American Derby
The American Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds. It is run on turf over 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs, about 1.7 km) on a left-handed track, with a purse of $100,000.
The race began in 1884 at Washington Park Race Track in Chicago and stayed there until 1905, when gambling was banned in Illinois and the track closed. The Derby was not held in several years in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and from 1905 to 1925 there was no race except in 1916, when Hawthorne Race Course hosted it.
In 1926 the Derby was revived and moved between tracks. It was run at Washington Park (Homewood) in 1926-1927, Arlington Park in 1928, then Washington Park again from 1929 to 1957. Arlington Park hosted it from 1958 until its 2021 closure. The race moved to Churchill Downs in 2022, to Ellis Park in 2023, and back to Churchill Downs in 2024.
Since 1992 the American Derby has been run on turf. It had turf in earlier periods as well (1955-1957 and 1970-1976). The distance has changed over the years.
Notable records include Hall of Fame jockey George Woolf, who won three straight times (1942-1944). There were dead heats in 1984 and 1994, and in 1996 the winner Trail City was disqualified and placed second.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:03 (CET).