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. - : : . History of Kentucky Derby ! : e The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875. The fifty-sixth will be decided on Saturday, May 17. Aristides, the little "red" horse, was the first winner of the now internationally famous race. Clyde Van Dusen, a son of the mighty Man o War, carried off the prize last year. Some of the salient features of the Kentucky Derby history written between those two eventful hapenings are well worth repeating. A total of 513 horses have started in the Derby during the fifty-five runnings. The largest field started in 1928 when Heigh. Count won. The smallest number to face the starter was three in 1892, 1895 and 1905. The Derby has been run at two distances, the first at one mile and a half from its inception until 1896, at one mile and a quarter since then. The fastest time at the longer distance was made by Spokane in 1889 when he won in 2:34. Old Rosebud holds the record at a mile and a quarter, winning in 2:03 in 1914. Omar Khayyam was the first and only imported horse to win the race. Sir Barton was the only maiden to score and further added to his fame by being the only horse to take both the Derby and Preakness. Regret is the only filly to ever carry off the coveted event. Halma is the only Derby winner to have sired a Derby winner, his son Alan-a-Dale duplicating his daddys feat. Isaac Murphy and G. Lewis are the only jockeys who rode three Derby winners. Previous to 1915 the net value of the race never exceeded 0,000. Since 1922 the winner each year has taken down more than 0,000, greatest being 5,375 in 1928 when Reigh Count won. Virgil and Falsetto are the only sires whose get won three Derbys. Only three owners have carried off the coveted prize twice, H. P. Whitney, E. R. Bradley and G. J. Long. The late J. E. Madden had the distinction of having bred five winners of the Derby at his famous Hamburg Place. These and many other interesting facts are interwoven in the pages of the history of the Kentucky Derby, a condensed tabulation of which is here presented: Year. First. Sire. Starters. Jockey. Wt. Second. . Third. n!ri Val. Time. Odds. 1875 Aristides Leamington 15.. G.Lewis 100 Volcano Verdigris $ 2,850 2:37 29-10 1876 Vagrant Virgil. 11.. Swim 97 Creedmore Harry Hill 2,950 2:3834 9-5 1877 Baden Baden Australian 11.. Walker 100 Leonard King William 3,300 2:38 8-1 1878 Day Star Star Davis 9.. Carter 100 Himyar Leveler 4,050 2:374 3-1 1879 Lord Murphy. Pat Malloy 9 . .Schauer 100 Falsetto Strathmore 3,550 2:37 11-10 1880 Fonso King Alfonso 5.. G.Lewis ....105 Kimball Bancroft.... 3,800 2:37y " 7-1 1881 Hindoo Virgil 6.. J. McLaughlin. . .105 Lelex Alhambra 4,410 2:40 1-3 1882 Apollo Lever 14..Hurd 102 Runnymede. Bengal 4,560 2:404 10-1 1883 Leonatus Longfellow 7..W. Donohue 105 Drake Carter. .. Lord Raglan 3,760 2:43 1-2 1884 Buchanan Buckden 9.. L Murphy 110 Loftin Audrain 3,990 2:403,4 7-2 1885 Joe Cotton King Alfonso 10 . . Henderson 110 Bersan Ten Booker 4,630 2:3714 1-1 1886 Ben Ali Virgil 10 . . P. Duffy 118 Blue Wing Free Knight 4,890 2 :36i 7-5 1887 Montrose Duke of Montrose 7.. G.Lewis 118 Jim Gore Jacobin 4,200 2:394 10-1 1888 Macbeth II Macduff 7.. Covington 115 Galifet White 4,740 2:38 8-1 1889 Spokane Hyder Ali 8..Kiley 118 Proctor Knott. .. Once Again 4,970 2:34i 6-1 1890 Riley Longfellow.... 