The Commonwealth of Kentucky is known for many things, according to David Contarino. Visitors come for the caves and Corvettes. Others imagine bluegrass and bourbon. But more often than any of these, Kentucky is celebrated for horse racing – specifically the Kentucky Derby.
Long time Kentucky resident David Contarino explains that horse racing is a long-held tradition that originally made its way to the United States back in 1875. Three years prior, Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. had the honor of attending the Epsom Derby in England and was captivated. He returned to the US with what David Contarino describes as “unbridled enthusiasm.” Clark partnered with his uncles Henry and John Churchill, who later donated the land needed to form the racetrack that would become known as Churchill Downs. According to David Contarino, the racetrack became the home base for the Louisville Jockey Club.
In May 1875, the Louisville Jockey Club hosted the inaugural Kentucky Derby, which featured about a dozen thoroughbreds. David Contarino says the first Kentucky Derby drew more than 10,000 spectators and was won by Aristides.