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Kentucky Derby Museum

Derby 137….Where are they now?

Posted: February 9th, 2012


Photo by Linda Doane

With one eye looking ahead to Derby 138, we are taking a glance back at the horses who made headlines during the Triple Crown races of 2011. Last year we saw a different horse win each of the Triple Crown races. Which is not unthinkable, but to have all three continue their racing careers into their four year old year is very unusual. And to have the trio all scheduled to make their 2012 debut within two weeks of each other, is really unique. So, where are the 2011 Triple Crown champions now?

The Kentucky Derby was won by Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom was the lesser regarded of a duo of horses being prepared for the Derby by trainer Graham Motion. Training at Churchill Downs, Animal Kingdom was just beginning to come into his own and starting to catch the attention of the rail birds with his morning workouts. Toby’s Corner, Motion’s other Derby contender, was taken out of training just a week prior to the race due to injury and Animal Kingdom went on to win the roses under jockey John Velazquez. His last race of the 2011 season was his race in the Belmont Stakes, where he finished 6th. After that race it was found that he had a small hairline fracture in his left hock which required surgery. After rehabilitation, he resumed training at Motion’s Herringswell Stable at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. He was shipped to Palm Meadows Training Center in Boyton Beach, Florida to prepare for his 2012 debut in January.
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Museum Guests Blog about their Fun Family Adventure!

Posted: January 12th, 2012

We love hearing from our guests about their experience here at the Museum! Check out this fun video posted by “The lady with the alligator purse”.

Visit her blog here
www.theladywiththealligatorpurse.com

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The Outriders Society Outing at Lane’s End

Posted: September 13th, 2011

One of the many outstanding perks of being a member of The Outriders Society, the volunteer arm of the Kentucky Derby Museum, is to attend our annual Thoroughbred Farm trip. Our goal is to see a Kentucky Derby contender. This experience is scheduled in the fall of the year to hopefully offset the hot and humid Kentucky weather but must be carefully planned not to interfere with the September Sales and the preparations of that major multi-day event when many farms will have their future decided: Will our foals sell? Will we buy a future Kentucky Derby Winner?

On Thursday, August 18th Lane’s End welcomed our group of 28 who qualified for an invitation to this outing by donating at least 40 hours of service to KDM this year. At this particular farm Kentucky Derby contenders are certainly in no short supply. Standing stud for them is Lemon Drop Kid and Steven got Even who both ran in 1999 and Curlin who ran in 2007. We also got to see other greats such as A.P. Indy, Quality Road and Mind Shift. It was an afternoon filled with education and awe. Even though we did not get to see Ms. Zen we did have a marvelous time.

This outstanding tour began with lunch at Darlin’ Jeans in Midway – if you haven’t experienced this step back in time I highly suggest you plan a visit. The food is good but the service was excellent. This quaint eatery is located at the end of an antique and gift shop lined street. I know this is cliché but truly A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

Want more information on volunteering for the Kentucky Derby Museum??? Click on the GET INVOLVED link or call me, Julie Henry @ 502.637.1111x 336.

Julie Henry
Volunteer Coordinator, Kentucky Derby Museum

(Note: Zenyatta is currently in foal to Bernardini at Lane’s End farm.)

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Lending a Helping Hand

Posted: September 12th, 2011

Having the opportunity to be in a position to truly help someone is a rare occasion. Here at the Derby Museum we spend every day helping our guests to share in the Kentucky Derby experience. Many of our staff get the chance to interact with the public and feel the reward of helping others while the rest of us work behind the scenes to provide a great experience.

As a group we decided that we wanted to work together to do something to make an impact in our community. While there are many wonderful volunteer organizations in Louisville, we chose to participate in Habitat for Humanity. This organization works with families in need to provide affordable housing in the Louisville area. The houses come together with the support of generous donors and volunteers who work alongside the families receiving the home. Each family that receives a home is required to work 400 hours on their house or another. (for more information about the Louisville chapter of Habitat for Humanity click here)

We arrived ready to be put to the test. Since we weren’t told what job we were going to be assigned to, we came prepared and it was an odd experience to see my coworkers out of uniform and dressed to get dirty. I looked around the room at boards with many names of contributors & our Habitat coordinator had wonderful stories to share about each. The experience is so rewarding that some groups get together each year to donate time or money to Habitat for Humanity. We were told the house we were going to be working on was the second house donated by a very generous family. We all smiled & sighed relief when she said we were going to work on an almost finished job site and our duty was landscaping. We pictured ourselves sitting in the soft earth with a tiny hand shovel, planting flowers for the new homeowners.

We left the headquarters and made our way to the new home construction. As we approached we could see large piles of rock, dirt and construction debris and we all realized our visions of planting geraniums were incorrect. The house was to be dedicated to the family in a ceremony that afternoon which meant everything had to go and the site needed some TLC.

