Clark Jr. started the Kentucky Derby on behalf of a group of businessmen in Louisville who wanted to bring the horse industry back to Kentucky. During the Civil War many of the horses in Kentucky were used for battle, and after the war they rarely made it back to their farms. To really bring the breeding and racing industry back to the state we needed something that would attract the best of the best. The Derby became a large social event so that it wouldn't be compared to the other races that existed at the time and weren't succeeding in attracting the horsemen. It worked and the Derby is currently the longest continuously running sporting event in the country.
Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of William Clark
It was Clark who started the Kentucky Derby.
no one "owns" the Kentucky Derby. its a race held every year for the best 20 three year old thoroughbreds in the nation. no one "owns" the Kentucky Derby. its a race held every year for the best 20 three year old thoroughbreds in the nation.
That he had the resources, that he knew what he was doing, and that he saw the potential for thoroughbred horse racing in the area may have been the reasons that led Colonel Meriwether Lewis Jr [January 27, 1846 - April 22, 1899] to set the groundwork for the subsequent Kentucky Derby. Clark was the grandson of William Clark [August 1, 1770 - September 1, 1838] of the [Meriwether] Lewis and Clark Expedition into the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.So the Colonel had the necessary connections and the resources. For example, he obtained the land for the subsequent Churchill Downs racetrack from his relatives, John and Henry Churchill.Additionally, Clark knew exactly what he was doing. Through his mother, Abigail Prather Churchill, he was descended from one of Kentucky's 'first families'. His ancestors had been in the subsequent Louisville area since 1787. Clark became knowledgeable in the area's wildlife and in horse riding. Additionally, he was acquainted with running of the world-famous Epsom Derby of England and Grand Prix de Paris of France's Jockey Club.Therefore, Clark knew what his beloved homeland was capable of. Specifically, he drew on the wide reputation of the Kentucky Bluegrass region as the source of superior racehorses from the time of the earliest European settlements.
Kentucky Derby was created in 1875.
Thoroughbreds compete in the Kentucky Derby.
The first Kentucky Derby race was run in 1875.
Kentucky Derby Museum was created in 1984.
The Kentucky Derby is always the first Saturday of May.
Orb won the 2013 Kentucky Derby.
Thoroughbred horses compete in the Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Derby is held annually in the state of Kentucky.