Kentucky Derby 2019: Return of the ‘most exciting two minutes in sports’
The Kentucky Derby, first run in 1875, is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and a sporting and cultural icon in the US. It is for three-year-old thoroughbreds and is run over a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs.
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More than 150,000 racegoers packed out Churchill Downs in Louisville for last year's Kentucky Derby, one of the best-loved events in the racing calendar.
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The Kentucky Derby is one of the most anticipated annual sporting events in America.
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Justify, trained by five-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, won last year's rain-soaked event on his way to winning the prestigious Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
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The horse didn't run as a two-year-old, meaning it bucked a 136-year trend with a win in last year's race.
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The event is also dubbed the "Run for the Roses" because of the garland of 554 roses draped over the winner.
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The horses are randomly assigned a post position before the race. There are multiple theories to which position is best.
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The event is a chance to dress up, with all manner of hats and elegant dresses on show.
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The men also jump at the chance to put on their glad rags.
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Famous faces regularly flock to Churchill Downs for the Derby. Here, NFL stars Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski soak up the atmosphere in 2015. A horse named after New England Patriot's tight end Gronkowski was due to run in this year's race, but had to pull out with a fever.
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American actor Jeff Bridges (left) was in attendance in 2017.
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The hats are spectacular and rival the best Royal Ascot has to offer.
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In 2015, jockey Victor Espinoza rode American Pharoah to victory -- his first win on the way to completing the Triple Crown.
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It also meant Espinoza secured back-to-back victories after winning the 140th edition on California Chrome.
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Punters prepare to place their bets at the wagering windows in 2014.
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Trainer Bob Baffert saddled Justify to his fifth Kentucky Derby triumph in 2018. One more victory for Baffert would equal the record of Ben A Jones, set between 1938 and 1952.