Epsom Derby Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, officially the Investec Derby, popularly known as the Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 6 yards (2,420 metres), on the first Saturday of June each year. It is Britain's richest horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics. It is sometimes referred to as the "Blue Riband" of the turf. The race serves as the middle leg of the Triple Crown, preceded by the
English Channel (horse) two. English Channel began 2006 in the same place that he began 2005 – Gulfstream Park. Going off as the 9-5 favorite in the Canadian Turf Handicap, he ran in second through much of the race, taking the lead in the stretch and holding off Miesque's Approval to win by three-quarters of a length. After a two-month layoff, English Channel shipped to Churchill Downs to again try to win a Grade I stakes. In the Turf Classic Stakes, he stalked the pace in third and took the lead in the stretch, holding off the challenge of Cacique to record his