attended that event. This gesture is believed to have led Clark to the idea of making the rose the race's official flower. However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to draping roses on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky and the Chairman of Churchill Downs Incorporated present the garland and the Kentucky Derby Trophy to the winner. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed the song "Run [for the Roses (song)|Run for the Roses]", released in time for the 1980 running of the race.

Riders Up!

"Riders Up!" is the traditional command from the Paddock Judge for jockeys to mount their horses in advance of the upcoming race. Since 2012, the grand marshal recites this phrase.
'''Grand marshals'''

Festival

In the weeks preceding the race, numerous activities took place for the Kentucky Derby Festival. Thunder Over Louisville—an airshow and fireworks display—generally begins the festivities in earnest two weeks before the Derby.

Records

Horse records

Secretariat set the record for speed in 1973 with a time of 1:59.4. During its first two decades when the Derby was run at miles, the record was 2:34.5, set by Spokane in 1889.
The largest margin of victory is 8 lengths, a feat tied by four different horses: Old Rosebud in 1914, Johnstown in 1939, Whirlaway in 1941, and Assault in 1946.
The highest odds of a winning horse were 91 to 1 for Donerail in 1913. The second-highest odds occurred in 2022, when Rich Strike went off at 80 to 1 and won the race.
Three horses have won the Kentucky Derby without competing as a two-year-old: Apollo, Justify, and Mage.

Jockey records

107 jockeys have won the Kentucky Derby, with 27 doing so multiple times. Isaac Murphy, Jimmy Winkfield, Ron Turcotte, Eddie Delahoussaye, Calvin Borel, and Victor Espinoza are the only jockeys to win the Derby in back-to-back years. Borel is the only jockey with three wins in a four-year span.
JockeyWinsMountsYears won
Eddie Arcaro5211938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952
Bill Hartack5121957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969
Bill Shoemaker4261955, 1959, 1965, 1986
Isaac Murphy3111884, 1890, 1891
Earl Sande381923, 1925, 1930
Ángel Cordero Jr.3171974, 1976, 1985
Gary Stevens3221988, 1995, 1997
Kent Desormeaux3221998, 2000, 2008
Calvin Borel3122007, 2009, 2010
Victor Espinoza3102002, 2014, 2015
John Velazquez3242011, 2017, 2020
Willie Simms221896, 1898
Jimmy Winkfield241901, 1902
Johnny Loftus261916, 1919
Albert Johnson271922, 1926
Linus McAtee271927, 1929
Charley Kurtsinger241931, 1937
Conn McCreary2101944, 1951
Ismael Valenzuela281958, 1968
Ron Turcotte251972, 1973
Jacinto Vásquez281975, 1980
Eddie Delahoussaye2131982, 1983
Chris McCarron2181987, 1994
Chris Antley2171991, 1999
Jerry Bailey281993, 1996
Mike Smith2282005, 2018
Mario Gutierrez232012, 2016

Trainer records

116 trainers have won the Kentucky Derby, with 19 doing so multiple times. Six trainers have won the Derby in back-to-back years: Herbert J. Thompson, Ben Jones, Jimmy Jones, Lucien Laurin, D. Wayne Lukas, and Bob Baffert.
TrainerWinsStartsYears won
Ben Jones6111938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952
Bob Baffert6241997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020
Herbert J. Thompson4261921, 1926, 1932, 1933
D. Wayne Lukas4491988, 1995, 1996, 1999
James Fitzsimmons3111930, 1935, 1939
Max Hirsch3141936, 1946, 1950
James Rowe Sr.2171881, 1915
Jimmy Jones241957, 1958
Horatio Luro241962, 1964
Henry Forrest221966, 1968
Lucien Laurin251972, 1973
Laz Barrera251976, 1978
LeRoy Jolley2131975, 1980
Woody Stephens2141974, 1984
Charlie Whittingham271986, 1989
Nick Zito2261991, 1994
Carl Nafzger231990, 2007
Doug O'Neill282012, 2016
Todd Pletcher2622010, 2017
William I. Mott262019, 2025

Owner records

Seventeen owners have won the Kentucky Derby multiple times with horses they fully or partially owned.
OwnerWinsStartsYears won
Calumet Farm8281941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1968
Edward R. Bradley4281921, 1926, 1932, 1933
Belair Stud381930, 1935, 1939
Bashford Manor Stable2111892, 1906
Harry Payne Whitney2191915, 1927
Greentree Stable2191931, 1942
Fannie Hertz231928, 1943
King Ranch251946, 1950
Darby Dan Farm271963, 1967
Meadow Stable241972, 1973
Arthur B. Hancock III*261982, 1989
William J. Condren*241991, 1994
Joseph M. Cornacchia*231991, 1994
Bob & Beverly Lewis291997, 1999
J. Paul Reddam272012, 2016
WinStar Farm*2232010, 2018
Starlight Racing*2132018, 2020

* Partnered with other entities in an ownership group for one or more winning horses.

