Derby Day The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held sporting event in the US. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

Kentucky Map Where is Louisville located in Kentucky?

Churchill Downs Racetrack Find Churchill Downs on the Louisville city map.

History of Horse Racing

Horse racing is one of our oldest sports, having its origins among the prehistoric nomadic tribesmen of central Asia who first domesticated the horse around 4500 BC. Horse racing was an event in the ancient Greek Olympics by 638 BC. Detail of ancient Greek vase

In the 12 th century English knights returned from the Crusades with swift Arab horses. Over the next 400 years Arab stallions (males) were imported and bred to English mares (females) to produce horses that combined speed and endurance.

In the 1700s horse racing became a professional sport in England. With the increase of racetracks being built the need for rules and standards became necessary. In 1750 the Jockey Club was formed to write the rules of racing.

Members of the Jockey Club had to trace the pedigree or complete family history of every race horse in England. In 1793, this research was published in a book. By the early 1800s the only horses that could be called “Thoroughbreds” and allowed to race had to descend from horses listed in the book. British settlers brought horses and horse racing to America.

Horses in Art Horse sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo was a Renaissance artist who filled many books with sketches. He made lots of notes in a secret code that he wrote backwards.

Edgar Degas Horses and racing have always been popular subjects for artists. The subject of art is what you can recognize or name. One artist famous for his painting of horses is Edgar Degas. He was born in France in 1834 and died in He was a French Impressionist artist who liked to paint and draw modern everyday life. His favorite media (art materials) was oil paint and pastel chalk.

Edgar Degas, Impressionist Artist Degas, Edgar Race Horses Pastel on panel 11 7/8 x 16 in. Philadelphia Museum of ArtDegas, Edgar Race Horses

Degas, Edgar Jockeys Before the Race Oil, essence, with touches of pastel on paper 42 1/8 x 28 3/4 in. (107 x 73 cm) Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of BirminghamDegas, Edgar

Degas, Edgar Le Defile Horses Before the Stands c Essence on paper mounted on canvas 18 1/8 x 24 in (46 x 61 cm) Musee d'Orsay, Paris Degas, Edgar

In the summer of 2000, brightly colored horses decorated by artists were located throughout Lexington, Ky. This public art project was sponsored by the Lexington Arts and Cultural Council and was called “Horse Mania”.

The Kentucky Derby has many traditions and symbols. One of these traditions is the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night” by Stephen Foster. This song is the official song for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Stephen Foster ( ) was one of America’s best-loved composers (or songwriters). He wrote over 200 songs including “Swanee River”, “Oh, Susanna” and “Camptown Races”.

The house “My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night” is connected to is Federal Hill, also known as My Old Kentucky Home. It is located in Bardstown, Ky and was built in It was the home of Judge John Rowan whose Pittsburg cousin, Stephen Foster, visited in 1852 and was inspired to write the song.

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home 'Tis summer, the people are gay The corn top's ripe and the meadow's in bloom While the birds make music all the day The young folks roll on the little cabin floor All merry, all happy and bright By 'n by hard times come a-knocking at the door Then my old Kentucky home, good night. Chorus: Weep no more my lady, oh weep no more today. We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home, for the old Kentucky home far away. They hunt no more for the 'possum and the coon, On meadow, the hill and the shore, They sing no more by the glimmer of the moon, On the bench by that old cabin door. The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, With sorrow where all was delight. The time has come when the people have to part, Then my old Kentucky home, good night. The head must bow and the back will have to bend, Wherever the poor folks may go A few more days and the trouble will end, In the field where sugar-canes may grow. A few more days till we totter on the road, Then my old Kentucky home, good night. “My Old Kentucky Home” words and music by Stephen Foster

More Kentucky Derby Traditions DERBY-PIE® DERBY-PIE® was born nearly a half century ago as the specialty pastry of the Melrose Inn, at Prospect, Kentucky. Once developed, a proper name had to be given. Because each family member had a favorite, the name DERBY-PIE® was actually pulled from a hat. And what a winner! By 1968 DERBY-PIE® had become so successful that the name was registered with the U.S. Patent Office and the Commonwealth of Kentucky (that's the reason for the ®!). Since then it has been baked and distributed solely by Kern's Kitchen, a small family operation. DERBY-PIE® is a registered trademark of Kern's Kitchen, Inc..

