The Kentucky Derby is a horse race
that has been run every year since 1875 at Churchill Downs
in Louisville, Kentucky. The race started as a 1.5-mile race,
but in 1896, it was shortened to 1.25 miles because experts
felt that 3-year-old horses shouldn’t run such a long race that
early in the season. (It has been run in May every year but
one—1901—when it took place on April 29.)