Derby (horse race) Derby (horse race) A derby ( , ) 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, 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
Wise Dan Stakes Wise Dan Stakes The Wise Dan Stakes, formerly known as the Firecracker Handicap, is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually on the turf course at Churchill Downs. The Grade II event is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one sixteenth of a mile and currently offers a purse of $200,000. The race was first run in 1983 on the dirt at 7 furlongs, only to be discontinued in 1986. In 1993, the race was revived, now on turf at 1 mile. It became a Grade III event in 1996, and a Grade II