Kentucky Derby Trivia Quiz

Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of Gen. William Clark of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, first caught the horse-racing bug after visiting the Epsom Derby in England. He went on to found the Louisville Jockey Club and build Churchill Downs, named after relatives on his mother’s side who provided the land for the racetrack.

While the distance for the Kentucky Derby was indeed originally set at 1.5 miles (or 2.4 km), the same distance as the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris, it was changed to its current length of 1.25 miles (or 2 km) in 1896, primarily as a result of the belief that the original distance was too long for the colts to run in the spring.

This iced drink, made of bourbon, mint and simple syrup, is usually served in a commemorative Derby glass printed with the names of all the previous winners. Burgoo -- a thick stew of beef, chicken, pork and veggies -- serves as the staple food of the race.

The Kentucky Derby is the first race held in the Triple Crown of Horse Racing. The Preakness Stakes, held in May in Baltimore, Md., followed by the Belmont Stakes, held in June in Elmont, N.Y., round out this historic trio of races. Winning all three of these races is rare and considered the penultimate achievement in Thoroughbred horse racing.

While all the above animals were Derby champions owned by women, in 1904 Elwood became the first horse owned and bred by women (Laska Durnell and Mrs. J.B. Prather, respectively) to win the prestigious race.

13 of the15 jockeys in the first Derby were African-American. In addition, African-American jockeys rode 15 of the first 28 winners, along with nabbing "youngest rider to ever win the Derby" honors. This accolade belongs to African-American jockey Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton, who won the prestigious race  in 1892 at age 15.

In 1973, Secretariat knocked previous record-holder Northern Dancer out of the top slot. He went on to log progressively faster times in the following Triple Crown races that same year.

Star power may make and break deals in Hollywood, but it doesn’t necessarily give any of these celebrity owners a distinct advantage for nabbing a first-place finish on the racetrack. However, it does give them access to Millionaire’s Row, the expense box seats at Churchill Downs that serve as the place to be seen among the rich and famous on race day.

The practice of wearing hats to the races originated with the Royal Ascot where all guests were required to wear proper attire, including top hats for the men and hats for women. This heady tradition eventually carried across the pond to U.S. racetracks and is a cherished tradition of the Derby since 1875.

While the variations on the two-minute references were born out of the approximate duration of the actual race, “Run for the Roses” stems from the lush garland of more than 500 roses presented to the winner, a tradition that originated over 100 years ago. The late musician Dan Fogelberg also composed a song of the same name in 1980 in honor of the race.