2018 Kentucky Derby 2018 Kentucky Derby The 2018 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2018 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, with a purse of million. The Derby is held annually in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, at the end of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. It is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of , and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875. The race was
Arlington Classic Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago, Illinois. The event was inaugurated in 1929 as the Classic Stakes over a distance of miles on the dirt. At one time the Arlington Classic was one of the most important races in the United States, drawing the best 3-year-olds in the country. Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox attracted a crowd of 60,000 in 1930 and he continued his six race