Chocolate Nut Pie Recipe Kerns Kitchens has registered Derby Pie and is the only company that can make and sell pies called Derby Pies. We will look at a similar recipe for a chocolate nut pie. Chocolate Nut Pie ½ cup (1 stick) margarine, melted1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup sugar1 cup chocolate chips ½ cup flour2 unbaked 9” pie shells 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla Pre-heat oven to 350* Melt margarine and cool. Mix sugar and flour together to eliminate lumps in flour then combine in large bowl with melted margarine. Beat eggs in small bowl with fork and add to bowl. Stir in vanilla, nuts and chocolate chips. (1 cup of Rice Crispies may be substituted for nuts.) Pour into pie shells and bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Cool before cutting. Yield: 2 pies Following sequence Put the following directions in the correct order. (Number 1,2,3,4) ______Beat eggs____Melt margarine____Pre-heat oven____Pour into pie shell If one pie will serve 8 people how many pies would you need to bake for a party of 48? a. 3 b. 9 c. 6 d. 5

The Kentucky Derby was established by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. who visited England and studied how racetracks were built. He returned to Louisville, Kentucky and built a racetrack he named Churchill Downs (the track was built on a farm owned by a family named Churchill). On May 17, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held. Aristides, winner of the first Kentucky Derby The jockey who rode Aristides was African- American Oliver Lewis. African American Isaac Murphy is considered one of the greatest race riders in American history. ( ) The first woman to ride in the Derby was Diane Crump in 1970.

Jockey Apparel Silks are the shirts and caps jockeys wear during a horse race. They are called silks because they used to be made out of silk. However, now we use nylon, a lighter, less-expensive and easier-to-clean fabric. Silks are like a uniform—they identify the owner of the Thoroughbred race horse.

Owners select the colors and shapes that make up the design of their silks. The Jockey Club must approve and register the silks to make sure no other owner has that combination. At one time, strict rules applied to which shapes could be used. In recent times, many non-traditional, but tasteful designs have appeared.

Today the Kentucky Derby is the most famous Thoroughbred horse race in the world and is celebrated with a two week festival in Louisville complete with balloon races and parades. More than 100,000 fans attend the race and millions watch on TV all over the world. The three year old horses run the 1¼ mile track in a little over 2 minutes. This race is also called the “Run for the Roses” because the fastest horse and jockey is honored in the winner’s circle with a blanket of red roses. Kentucky Derby Museum- Winner’s Circle Exhibit Louisville, KY Smarty Jones The original Rose Garland was freeze-dried and is stored in a case behind display. It was donated by the Chapmans, owner of Smarty Jones.

Why Study the Kentucky Derby? We encourage you to discuss the following background information with your students. Why is the Kentucky Derby important to our students? The Kentucky Derby is an important historical event. Thoroughbred racing in America dates to the early colonial period. The Derby is the oldest continuously run sporting event in the United States. The Kentucky Derby is an important cultural event. At least 75,000 out-of-town visitors attend the Kentucky Derby each year, with a total crowd of about 150,000. Tens of millions of people all around the world watch the Kentucky Derby on television. One and a half million people participate in the Derby Festival events. The Kentucky Derby is an important economic event. Overall, the Thoroughbred industry in Kentucky is valued at over $1.2 billion, generating over 55,000 jobs. The economic impact from the Derby/Oaks weekend for the metropolitan area is $218 million The Kentucky Derby is an important athletic event. Understanding the roles of the Thoroughbred and the jockey as an athlete, as well as the scientific basis for their performance, helps provide insights into human training, nutrition and performance. Education Department Revised SWF/2004

What is the Kentucky Derby? The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three- year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies, held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It has been run every year since its first running on May 17, The Kentucky Derby was modeled after the Epsom Derby (pronounced ‘darby”), a prominent race in England. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of the famous explorer William Clark, headed the group that built the Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Association and began the Derby. The name Churchill Downs was not used until In 1895 the construction of a new grandstand brought what would become Churchill Downs’ most famous landmark, the Twin Spires. Originally a mile and a half race, the Kentucky Derby was shortened to one mile and a quarter in 1896.

The Kentucky Derby Museum In 1985, the Kentucky Derby Museum, a private, non-profit educational institution, opened to expand the awareness, appreciation and the understanding of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing. In Spring 2000, the Museum reopened after a major renovation and expansion project. The Derby Museum is open every day, except for Oaks and Derby Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Education Department welcomes any opportunity to assist teachers and students. For additional information about the science, history, culture or economic impact of the Kentucky Derby and Thoroughbred racing, visit our website at or through the following listed below: Sandy Flaksman Curator of Education (502) Kentucky Derby Museum

This Kentucky Derby Power Point was presented at the 2005 Kentucky Teaching and Learning Conference, Louisville, KY by Debbie Hoodenpyle and Janet Wyatt. It is intended to be used in Kentucky classrooms. Material was taken from the following sources Debbie HoodenpyleJanet Wyatt West Hopkins School 2695 Rabbit Ridge Road Nebo, KY (270)