This week marks the 151st Kentucky Derby race — the first of three horse races that make up the Triple Crown.On Saturday, 20 horses will line up at Churchill Downs in Louisville to run the 1.25-mile track in what the derby calls “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”Will there be any records broken this year? That will be known at the end of the day Saturday. For now, here are five data points about the history of the Kentucky Derby.Fastest winnersJust two horses out of 150 winners have completed the race in less than two minutes — Secretariat in 1973 and Monarchos in 2001. One horse, Northern Dancer, did complete the one-and-a-quarter-mile track in exactly two minutes. After Secretariat’s record time of one minute and 59.4 seconds, the horse went on to win the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and the Belmont Stakes in New York, completing the Triple Crown that only 13 horses have won.Post positionPost positions are the randomly drawn starting spots for the 20 horses competing in the Kentucky Derby. These spots start at 1 on the inside and go to 20 on the outside. If 20 horses are on the field, each post has a 5% chance of being the starting position for a winner, according to the Kentucky Derby.Post positions 5 and 20 have had the highest percentage of wins since 1930 — when the starting gate was first used — at 10.5%, according to the Kentucky Derby. Post 5 also has the highest number of winners at 10. Post 20 has had two winners, but only 19 horses have started there.Post 5 is also tied for the most runners-up, 8, and has been the starting spot for a horse in the top five from 2012 to 2019, according to the Kentucky Derby.The worst performing post position is 17, which out of its 45 horses starting there, has never been the starting spot for a Kentucky Derby winner. JockeysOnly two jockeys have won the Kentucky Derby five times: Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack. Just one jockey in the 11 with the most Kentucky Derby wins is still able to win another race. John Velazquez has three Kentucky Derby wins. If he won this year, he would be tied for the second-highest number of derby wins by a jockey.MarginsJust 23 horses have won by 4 or more lengths of a horse in Kentucky Derby history. Of these, the largest winning margin was 8 lengths won four times, according to the Kentucky Derby. These horses are Old Rosebud in 1914, Johnstown in 1939, Whirlaway in 1941, and Assault in 1946. The fifth largest winning margin was 6 and three-quarter lengths won by Mine That Bird in 2009 — which was also the last time a horse won by 4 or more lengths.Ten horses have won by the smallest margin — by a nose. Seven have won by a head, nine by a neck and 12 by a half-length.BirthplaceKentucky is the leading birthplace for derby winners. More than 77% of Kentucky Derby winners were born in the state, which is also responsible for the majority of North American foals.Almost 64% of foals born in 2023 in North America were in Kentucky, according to data from the Jockey Club.Also leading the list for where Kentucky Derby winners were born are Florida, Virginia and California. Florida and California were third and second highest for foals, respectively, while Virginia wasn’t on the top 10 list.There have also been four winners born internationally — two in Canada and two in England. Northern Dancer, the horse that holds the third fastest time at 2 minutes even, was one of the two winners born in Canada.
This week marks the 151st Kentucky Derby race — the first of three horse races that make up the Triple Crown.
On Saturday, 20 horses will line up at Churchill Downs in Louisville to run the 1.25-mile track in what the derby calls “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”
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Will there be any records broken this year? That will be known at the end of the day Saturday. For now, here are five data points about the history of the Kentucky Derby.
Fastest winners
Just two horses out of 150 winners have completed the race in less than two minutes — Secretariat in 1973 and Monarchos in 2001. One horse, Northern Dancer, did complete the one-and-a-quarter-mile track in exactly two minutes.
After Secretariat’s record time of one minute and 59.4 seconds, the horse went on to win the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and the Belmont Stakes in New York, completing the Triple Crown that only 13 horses have won.
Post position
Post positions are the randomly drawn starting spots for the 20 horses competing in the Kentucky Derby. These spots start at 1 on the inside and go to 20 on the outside. If 20 horses are on the field, each post has a 5% chance of being the starting position for a winner, according to the Kentucky Derby.
Post positions 5 and 20 have had the highest percentage of wins since 1930 — when the starting gate was first used — at 10.5%, according to the Kentucky Derby. Post 5 also has the highest number of winners at 10. Post 20 has had two winners, but only 19 horses have started there.
Post 5 is also tied for the most runners-up, 8, and has been the starting spot for a horse in the top five from 2012 to 2019, according to the Kentucky Derby.
The worst performing post position is 17, which out of its 45 horses starting there, has never been the starting spot for a Kentucky Derby winner.
Jockeys
Only two jockeys have won the Kentucky Derby five times: Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack.
Just one jockey in the 11 with the most Kentucky Derby wins is still able to win another race. John Velazquez has three Kentucky Derby wins. If he won this year, he would be tied for the second-highest number of derby wins by a jockey.
Margins
Just 23 horses have won by 4 or more lengths of a horse in Kentucky Derby history. Of these, the largest winning margin was 8 lengths won four times, according to the Kentucky Derby. These horses are Old Rosebud in 1914, Johnstown in 1939, Whirlaway in 1941, and Assault in 1946.
The fifth largest winning margin was 6 and three-quarter lengths won by Mine That Bird in 2009 — which was also the last time a horse won by 4 or more lengths.
Ten horses have won by the smallest margin — by a nose. Seven have won by a head, nine by a neck and 12 by a half-length.
Birthplace
Kentucky is the leading birthplace for derby winners. More than 77% of Kentucky Derby winners were born in the state, which is also responsible for the majority of North American foals.
Almost 64% of foals born in 2023 in North America were in Kentucky, according to data from the Jockey Club.
Also leading the list for where Kentucky Derby winners were born are Florida, Virginia and California. Florida and California were third and second highest for foals, respectively, while Virginia wasn’t on the top 10 list.
There have also been four winners born internationally — two in Canada and two in England. Northern Dancer, the horse that holds the third fastest time at 2 minutes even, was one of the two winners born in Canada.
