Even if you never watch football, you still watch the Super Bowl.  Even if you never watch golf, you still watch The Masters.  And, even if you never watch horse racing, you still watch the Kentucky Derby.  Don’t you?

Yes, it’s the first Saturday in May which means it’s time for the “Run For the Roses” at Churchill Downs, Kentucky.  Why is it called the “Run For the Roses?”  That answer and other interesting facts about the Derby follow.

1. The race’s founder, Meriwether Lewis Clark, the grandson of famous explorer William Clark, was first inspired to start the Kentucky Derby after a visit to Europe, where he attended the Earl of Derby’s Epsom Derby in England.  The first race was in 1875.

2.  That makes the “most exciting two minutes in sports” race this Saturday the 145th run for instant stardom.  It has never been cancelled.  World Wars One and Two, The Great Depression, nor weather has ever intervened.
3.  “Plain Ben” Jones holds the record for most wins as a trainer with six.  Bob Baffert, with five wins, has three horses going Saturday as he attempts to tie Jones.
4. The race entrants are limited in a few ways.  You can only run in the race once as only three-year olds can enter.  The field is limited to the highest 20 qualifiers (and two alternates in case of scratches) since 1975 when a too crowded 23 thoroughbreds entered the starting gate.
5.  Each owner shells out $50,600 to enter.  Derby entrants must be nominated to the Triple Crown, which costs $600 if done by the early deadline in late January, plus $25,000 to enter the Derby and finally $25,000 to start.
6. The purse this year jumps by a fat $1 million dollars to $3 million.  The winner takes home $1.86 million.
7. Only the winner of the Kentucky Derby can win the coveted Triple Crown (also winning the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes).  The first Triple Crown winner  was the 1919 champion Sir Barton.  Amazingly he hadn’t won a race before arriving at the Derby.
8. Fillies can enter.  Three have won in the history of the race.  Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988 put their nose on the wire first.
9. No horse has ever broken from the 17th starting gate and won.  Of course not every race has had 17 or more entrants either.  If you think the starting gate has great relevance, consider Improbable on Saturday at 6-1 odds.  Improbable improbably gets the fifth gate.  Gate 5 has seen the most (10) winners break from there.
10.  The Derby is  called the “Run For the Roses” because the winner is draped in a blanket of approximately 400 sewn in red roses.  The blanket weighs about 40 pounds.  The race’s founder, M. Lewis Clark decided on the rose tradition after seeing them being handed out at a post race party over 125 years ago.

Post time is 5:50 PM Central Time.  Then, they’re off!