"Oaks/Derby Double"

Jockeys, trainers, and owners competing in the Kentucky Derby often will compete in the Kentucky Oaks, a race for fillies held the day before the Derby. Winning both these races in the same year is referred to as an "Oaks/Derby Double;" 8 jockeys, 3 trainers, and 5 owners have accomplished this feat:
YearKentucky Oaks WinnerKentucky Derby WinnerJockeyTrainerOwner
2025Good CheerSovereigntydifferentdifferentGodolphin
2024Thorpedo AnnaMystik DanBrian Hernandez Jr.Kenneth G. McPeekdifferent
2018Monomoy GirlJustifydifferentdifferentHead of Plains Partners/Monomoy Stables
2009Rachel AlexandraMine That BirdCalvin Boreldifferentdifferent
1993DisputeSea HeroJerry Baileydifferentdifferent
1966Native StreetKauai KingDon Brumfielddifferentdifferent
1952Real DelightHill GailEddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet Farm
1950Ari's MonaMiddlegroundBill Bolanddifferentdifferent
1949WistfulPonderdifferentBen Jonesdifferent
1933*Barn SwallowBrokers TipDon MeadeHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. Bradley
1884*ModestyBuchananIsaac Murphydifferentdifferent

*Until the 1950s, the Oaks was held several days or weeks after the Derby.

