Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby, annual thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds run over a course of 1 1/4 mi (2 km) at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky. The Derby was founded in 1875 by Col. M. Lewis Clark, and is currently attended by more than 120,000 fans each year, and is the most popular horse race in the United States. The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes are the other 2 races which comprise the Triple Crown of horse racing.