6.. I. Murphy 118 Bill Letcher Robespierre 5,460 2:45 4-1 1891 Kingnian Glengarry .4.. I. Murphy 122 Balgowan. High Tariff 4,680 2:521, 1-1 1892 Azra ..Reform 3.. Clayton 122 Huron Phil Dwyer 4,230 2:41V 3-2 1893 Lookout ..: Troubadour.... 6..Kunze 122 Plutus Roundless 4,090 2:39 10-7 1894 Chant Falsetto. 4. .Goodale 122 Pearl Song Sigurd 4,020 2:41 1-2 1895 Halma Hanover 4.. Perkins 122 Basso Laureate 2,970 2:37 1-3 1896 Ben Brush Bramble..... 8..Simms... ..117 Ben Eder Semper Ego. .... . 4,850 2:07 1-2 1897 Typhoon II Top Gallant 6. .Garner 117 Ornament. ..... Dr. Catlett 4,850 2:12V 3-1 1898 Plaudit Himyar 4..Simms 117 Lieber Karl Isabey 4,850 2:09 3-1 1899 Manuel Bob Miles . 3..Taral 117 Corsini Mazo 4,850 2:12 ll-20 1900 Lieutenant Gibson G.W.Johnson 7..Boland .117 Florizar .Thrive 4,850 2:06 7-10 1901 His Eminence Falsetto 5 . . Winkfield 117 Sannazarro Driscoll 4,850 2:07 3-1 1902 Alan-a-Dale Halma....... 4.. Winkfield 117 Inventor The Rival 4,850 2:08 3-2 1903 Judge Himes. Esher 6.. H.Booker 117 Early Bourbon 4,850 2:09 12-1 1904 Elwood Free Knight 5.. Prior 117 Ed Tierney Brancas... 4,850 2:08V 10-1 1905 Agile Sir Dixon 3.. J. Martin 122 Rams Horn Layson 4,850 2:10 1-3 1906 Sir Huon Falsetto 6..Troxler 117 Lady Navarre ... James Reddick .. . 4,850 2:08 11-10 1907 Pink Star Pink Coat 6.. Minder ....117 Zal .Ovelando 4,850 2:12 15-1- 1908 Stone Street Longstreet 8.. Pickens 117 Sir Cleges Dunvegan 4,850 2:15V; 24-1 1909 Wintergreen Dick Welles 10.. V. Powers 117 Miami Dr. Barkley 4,850 2:08 19-10 1910 Donau t Woolsthorpe 7.. Herbert 117 Joe Morris Fighting Bob 4,850 2:06 8-5 1911 Meridian Broomstick 7 . . G. Archibald 117 Governor Gray. . Colston 4,850 2:05 29-10 1912 Worth Knight of the Thistle. . 8. .C. H. Shilling 117 Duval Flamma 4,850 2:09 4-5 1913 Donerail McGee 8.. Goose . 117 Ten Point Gowell 5,475 2:04 91-1 1914 Old Rosebud ..Uncle 7. . J. McCabe.. 114 Hodge Bronzewing 9,125 2:03 4-5 1915 Regret Broomstick 16.. J. Notter 112 Pebbles .Sharpshooter 11,450 2:05 13-5 1916 George Smith Out of Reach 9..J. Loftus 117 Star Hawk Franklin 9,750 2:04 41-10 1917 Omar Khayyam Marco 15..C. Borel 117 Ticket ..Midway 16,600 2:04 13-1 1918 Exterminator McGee 8. . W. Knapp 114 Escoba Viva America 14,700 2:10 30-1 1919 Sir Barton Star Shoot 12.. J. Loftus 112V Billy Kelly Under Fire 20,825 2:09 13-5 1920 Paul Jones Sea King 17.. T. Rice 126 Upset On Watch.. 30,375 2:09 16-1 1921 Behave Yourself Marathon 10. .C. Thompson 126 Black Servant. . Prudery 38,450 2:04 9-1 1922 Morvich Runnymede 10 .. A. Johnson 126 Bet Mosie John Finn 53,775 2:043-; 6-5 1923 Zev The Finn 21..E. Sande 126 Martingale Vigil 53,600 2:05 19-1 1924 Black Gold .Black Toney 19. ,J. D. Mooney 126 Chilhowee . .Beau Butler 52,775 2:05V; 17-10 1925 Flying Ebony The Finn 20. .E. Sande 126 Captain Hal Son of John.. .... 52,950 2:07 31-10 1926 Bubbling Over North Star III 13. .A. Johnson .126 Bagenbaggage .. Rock Man 50,075 2:03 19-10 1927 Whiskery Whisk Broom II 15..L. McAtee 126 Osmand Jock 51,000 2:06 12-5 1928 Reigh Count Sunreigh 22.. C. Lang 126 Misstep .Toro 55,375 2:10 2-1 1929 Clyde Van Dusen Man o War 21.. L. McAtee 126 Naishapur .Panchio , 53,950 2:10 3-1 Favorite. Distance From 1875 to 1895, inclusive, one and a half miles. In 1896 reduced to one and one-quarter miles.
