The First Kentucky Derby
There could not have been a more auspicious day to hold a horse race. The sun rose pleasantly warm over northern Kentucky in a sky bereft of clouds, and though the birds were doubtless singing, their tunes could not have been heard over the spirited chatter preceding the first running of the Kentucky Derby.
May 17, 1875, was a Monday. Most businesses in Louisville had locked their doors by noon in observance of the event. Wise merchants knew the only money […]