Kentucky Derby Museum
Encyclopedia
The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American
Thoroughbred horse racing
museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Kentucky
. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby
, it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1985. Much of its early funding came from a donation from the estate of James Graham Brown
.
The Kentucky derby Museum consists of two floors of exhibit space, including a 360-degree theater that shows the HD video The Greatest Race. Through the film and exhibits, visitors can learn what goes into the breeding and training of a young foal and the path it takes to the Kentucky Derby's winner circle. Every Kentucky Derby
win is honored in the Warner L. Jones Time Machine, where visitors can watch any Kentucky Derby from 1918 to the present day. Exhibits highlight the stories of owners, trainers
and jockey
s as well as the importance of African American
jockeys and trainers to the race and the Thoroughbred
industry. Guided tours of Churchill Downs' barn and infield areas, jockeys' quarters, "millionaires row" and press box are also offered.
. The past champions now interred here are:
The 2006 Derby winner Barbaro
(2003-2007) is interred just outside an entrance to Churchill Downs, and also outside the Museum. Barbaro's owners chose to bury his remains in a location where his admirers would not have to pay an admission fee.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1985. Much of its early funding came from a donation from the estate of James Graham Brown
James Graham Brown
James Graham Brown was an American businessman and real estate developer best known as the builder of the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky and for his philanthropy. Born in Madison, Indiana, he moved to Louisville in 1903 and founded, with his brother and father, the W.P. Brown and Sons Lumber...
.
The Kentucky derby Museum consists of two floors of exhibit space, including a 360-degree theater that shows the HD video The Greatest Race. Through the film and exhibits, visitors can learn what goes into the breeding and training of a young foal and the path it takes to the Kentucky Derby's winner circle. Every Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
win is honored in the Warner L. Jones Time Machine, where visitors can watch any Kentucky Derby from 1918 to the present day. Exhibits highlight the stories of owners, trainers
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
and jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s as well as the importance of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
jockeys and trainers to the race and the Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
industry. Guided tours of Churchill Downs' barn and infield areas, jockeys' quarters, "millionaires row" and press box are also offered.
2010 Renovation
The Kentucky Derby Museum was devastated by flash flooding on August 4, 2009. and remained closed for recovery and cleanup. Every exhibit on the main floor of the Museum was affected in some way by water damage. Since the exhibits needed to be dismantled and many were destroyed, the Museum’s Board of Directors decided to embrace the opportunity for a renovation. The Museum re-opened on April 18, 2010, with two floors of new exhibits.Champions' trophies
The Kentucky Derby Museum has documented the whereabouts of most of the trophies given to Derby winners. As of 2007, it is still working to locate ten missing trophies, eight of which are from the 1924 design currently in use, and two are of a different design given out in 1922 and 1923. The missing trophies for the year and its winner are as follows:- 1922 : MorvichMorvichMorvich was an American Thoroughbred who was the first California-bred racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby.Bred by sugar magnate Adolph B. Spreckels at his Napa Stock Farm, Morvich was sired by James R. Keene's stallion, Runnymede, and was out of the mare, Hymir by Dr. Leggo. He was sold to...
- 1923 : ZevZev (horse)Zev was an American thoroughbred horse racing champion.-Background:A brown colt, Zev was sired by The Finn out of the mare Miss Kearney . Bred by the famous horseman John E. Madden, Zev was owned by the Rancocas Stable of Harry F...
- 1924 : Black GoldBlack Gold (horse)Black Gold was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924....
- 1929 : Clyde Van DusenClyde Van Dusen (horse)Clyde Van Dusen was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 1929 Kentucky Derby.Although he was a son of the noted Man o' War, Clyde Van Dusen had an unimpressive appearance, being described as "a mere pony of a horse with a weedy frame." Owner/breeder Herbert Gardner, an...
- 1936 : Bold VentureBold Venture (horse)Bold Venture , was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.He was sired by the multiple British stakes winner, St Germans, who, after his importation to stand at Greentree Stud in Lexington, Ky., became the leading sire of 1931 when his son Twenty Grand...
- 1947 : Jet PilotJet PilotJet Pilot was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Purchased for US$41,000 at the Keeneland Yearling Sale by cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden, he raced under her Maine Chance Farm colors. He was sired by the English champion and 1930 Epsom Derby winner, Blenheim II, and out of the mare Black Wave by...
- 1951 : Count TurfCount TurfCount Turf was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1951 Kentucky Derby. He is one of only two equine families where three generations have won the Kentucky Derby. His grandsire Reigh Count won the 1928 Derby and then his sire Count Fleet won it in 1943. Count Fleet...
- 1962 : DecidedlyDecidedlyDecidedly was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known for winning the 1962 Kentucky Derby.Ridden by Bill Hartack, Decidedly set a new Churchill Downs track record for 1¼ miles in winning the 1962 Derby. In the second leg and third legs of the U.S...
- 1986 : FerdinandFerdinand (horse)Ferdinand was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the 1987 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.He entered stud in 1989 and was later sold to a breeding farm in Japan in 1994....
- 2002 : War EmblemWar EmblemWar Emblem was the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2002. His Derby time was 2:01.13. Victor Espinoza was his jockey for the Derby, never having seen the horse until the morning of the race. War Emblem, who went off at 21-to-1 odds, gave trainer Bob Baffert his third Derby...
Champions' cemetery
The Museum has arranged for the reburial on its grounds of four past Derby winners whose original graves were threatened by land developmentLand development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
. The past champions now interred here are:
- Brokers TipBrokers TipBrokers Tip , by Black Toney out of the French mare Forteresse, was a Thoroughbred racehorse and the only horse in history whose sole win was in the Kentucky Derby...
(1938-1953) - Carry BackCarry BackCarry Back by Saggy out of Joppy, was an American Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse with a less than stellar pedigree but who nonetheless won many important graded stakes races including the 1961 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. His racing colors were blue, silver hoops and sleeves...
(1958-1983) - Sunny's HaloSunny's HaloSunny's Halo was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became only the second Canadian-bred to win the Kentucky Derby and who as of 2006 is the all-time leading sire by progeny earnings in the state of Texas....
(1980-2003) - SwapsSwaps (horse)Swaps was a California bred American thoroughbred racehorse. He was the son of Khaled, a stallion imported from the Aga Khan's stud in Europe. Swaps goes back to the immortal Man o' War, via his dam, Iron Reward, through the Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. In the list of the top 100 U.S...
(1952-1972)
The 2006 Derby winner Barbaro
Barbaro
Barbaro was an American thoroughbred who decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, ending his racing career and eventually leading to his death....
(2003-2007) is interred just outside an entrance to Churchill Downs, and also outside the Museum. Barbaro's owners chose to bury his remains in a location where his admirers would not have to pay an admission fee.