Winners

Triple Crown winners are in bold and highlighted with gold.
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwnerDistance
Track
condition
Time
2025SovereigntyJunior AlvaradoWilliam I. MottGodolphinSloppy2:02.31
2024Mystik DanBrian Hernandez Jr.Kenneth G. McPeekLance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, Valley View FarmFast2:03.34
2023MageJavier CastellanoGustavo DelgadoOGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, CMNWLTHFast2:01.57
2022Rich StrikeSonny LeonEric ReedRED TR-RacingFast2:02.61
2021MandalounFlorent GerouxBrad CoxJuddmonteFast2:01.02
2020Authentic John VelazquezBob BaffertSpendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables, Starlight RacingFast2:00.61
2019Country HouseFlavien PratWilliam I. MottMrs. J.V. Shields Jr., E. J. M. McFadden Jr., LNJ FoxwoodsSloppy2:03.93
2018Justify Mike SmithBob BaffertChina Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm'Sloppy2:04.20
2017Always DreamingJohn VelazquezTodd PletcherMeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St. Elias, Siena Farm, West Point ThoroughbredsWet Fast 2:03.59
2016NyquistMario GutierrezDoug O'NeillReddam RacingFast2:01.31
2015American Pharoah Victor EspinozaBob BaffertZayat Stables'Fast2:03.02
2014California Chrome Victor EspinozaArt ShermanSteve Coburn & Perry MartinFast2:03.66
2013OrbJoel RosarioClaude McGaughey IIIStuart S. Janney III, Phipps StableSloppy2:02.89
2012I'll Have AnotherMario GutierrezDoug O'NeillReddam RacingFast2:01.83
2011Animal KingdomJohn VelazquezGraham MotionTeam Valor InternationalFast2:02.04
2010Super SaverCalvin BorelTodd PletcherWinStar FarmSloppy2:04.45
2009Mine That BirdCalvin BorelBennie Woolley Jr.Double Eagle Ranch, Buena Suerte EquineSloppy2:02.66
2008Big BrownKent DesormeauxRick Dutrow Jr.IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr.Fast2:01.82
2007Street SenseCalvin BorelCarl NafzgerJim TafelFast2:02.17
2006BarbaroEdgar PradoMichael MatzLael StablesFast2:01.36
2005GiacomoMike SmithJohn ShirreffsJerry & Ann MossFast2:02.75
2004Smarty JonesStewart ElliottJohn ServisSomeday FarmSloppy2:04.06
2003Funny CideJosé SantosBarclay TaggSackatoga StableFast2:01.19
2002War EmblemVictor EspinozaBob BaffertThe Thoroughbred Corp.Fast2:01.13
2001MonarchosJorge ChavezJohn Ward Jr.John OxleyFast1:59.97
2000Fusaichi PegasusKent DesormeauxNeil DrysdaleFusao SekiguchiFast2:01.0
1999Charismatic Chris AntleyD. Wayne LukasBob & Beverly LewisFast2:03.2
1998Real QuietKent DesormeauxBob BaffertMichael E. PegramFast2:02.2
1997Silver Charm Gary StevensBob BaffertBob & Beverly LewisFast2:02.4
1996GrindstoneJerry BaileyD. Wayne LukasOverbrook FarmFast2:01.0
1995Thunder GulchGary StevensD. Wayne LukasMichael TaborFast2:01.2
1994Go for GinChris McCarronNick ZitoBill Condren, Joe CornacchiaSloppy2:03.6
1993Sea HeroJerry BaileyMacKenzie MillerRokeby StablesFast2:02.4
1992Lil E. TeePat DayLynn WhitingCal ParteeFast2:03.04
1991Strike the GoldChris AntleyNick ZitoBill Condren, Joe Cornacchia, B. Giles BrophyFast2:03.0
1990UnbridledCraig PerretCarl NafzgerFrances A. Genter StableGood2:02.0
1989Sunday Silence Pat ValenzuelaCharlie WhittinghamH-G-W PartnersMuddy2:05.0
1988Winning Colors Gary StevensD. Wayne LukasEugene KleinFast2:02.2
1987Alysheba Chris McCarronJack Van BergDorothy & Pamela ScharbauerFast2:03.4
1986FerdinandBill ShoemakerCharlie WhittinghamElizabeth KeckFast2:02.8
1985Spend A BuckÁngel Cordero Jr.Cam GambolatiHunter FarmFast2:00.2
1984SwaleLaffit Pincay Jr.Woody StephensClaiborne FarmFast2:02.4
1983Sunny's HaloEddie DelahoussayeDavid Cross Jr.D.J. Foster Racing StableFast2:02.2
1982Gato Del SolEddie DelahoussayeEdwin GregsonArthur B. Hancock III, Leone J. PetersFast2:02.4
1981Pleasant ColonyJorge VelásquezJohn CampoBuckland FarmFast2:02.0
1980Genuine Risk Jacinto VásquezLeRoy JolleyDiana M. FirestoneFast2:02.0
1979Spectacular Bid Ronnie FranklinBud DelpHawksworth FarmFast2:02.4
1978Affirmed Steve CauthenLaz BarreraHarbor View Farm'Fast2:01.2
1977Seattle Slew Jean CruguetBilly Turner Jr.Karen Taylor'Fast2:02.2
