LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 1875 is the year that started it all when a race was set into motion that would forever change and define the commonwealth
With more than 20,000 items in its collection, the Kentucky Derby Museum is the steward of Churchill Downs' iconic history.
The archives at the Kentucky Derby Museum preserve thousands of artifacts connected to the race. Jessica Whitehead is part of the team maintaining that collection, including the ledger from the very first race a century-and-a-half ago.
"Oliver Lewis was the was the winner of the very first Kentucky Derby on a horse named Aristides," Whitehead said.
As time passed, the race evolved, but fashion was always front and center. Whitehead said the Derby has always been a fashionable affair, but the large ornate hats many have come to associate with the race didn’t enter the scene until the second half of the 20th century.
“The Derby became one of the only places in American cultural life (where) you (could) wear a big outrageous hat," Whitehead said.
Then, in 1913, Derby fans witnessed the birth of an underdog as jockey Roscoe Goose won the the race with Donerail at an astonishing 91-to-1 odds.
“Donerail’s victory as the longest shot still in Kentucky Derby history made a huge impact on the way people thought about Churchill Downs, particularly because they thought maybe they might come here and make a small fortune," Whitehead said.
Whitehead says a standardized trophy was created in 1924 as the race was nearing 50 years. The museum holds the oldest known existing trophy from the following year.
“It was designed by a man name George Graff," Whitehead said. "The Kentucky Derby trophy is one of the only solid gold trophies given of this size in the United States.”
It’s items like this Whitehead said shapes an ever-growing legend.
“(They) are not only important to so many individuals because of the stories that they tell to us … but also the importance of this race to building the commonwealth," she said.
The Kentucky Derby proves the passage of time can be a marriage of both tradition and change. The race survived events such as the Great Depression, but it's still evolved, said Chris Goodlett, the museum's senior director of curatorial and educational affairs.
By the 1960s, the Kentucky Derby was solidified as a world-renowned cultural event, just as Churchill Downs was building up, Goodlett said.
“It’s always made a major impact on the lives of Louivillians," Goodlett said.
As the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby nears, Churchill Downs recently completed a $200 million redesign of the iconic paddock. But even with change, there's still a line linking 1875 with 2024.
“I think it’s (a) really special opportunity to be able to care take these beautiful artifacts," Whitehead said.