Happily we got to work moving wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of cement & earth to the dumpster. Our team of 7 women were shoveling and sweating in the sun to get this job done and we were determined to finish on time. When the large lot was level, we proceeded to the landscaping part of our duties. We finally got our plants in the ground and spread new grass seed on the lot. When we were finished, the house looked beautiful and we all stood back to admire the home. It was the best looking house in the neighborhood and we knew our sweat was going to be appreciated when the new owners saw how great it looked.

We may have been exhausted when we returned to their headquarters but we were so grateful to be able to share this experience. Our team will always remember how it felt to step back and look at the finished house and realize how the family will feel when they first lay eyes on their new home.

Amanda Brown
Design Manager, Kentucky Derby Museum

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An intern’s experience on the Behind The Scenes Tour of Churchill Downs

Posted: June 13th, 2011

Thick, muggy air filled what looked like a retro college recreation room. I felt like I stepped back in time, but in reality I stood within the Jockey’s Quarters at Churchill Downs. Ken, my “Behind the Scenes” tour guide, explained that jockeys are very superstitious and don’t like change. That statement is evident in the frayed felt pool tables in the left corner, the square grey cafeteria style tables that sit next to a sepia buffet tablecloth lined with vintage silver food platters and large worn-in camel leather couches. Not many people get to see where the jockeys hang out before races; but I was on the Behind the Scenes tour of Churchill Downs and ready to visit exclusive areas of the track. In addition to the jockey’s recreation room, I visited their locker room, bedrooms, massage/ injury room, weigh in/out room and my personal favorite the silks room.

After visiting the Jockey’s Quarters, the atmosphere changed from retro to ravishing. My tour continued to Gate 17, where all the celebrities entered for Derby and Oaks. Up a double set of escalators to the second floor of Churchill Downs I visited the Champions Lounge, a swanky yet masculine room that allows off track betting as well as race day betting. It is rumored that Michael Jordan frequents the lounge in addition to other notable stars. I then ascended to floors five and six where the rich and famous come to enjoy Oaks and Derby—Millionaires Row. Expansive buffet tables donned the elegant rooms with doors leading onto the top of the grandstand overlooking the finish line. Elegance weaved throughout the rooms out to the terrace, which overlooks the paddock and the track.

Millionaires Row might be the place to be on Oaks and Derby, but the best view of the track is from the announcer’s box. The announcer’s box resides on the sixth floor next to Millionaire’s Row, is almost completely enclosed in glass and was the last stop on the tour. As I stepped into the box I discovered it was suspended right over the grandstand parallel to the track. When I looked out from the box I felt a combination of awe and fear. Seeing the track from that vantage point was amazing, but I did not have the guts to walk all the way to the edge of the box. Announcers must not be afraid of heights!

My “Behind the Scenes” tour, provided by the Kentucky Derby Museum, was splendid. I visited areas of Churchill Downs that are not normally frequented by the public and learned ample facts about the horseracing industry. For example: did you know on race days jockeys sometimes sit in the sauna until they reach their desired weight (between 108-110 lbs)? Visit the Kentucky Derby Museum to take the “Behind the Scenes” tour and learn fun facts about jockeys and the traditions of Churchill Downs.

By Gwendolyn Carnighan
Kentucky Derby Museum Intern

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Photos from Kentucky Derby 137

Posted: May 17th, 2011
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An intern’s experience with the Bill Shoemaker Collection

Posted: April 14th, 2011

Hello everyone! I’m Caroline, the intern to The Derby Museum’s curator, Chris Goodlett. My internship has been an excellent experience for me and is preparing me well for grad school next year (I’m heading to Scotland for museum and gallery studies!) Working with Chris, I have had the opportunity to accompany him on visits for acquiring some very interesting objects for the museum. We’ve been to a toy collector’s house to obtain a Derby board game from the 1950s, and we’ve made a trip to Lexington for Secretariat items donated to the museum by a lady who works in the racing industry. I was made aware that the stories behind the pieces we have in our archives are as important and interesting as the pieces themselves while talking to the lady about how she had obtained the pieces and about her experiences with Penny Chenery and Eddie Sweat.

Throughout my internship, I’ve been working on cataloging the Bill Shoemaker Collection donated to us by his daughter. I can’t believe how extensive the collection is! It ranges from the items you would expect to see (trophies and his racing memorabilia) to the most mundane of items (duffel bags, home videos, and even Shoemaker’s underwear.) I have cataloged these items for the past few months. After working with candid photos of Shoemaker with his family, looking at his photos, posters and advertisements, seeing the trophies he won and awards he received for his charitable contributions, I feel like I have really come to know Willie Shoemaker.

