Derby (horse race) four-year-old Thoroughbreds, and the Canadian Pacing Derby, an annual harness race for "aged pacers" (Standardbreds) four years old and up. In Scandinavian harness racing Derby is restricted to four-year-olds. Exception is the Finnhorse Derby, which is restricted to five-year-olds. 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
Ack Ack Handicap (Churchill Downs) Ack Ack Handicap (Churchill Downs) The Ack Ack Handicap is a Grade III race for Thoroughbred horses run annually during the first week of November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Open to horses aged three and up, it is contested at a distance of 8 furlongs (one mile) on the dirt. Since inception in 1991, the Ack Ack Handicap has been contested at three different distances: The race is named for the great Ack Ack, inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Horse of the Year in 1971, as well as