The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses, run over 1¼ miles (about 2,000 meters) on a dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Quick Scoop

  • It is an American Thoroughbred flat race (no jumps).
  • The surface is dirt, left-handed oval track.
  • Distance: 1¼ miles (10 furlongs), roughly 2,000–2,012 meters.
  • Restricted to three-year-old horses only, so each horse can run it just once in its life.
  • It’s classified as a Grade I stakes race, the top tier in North American horse racing.
  • It is the first leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

Extra context

  • Held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
  • Nicknamed “The Run for the Roses” because the winner gets a garland of roses.
  • Often called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” due to its short, intense running time.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.