How many kentucky derbies

To qualify to ride in the Derby, a horse must compete in designated prep races at a series of tracks. The top four finishers in each race receive points, and the 20 horses who accumulate the most points are eligible to enter the Derby. According to some accounts, the song was first played at the Derby in The mint julep—a drink that originated in the South and is made with bourbon, sugar, mint and crushed ice—has been a Derby tradition for nearly a century.

Roses are another longtime Derby tradition. In , Meriwether Clark started the practice of giving the winning jockey a bouquet of roses. Fashion has been a part of the Derby since its inception, thanks to founder Clark, who wanted to improve the image of American racetracks and attract an upscale crowd to Churchill Downs. In the s, spurred on in part by the presence of TV cameras at the Kentucky Derby, both male and female Derby-goers started the tradition of sporting fancy hats on race day.

James C. University Press of Kentucky. The Story of the Derby Epsom. Epsom Derby. NBC Chicago. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Proud of both horses. They trained well and just with the order of finish was just a little different. Medina Spirit set solid early fractions of Soup and Sandwich was the closest early but ultimately faded to last place in the horse field. Mandaloun pulled even with a quarter-mile to go and may have stuck a nose in front at one point.

If Medina Spirit is disqualified, second-place finisher Mandaloun would be awarded the victory. Casse cites winning jockey Johnny Valazquez as the biggest factor in Medina Spirit's victory. I don't believe he won the race because of this positive test.

But Medina Spirit had also caught Casse's eye as he put a bid on the horse as a two-year-old. He's actually an extremely attractive horse with just an obscure pedigree. Casse said he has a good relationship with Baffert on and off the track and understands the immense responsibilities trainers have as the head of their respective operations. And the harsh reality is the more wins trainers accumulate, the larger the target on their backs.

Right now, it doesn't make sense to me. However, this marks the fifth time in just over a year that a Baffert-trained horse has had a positive drug test. I couldn't be prouder of my team. What a little race horse. Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie finished second and third, respectively, with prerace favorite Essential Quality landing fourth. Sporting News provided live updates during the Kentucky Derby.

Check out the full results below. Medina Spirit is the winner of the KentuckyDerby! A record 7th KentuckyDerby win!