Derby (horse race)
The start of the 2009 Hong Kong Derby .
A derby ( DAR -bee , DUR -bee ) is a type of horse race named after the Derby Stakes run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. That was in turn named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby , who inaugurated the race in 1780. Perhaps the best-known example after the original is the Kentucky Derby in the United States .
Traditionally, the term "derby" is used strictly to refer to races restricted to three-year-olds,[citation needed ] as the English and U.S. Triple Crown races all are. The most notable exceptions to this rule are the Hong Kong Derby and Singapore Derby , restricted to four-year-old Thoroughbreds, and the Canadian Pacing Derby, an annual harness race for "aged pacers" (Standardbreds ) four years old and up.[citation needed ]
In Scandinavian harness racing Derby is restricted to four-year-olds. Exception is the Finnhorse Derby , which is restricted to five-year-olds.
Name
Place
Distance
Restrictions
First race
Day
Notes
American Derby
Arlington Park , Arlington Heights, Illinois , USA [t 1]
1+ 3 ⁄16 miles (1900 m)[t 2]
1884[5]
Australian Derby (also known as AJC Derby)
Randwick Racecourse , Sydney
2400 metres (1.5 miles)
3 yr olds
1861
Late March or early April
Bangalore Derby[6]
Bangalore Turf Club
2,000 metres
4 yr olds & up
Mid July
Epsom Derby (also known as The Derby , Derby Stakes and the English Derby )
Epsom Downs Racecourse , England
1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards (2423 metres)
3 yr olds colts and fillies
1780
1st Saturday in June[t 3]
French Derby (more often known as Prix du Jockey Club )
Chantilly Racecourse
2100 metres (1.30 miles; 10.44 furlongs)
3 yr olds colts and fillies
1836
Early June
German Derby (Deutsches Derby )
Horner Rennbahn , Hamburg
2,400 metres (1.5 miles)
3 yr olds colts and fillies
1869
Early July
Hong Kong Derby
Sha Tin Racecourse
2,000 metres
4 yr olds
1873
mid March
Hungarian Derby (Magyar Derby )
Kincsem Park , Budapest
2,400 metres
3 yr olds
1921
Early July
Italian Derby (Derby Italiano )
Capannelle Racecourse
2200
1884
Indian Derby
Mahalaxmi Racecourse , Mumbai , Maharashtra , India
2,400 metres
4 yr olds
1943
1st Sunday in Feb.
Irish Derby
The Curragh , County Kildare , Ireland
1+ 1 ⁄2 miles (2.4 km)
3 yr olds
1866
Last Sunday in June[t 4]
Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs , Louisville, Kentucky , USA
1+ 1 ⁄4 miles (2 km)
3 yr olds
1875
1st Saturday in May
New Zealand Derby
Ellerslie Racecourse , Auckland
2400 metres (1.5 miles; 12 furlongs)
3yr olds
1860
1st Saturday in March
Queensland Derby
Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane
2400 metres (1.5 miles; 12 furlongs)
3yr olds
1868
June
Singapore Derby
Kranji Racecourse
1,800 metres
4 yr olds
1880
Mid July
Final one to be run in 2024
Swedish Trotting Derby (Svenskt Travderby )
Jägersro Racetrack, Malmö
2640 metres (1.64 mi; 13.12 furlongs)
4yr olds
1928
1st Sunday in September
Tokyo Yushun Japanese Derby
Tokyo Racecourse
2,400 metres
3 yr olds colts and fillies
1932
late May or Early June
Currently the richest Derby.
Victoria Derby
Flemington Racecourse
2,500 metres
3 yr olds
1855
WATC Derby
Ascot Racecourse, Perth
2,400 metres
3yr olds
1888
New Years Day or nearby Saturday
Notes:
^ Location has varied
^ Distance has varied
^ Before 1995, 1st Wednesday in June
^ Current race date. Dates have varied over time, but have always been in late June or early July.
Other
Notes
References
Ashok, Kalyan (11 July 2010), "Derby getting bigger and better" , The Hindu
Freeman, Morton S. (1997), A new dictionary of eponyms (Illustrated ed.), Oxford University Press US, ISBN 0-19-509354-2
Reeves, Richard Stone (1997), Crown jewels of thoroughbred racing: original paintings (Illustrated ed.), Eclipse Press, ISBN 0-939049-90-2
Schreifer, Kirk; Sivell, John (1996), America From Apple Pie To Ziegfeld Follies Book One: People , vol. 1 (Illustrated ed.), Full Blast Productions, ISBN 1-895451-17-5
Vesey, Barbara (2003), The Hidden Places of East Anglia: Including Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire (7 ed.), Travel Publishing, ISBN 1-902007-91-3