Secretariat won the 1973 Kentucky Derby to launch his Triple Crown sweep. Trainer Carl Nafzger called the 1990 race aloud to 92-year-old owner Frances Genter, whose failing eyesight kept her from seeing her horse Unbridled thunder down the stretch to victory. Justify splashed to victory in 2018 on the wettest Derby day when 3.15 inches of rain fell.
How well do you know the history of America’s oldest continuously held sporting event? Try this quiz (without help from search engines)! It will get you ready for the 150th edition of the race on Saturday.
The questions
(1) How many times have horses trained by Bob Baffert won the Derby?
– 4
– 5
– 6
– 7
(2) Which jockey lost the Derby when he stood up in the stirrups too soon because he misjudged the finish line and what year did it happen?
— Angel Cordero Jr., 1974
— Bill Shoemaker, 1957
— Eddie Arcaro, 1945
— Jerry Bailey, 1993
(3) Who are the Black jockeys who were the first two riders to win back-to-back Derbies?
— Oliver Lewis and James Perkins
— Isaac Murphy and Jimmy Winkfield
— William Walker and Alonzo Clayton
— Isaac Murphy and Willie Simms
(4) The bettors really got it wrong one year when an eight-horse field produced the biggest upset in Derby history. Which horse and what year was it?
— Country House, 2019
— Proud Clarion, 1967
— Dark Star, 1953
— Donerail, 1913
(5) Who was the last gray horse to win the Derby?
— Silver Charm
— Giacomo
— Spectacular Bid
— Gato Del Sol
(6) Who is the female jockey with the highest finish in the Derby?
— Julie Krone
— Diane Crump
— Rosie Napravnik
— Rosemary Homeister Jr.
(7) Which horse is the oldest living Derby winner?
— Big Brown
— Smarty Jones
— Silver Charm
— Street Sense
(8) What is the largest margin of victory in the Derby?
— 7 lengths
— 8 lengths
— 9 lengths
— 10 lengths
(9) Who was the last filly to win the Derby?
— Eight Belles
— Serena’s Song
— Winning Colors
— Genuine Risk
(10) How many horses that crossed the finish line first have been disqualified in the Derby?
— 1
— 2
— 3
— 4
(11) What letter of the alphabet has the most Derby winners?
— A
— B
— M
— S
(12) Which post position has produced the most Derby winners?
– 1
– 5
– 8
– 10
Bonus question: What year had the largest attendance at the Derby?
— 1974
— 2000
— 2015
— 2020
And the answers!
(1) Six. Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in 2021, but failed a post-race drug test and was disqualified, denying Baffert a record seventh victory.
(2) Bill Shoemaker. He and Gallant Man finished second to Bill Hartack and Iron Liege, who won by a nose after Shoemaker’s mistake.
(3) Issac Murphy won the Derby three times, including 1890 and 1891, and Jimmy Winkfield won in 1901 and 1902.
(4) Donerail at 91-1 odds. He paid $184.90 for a win bet.
(5) Giacomo, 2005.
(6) Rosie Napravnik was fifth in 2013 aboard Mylute.
(7) Silver Charm. The 1997 winner is 30 and a popular attraction at Old Friends Farm in Kentucky.
(8) 8 lengths, 4 times.
(9) Winning Colors, 1988.
(10) Three. Dancer’s Image (failed post-race drug test) in 1968, Maximum Security (interference) in 2019 and Medina Spirit (failed post-race drug test) in 2021.
(11) S. 19 Derby winners have names starting with S.
(12) Post position 5 has produced 10 winners, most recently in 2017.
Bonus: 2015, when 170,513 saw American Pharoah win the Derby. He went on to the first Triple Crown sweep in 37 years.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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