PrintKentucky Derby Winners
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The Kentucky Derby got it beginnings as a spin-off of the Epsom Derby in England. Then the race was a 1 ½ mile run and Aristides completed it in 2:37 ¾ and galloped away with a $2,850 purse before a crowd of 10,000. Today, the Kentucky Derby distance is a 1 ¼ mile race and purse has inflated to a whopping $2,000,000. The Kentucky Derby winner also receives a blanket of red roses and a 14 carat gold cup trophy.
Derby history is unclear if a trophy was presented to owner Hal Price McGrath after his Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. Trophy presentations were made sporadically in subsequent races until the official Kentucky Derby winner's trophy was presented at the race's 50th renewal in 1924.
The present-day Kentucky Derby trophy was designed by George Lewis Graff for Lemon & Son Jewelers of Louisville, with the initial presentation made to the Kentucky Derby Winner Black Gold's owner, Mrs. Rosa M. Hoots, on May 17, 1924. The cup, with horse and rider atop, is 22 inches tall and weighs 56 ounces, excluding its marble base. The horse and rider, the horseshoe-shaped handles, and other decorations are 18-karat gold; the body of the cup is 14-karat gold. The value, listed 60 years ago at $5,000, has been inflated to as high as $60,000 over the years.
To witness the next Kentucky Derby Winner make off with the blanket of red roses you can request a quote for a Kentucky Derby package by contacting us today at 713-227-8888. You can also call our Travel Agent Hotline at 800-809-1277 or e-mail us at info@onpointevents.com.
