KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY HISTORY

"Inspired by the long-running Epsom Derby in England, Meriwether Lewis Clark was determined to create a similar event in the United States. With the help of his uncles, John and Henry Churchill, the racetrack opened on May 17, 1875, for the very first Kentucky Derby. Fifteen horses raced the one and a half miles for approximately 10,000 spectators. That first year, Aristides, ridden by nineteen-year-old jockey Oliver Lewis, won the trophy."

Kentucky Derby History, an excerpt from Lisa Kay's Party Plans: How to Plan a Derby Party. CONTINUE READING