Whats the difference between a derby and a stakes race?

What’s the difference between the Kentucky Derby and the Oaks?

The main distinguisher between the two races is what horses can qualify to compete. Both trots are for three-year-old steeds, but it ends up coming down to gender. The Oaks is a gender-specific race, allowing only 3-year-old female horses, or fillies, to qualify and compete. The Derby, however, is open to eligible colts, geldings or fillies.

What is the Kentucky Oaks ®?

The Kentucky Oaks ® is a race doused in history, but very few in the general public know what it is, or at least know the difference between it and the Derby. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

When was the Kentucky Oaks horse race started?

Kentucky Oaks. The race was established on May 19th, 1875, by the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, and is modeled after the British Epsom Oaks. View the fillies in the Longines Kentucky Oaks .

What is the relationship between the Kentucky Derby and the Oaks?

The relationship between the Kentucky Derby and the race that happens the day before — the Kentucky Oaks — is something like that. Both are so-called “classic” races for three-year-olds, but the Oaks is effectively the Derby’s sister race. That is, it is a gender restricted race and only fillies are allowed to enter.

Is the Kentucky Derby for 3 year olds?

As mentioned above, the Kentucky Derby is only for 3-year-olds and limited to 20 starters. The race itself is a 1 ¼-mile race on a dirt main track that is a test of both speed and stamina. The oldest continuously held major sporting event in the U.S., the race also is commonly referred to as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”

Why are stakes races so hard?

While the difference in grades can be significant, stakes races are among the hardest for most people to handicap. The reason is that all horses in a stakes race are excellent horses and if a non-favorite horse is having a good day, they can blow away the track.

What is the difference between a Stakes and a racehorse?

These races are restricted to horses that have started for a maximum claiming price. Stakes races are where the top racehorses compete. They carry the most prestige and have the biggest purses, although the purses can vary a great deal between smaller tracks and major ones.

What are the drawbacks of the Kentucky Derby?

General admission tickets are the most affordable option at the Kentucky Derby but they also come with some drawbacks. The section is standing room only and has no cover from the hot southern sun.

Can non-male horses compete in the Kentucky Derby?

While non-male horses are able to compete in the Kentucky Derby race, it’s an oddity in the sport. For reference, colts and geldings normally carry 126 pounds, while fillies typically carry 121 pounds. The two races are also run at different lengths.

What is the difference between the Kentucky Oaks and the Derby?

The Kentucky Oaks is 1 1/8 miles long, while the Derby is extended a furlong at 1 1/4 miles. Although there is no official reason given for the differing distances, it’s generally held that the Oaks is a shorter race due to the fillies being less capable to go the extra furlong.

What is the origin of the Kentucky Derby?

The race was established on May 19th, 1875, by the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, and is modeled after the British Epsom Oaks.

Can a non-male horse compete in the Kentucky Derby?

While non-male horses are able to compete in the Kentucky Derby race, it’s an oddity in the sport. For reference, colts and geldings normally carry 126 pounds, while fillies typically carry 121 pounds.

What is the history of the Kentucky Oaks?

The Kentucky Oaks was modeled after the British Epsom Oaks, which has been run annually at Epsom Downs, Epsom, in Surrey since 1779. In the first race, the horse Vinaigrette won the then 1

Who founded the Kentucky Derby horse race?

The race was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. along with the Kentucky Derby, the Clark Handicap, and the Falls City Handicap. The Oaks and the Derby are the oldest continuously contested sporting events in American history.

What is the Kentucky Oaks Trophy?

A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner. The first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19, 1875, when Churchill Downs was known as the Louisville Jockey Club.

How did the Louisville Jockey Club get started?

With the help of his uncle’s John & Henry Churchill, who gifted Clark the necessary land to develop a racetrack, and by formally organizing a group of local race fans to be named the Louisville Jockey Club, Clark and his new club raised funds to build a permanent racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

What is the history of Kentucky Derby?

Aristides, the winner of the first Kentucky Derby, held in 1875; equestrian statue by Carl William Regutti at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.© Kevin R. Morris/Corbis. In the course of the Derby’s long history, many cultural and social conflicts have played out on the grounds of Churchill Downs.

What age do Kentucky Derby hopefuls grow up?

Still babyish as two-year-olds, the Derby hopefuls begin to grow up as three-year-olds — a process often compared to junior high kids morphing into high school athletes.

Are all horse races created equal?

Not all horses are created equal and not all races are equal. Horse racing operates just like several other sports – you have the minor leagues and the big leagues. A horse may run at many levels over the course of its lifetime and during that lifetime it may move up and down many times.

How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby 2016?

This will be the 142nd Derby, and 20 horses made the cut to compete in the race at the historic Churchill Downs track. Are there any female horses in the Kentucky Derby? The horses in the top 20 list are all colts — young male horses. No “fillies,” or young female horses, will be competing in 2016.

Was there ever a black jockey in the Kentucky Derby?

The winning horse, Aristides, finished with a time of 2:37.75 and was ridden by Oliver Lewis, an African-American jockey. Thirteen of the fifteen jockeys in the inaugural Derby were black, and black riders played a dominant role in the race’s early years.

What is the Longines Kentucky Oaks?

Like the Kentucky Derby, the Longines Kentucky Oaks race is one of the longest continually held sporting events in American history, and one of the only horse races to take place at the original site of its inception.

When was the Kentucky Derby in 1916?

The 1916 Kentucky Derby was the 42nd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 13, 1916.

When did they start draping roses on Kentucky Derby winners?

However, it was not until 1896 that any recorded account referred to roses being draped on the Derby winner. The Governor of Kentucky awards the garland and the Kentucky Derby Trophy. Pop vocalist Dan Fogelberg composed the song “Run for the Roses” which was released in time for the 1980 running of the race.

How much does the Kentucky Oaks horse race pay?

The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $750,000 of the $1,250,000 purse, and a large garland blanket of lilies, resulting in the nickname “Lillies for the Fillies.” A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner.

What is the silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy?

A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner. The first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19, 1875, when Churchill Downs was known as the Louisville Jockey Club. The race was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. along with the Kentucky Derby, the Clark Handicap, and the Falls City Handicap.

What is the Kentucky Oaks?

The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $600,000 of the $1M purse and a large garland of lilies, affectionately called the “Lillies for the Fillies.”.