1976Bold ForbesÁngel Cordero Jr.Laz BarreraE. Rodriguez TizolFast2:01.6
1975Foolish Pleasure Jacinto VásquezLeRoy JolleyJohn GreerFast2:02.0
1974CannonadeÁngel Cordero Jr.Woody StephensJohn OlinFast2:04.0
1973Secretariat Ron TurcotteLucien LaurinMeadow Stable'Fast1:59.4
1972Riva Ridge Ron TurcotteLucien LaurinMeadow StableFast2:01.8
1971Canonero IIGustavo ÁvilaJuan AriasEdgar CaibettFast2:03.2
1970Dust CommanderMike ManganelloDon CombsRobert LehmannGood2:03.4
1969Majestic Prince Bill HartackJohnny LongdenFrank McMahonFast2:01.8
1968Forward PassIsmael ValenzuelaHenry ForrestCalumet FarmFast2:02.2
1967Proud ClarionBobby UsseryLoyd Gentry Jr.Darby Dan FarmFast2:00.6
1966Kauai KingDon BrumfieldHenry ForrestFord StableFast2:02.0
1965Lucky DebonairBill ShoemakerFrank CatroneAda RiceFast2:01.2
1964Northern Dancer Bill HartackHoratio LuroWindfields FarmFast2:00.0
1963ChateaugayBraulio BaezaJames P. ConwayDarby Dan FarmFast2:01.8
1962DecidedlyBill HartackHoratio LuroEl Peco RanchFast2:00.4
1961Carry Back Johnny SellersJack PriceKatherine PriceGood2:04.0
1960Venetian WayBill HartackVictor SovinskiSunny Blue FarmGood2:02.4
1959Tomy LeeBill ShoemakerFrank ChildsFred & Juliette Turner Jr.Fast2:02.2
1958Tim Tam Ismael ValenzuelaJimmy JonesCalumet FarmMuddy2:05.0
1957Iron LiegeBill HartackJimmy JonesCalumet FarmFast2:02.2
1956Needles David ErbHugh FontaineD & H StableFast2:03.4
1955Swaps Bill ShoemakerMesh TenneyRex EllsworthFast2:01.8
1954DetermineRaymond YorkWilliam MolterAndy CrevolinFast2:03.0
1953Dark StarHenry MorenoEddie HaywardCain Hoy StableFast2:02.0
1952Hill GailEddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet FarmFast2:01.6
1951Count TurfConn McCrearySol RutchickJack AmielFast2:02.6
1950MiddlegroundWilliam BolandMax HirschKing RanchFast2:01.6
1949PonderSteve BrooksBen JonesCalumet FarmFast2:04.2
1948Citation Eddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet Farm'Sloppy2:05.4
1947Jet PilotEric GuerinTom SmithMaine Chance FarmSlow2:06.8
1946Assault Warren MehrtensMax HirschKing RanchSlow2:06.6
1945Hoop Jr.Eddie ArcaroIvan ParkeFred HooperMuddy2:07.0
1944PensiveConn McCrearyBen JonesCalumet FarmGood2:04.2
1943Count Fleet Johnny LongdenDon CameronFannie HertzFast2:04.0
1942Shut OutWayne WrightJohn Gaver Sr.Greentree StableFast2:04.4
1941Whirlaway Eddie ArcaroBen JonesCalumet Farm'Fast2:01.4
1940GallahadionCarroll BiermanRoy WaldronMilky Way FarmFast2:05.0
1939Johnstown James StoutJim FitzsimmonsBelair StudFast2:03.4
1938LawrinEddie ArcaroBen JonesWoolford FarmFast2:04.8
1937War Admiral Charley KurtsingerGeorge ConwayGlen Riddle Farms'Fast2:03.2
1936Bold VentureIra HanfordMax HirschMorton SchwartzFast2:03.6
1935Omaha Willie SaundersJim FitzsimmonsBelair StudGood2:05.0
1934Cavalcade Mack GarnerBob SmithBrookmeade StableFast2:04.0
1933Brokers TipDon MeadeHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. BradleyGood2:06.8
1932Burgoo KingEugene JamesHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. BradleyFast2:05.2
1931Twenty Grand Charley KurtsingerJames Rowe Jr.Greentree StableFast2:01.8
1930Gallant Fox Earl SandeJim FitzsimmonsBelair Stud'Good2:07.6
1929Clyde Van DusenLinus McAteeClyde Van DusenHerbert GardnerMuddy2:10.8
1928Reigh Count Chick LangBert MichellFannie HertzHeavy2:10.4
1927WhiskeryLinus McAteeFred HopkinsHarry Payne WhitneySlow2:06.0
1926Bubbling OverAlbert JohnsonHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. Bradley Fast2:03.8
1925Flying EbonyEarl SandeWilliam DukeGifford CochranSloppy2:07.6
1924Black Gold John MooneyHanley WebbRosa HootsFast2:05.2
1923Zev Earl SandeDavid LearyRancocas StableFast2:05.4
1922MorvichAlbert JohnsonFred BurlewBen BlockFast2:04.6
1921Behave YourselfCharles ThompsonHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. BradleyFast2:04.2
1920Paul JonesTed RiceWilliam GarthRal ParrSlow2:09.0
1919Sir Barton Johnny LoftusH. Guy BedwellJ. K. L. Ross'Heavy2:09.8
1918Exterminator Willie KnappHenry McDanielWillis Sharpe KilmerMuddy2:10.8
1917Omar KhayyamCharles BorelCharles T. PattersonC.K.G. Billings, Frederick JohnsonFast2:04.6
