Why did Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr create the Kentucky Derby?

Answer 1

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.