Each piece individually is quite impressive, but looking at the collection as a whole, I’ve learned so much about “The Shoe” and what an impact his career had on the racing industry. Each artifact has a story to tell, and after working with hundreds of items, all the bits and pieces of his personal life and career that I have seen have come together to create a tapestry of William Shoemaker’s life. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with his collection and to have played a minor role in the temporary Shoemaker exhibit that is about to go up. I look forward to being able to share the collection with you all so you can come to know Shoemaker as I have, and I hope to see you at the museum!

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The Sounds of the Backside at Churchill Downs: Kentucky Derby Museum’s Barn & Backside Tour

Posted: March 23rd, 2011

The sound of horses running, birds chirping, people talking and horse shoes pattering on the pavement are just a few indicators that Churchill Downs is “waking up” in the pre-dawn hours. When most people are asleep, exercise riders and trainers workout their thoroughbreds in order to prepare for upcoming races.

I am relatively new to the horseracing industry and have recently begun an internship with the Kentucky Derby Museum. I had been to Churchill Downs several times before I began this internship; however, I never realized how much there is to see.

I recently went on the Kentucky Derby Museum’s Barn & Backside Tour. It is an hour long tour which takes guests by van to the backside. I had the opportunity to see a handful of horses workout on the track. It was a great experience to see the horses up close and personal and to interact with the exercise riders as they rode by.

As we gear up to Derby (only 45 days from the time I write this), I hear even more horses will arrive here at Churchill Downs. Did you know they can house more than 1400 horses here in the barn area? Come share the excitement with us!

~Paige Wills, Kentucky Derby Museum Intern

 

Here are some of my pictures from the tour…

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Kentucky Derby Quick Facts

Posted: March 20th, 2011

The Kentucky Derby

The last Kentucky Derby winner to sire a Kentucky Derby winner was Unbridled, whose son Grindstone won the 1996 Kentucky Derby

In 1985, Spend A Buck ran the fastest mile in Derby history, clocking in at 01:34 seconds.

Fusaichi Pegasus, who was purchased for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi at the Keenland Yearling Sales, was the most expensive horse to win the Kentucky Derby.

Out of the 136 Kentucky Derby winners, 103 of them were bred in Kentucky.

Three maidens have won the Kentucky Derby: Buchanan (1884), Sir Barton (1919) the first triple crown winner and Brokers Tip (1933).

Jockeys

The only jockey to ride a Kentucky Derby winner and train a Kentucky Derby winner was John Longden, who rode the great Triple Crown winner Count Fleet in 1943 and trained Majestic Prince in 1969.

The first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby was Diane Crump in 1970. Her mount, Fathom placed 15th in the 96th Kentucky Derby. Diane was also the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race at Hialeah Park in 1969.

The two jockeys who have tied with the most Kentucky Derby wins are Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack. Both jockeys have won a total of five Kentucky Derbys!

Trainers

James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons with Ben Jones are the only trainers to train two Triple Crown winners. Fitzsimmons trained Gallant Fox in 1930 and his son Omaha 1935. Jones trained Whirlaway 1941 and Citation in 1948.

With six winners, trainer Ben Jones holds the record for the highest number of Kentucky Derby winners.

The youngest trainer to win the Derby was James Rowe Sr., who was 24 when he won the Derby with Hindoo in 1881.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has celebrated four Kentucky Derby victories during his career: Winning colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996) and Charismatic (1999). Mr. Lukas is listed in the Museum’s Hall of Champions.

Owners

Calumet Farm has made it to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle a record of eight times.

Paul Mellon is the only owner to have owned winners of all three classics: the Kentucky Derby, Sea Hero (1993); Epsom Derby and Arc De Triomphe, Miller Reef (1971).

The oldest winning owner was Mrs. Francis Genter, who at the age of 92, won the 1990 Kentucky Derby with Unbridled.

Bob McNair, the owner of the Houstan Texans, has owned five horses that have run in the Kentucky Derby.

African Americans

There were 15 starters in the first Kentucky Derby. Thirteen of those jockeys were African-Americans.

Out of the first 28 Kentucky Derbys, African-American jockeys won 15.

Isaac Murphy, known as “The Greatest of All African-American Riders”, claimed to have won 628 of the 1,412 races in which he rode.

The first Kentucky Derby was won by Oliver Lewis who rode Aristides.

Isaac Murphy, one of the greatest jockeys of all time, won three Kentucky Derbys during a sixteen year span.

 

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Kindergarten Countdown Recap

Posted: July 19th, 2010

On Saturday, July 17th the Museum hosted Kindergarten Countdown, part of a city-wide event for students who are about to enter Kindergarten. The events are open to any student, whether they will be attending a public or private school. The Museum offered free admission to the students and a parent to enjoy our brand new exhibits.

 

The morning began with a tour of Churchill Downs to see the horses training on the track.  We offered two educational programs, snacks, a viewing of The Greatest Race, and exhibit time for students. We shared the fun of the Derby, while also getting the students excited about starting the new school year.

 

-Liz Williams

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