1916George SmithJohnny LoftusHollie HughesJohn SanfordFast2:04.0
1915Regret Joe NotterJames Rowe Sr.Harry Payne WhitneyFast2:05.4
1914Old Rosebud John McCabeFrank WeirHamilton ApplegateFast2:03.40
1913DonerailRoscoe GooseThomas P. HayesThomas P. HayesFast2:04.8
1912WorthCarroll ShillingFrank TaylorHarry HallenbeckMuddy2:09.4
1911MeridianGeorge ArchibaldAlbert EwingRichard F. CarmanFast2:05.0
1910DonauFrederick HerbertGeorge HamWilliam GerstFast2:06.4
1909WintergreenVincent PowersCharles MackJerome B. RespessSlow2:08.2
1908Stone StreetArthur PickensJohn HallC. E. & J. W. HamiltonHeavy2:15.2
1907Pink StarAndy MinderWilliam H. FizerJ. Hal WoodfordHeavy2:12.6
1906Sir HuonRoscoe TroxlerPeter CoyneBashford Manor StableFast2:08.8
1905AgileJack MartinRobert TuckerSamuel S. BrownHeavy2:10.75
1904ElwoodShorty PriorCharles DurnellLaska DurnellFast2:08.5
1903Judge HimesHarold BookerJohn P. MayberryCharles R. EllisonFast2:09.0
1902Alan-a-DaleJimmy WinkfieldThomas Clay McDowellThomas Clay McDowellFast2:08.75
1901His EminenceJimmy WinkfieldFrank B. Van MeterFrank B. Van MeterFast2:07.75
1900Lieut. GibsonJimmy BolandCharles HughesCharles H. SmithFast2:06.25
1899ManuelFred TaralRobert WaldenA. H. & D. H. MorrisFast2:12.0
1898PlauditWillie SimmsJohn E. MaddenJohn E. MaddenGood2:09.0
1897Typhoon IIButtons GarnerJulius C. CahnJulius C. CahnHeavy2:12.5
1896Ben Brush Willie SimmsHardy CampbellMike F. DwyerFast2:07.75
1895HalmaJames PerkinsByron McClellandByron McClellandFast2:37.5
1894ChantFrank GoodaleEugene LeighEugene Leigh, Robert RoseFast2:41.0
1893LookoutEddie KunzeWilliam McDanielJ.E. Cushin, J. OrthFast2:39.25
1892AzraAlonzo ClaytonJohn MorrisBashford Manor StableHeavy2:41.5
1891KingmanIsaac MurphyDudley AllenJacobin StableFast2:52.25
1890RileyIsaac MurphyEdward CorriganEdward CorriganMuddy2:45.0
1889SpokaneThomas KileyJohn RodegapNoah ArmstrongFast2:34.5
1888Macbeth IIGeorge CovingtonJohn CampbellChicago StableFast2:38.25
1887MontroseIsaac LewisJohn McGintyLabold BrothersFast2:39.25
1886Ben AliPaul DuffyJim MurphyJames B. HagginFast2:36.5
1885Joe CottonErskine HendersonAbraham PerryJames T. WilliamsGood2:37.25
1884BuchananIsaac MurphyWilliam BirdWilliam Cottrill, Sam S. BrownGood2:40.25
1883LeonatusWilliam DonohueRaleigh Colston Sr.Jack P. Chinn, George MorganHeavy2:43.0
1882ApolloBabe HurdGreen B. MorrisGreen B. Morris, James D. PattonFast2:40.25
1881Hindoo Jim McLaughlinJames Rowe Sr.Dwyer BrothersFast2:40.0
1880FonsoGeorge LewisTice HutsellJ.S. ShawhanFast2:37.50
1879Lord MurphyCharlie ShauerGeorge RiceGeorge W. Darden & Co.Fast2:37.00
1878Day StarJimmy CarterLee PaulThomas J. NicholsFast2:37.25
1877Baden-BadenBilly WalkerEd BrownDaniel SwigertFast2:38.0
1876VagrantRobert SwimJames WilliamsWilliam Astor Jr.Fast2:38.25
1875AristidesOliver LewisAnsel WilliamsonHal Price McGrathFast2:37.75

;Notes
Designates a filly.
Designates a horse that won American Horse of the Year in the same year they won the Derby.
Designates a horse that was inducted in subsequent years into the National Racing Hall of Fame.

Sire lines

Winners of the Kentucky Derby can be connected to each other due to the practice of arranging horse breeding based on their previous success. All of the horses can be traced back to the three foundational sires, with Godolphin Arabian the ancestor of 7 winners, Byerley Turk the ancestor of 11 winners, and Darley Arabian the ancestor of 133 winners, including all winners since 1938.
The Into Mischief direct sire line has produced 4 of the last 6 Kentucky Derby winners.

Darley Arabian line

The Darley Arabian sire line produced 133 Derby winners, including all winners from 1938 to present. The main branches of this sire line are:

Byerley Turk line

The Byerley Turk sire line produced 11 winners. The main branches of this sire are:

Godolphin Arabian line

The Godolphin Arabian sire line produced 7 winners. The main branches of this sire are:

Kentucky Derby winners with male-line descendants including other Kentucky Derby winners