Kentucky Derby Questions (And Answers): Can You Cross The Finish Line? | Kidadl

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Kentucky Derby Questions (And Answers): Can You Cross The Finish Line?

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The Kentucky Derby is an annual thoroughbred horse race that takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States.

The exciting event has been taking place for the past 146 years, since the year of its inception. In fact, it is the only sports event to run without fail through major events like World War I and World War II.

Now, how many fast facts do you know about the Kentucky Derby? Do you want to test your knowledge on information about the Kentucky Derby? Try out these Kentucky Derby facts trivia to learn some interesting and cool Kentucky Derby fun facts and have fun with the whole family. For more quizzes you can also check out American trivia and this baseball trivia quiz.

Easy Kentucky Derby Trivia

There are some basic and must know Kentucky Derby facts and trivia that any racing fan must know about the Kentucky Derby, such as: where is it held every year? When did it begin? What kind of horses can compete? How long is the race track? Find out answers to these questions and more in this fun trivia.

1. Question: Where is the Kentucky Derby held?

Answer: Louisville, Kentucky.

2. Question: In which horse race complex is the Kentucky Derby held?

Answer: Churchill Downs.

3. Question: In what year was the first Kentucky Derby first held?

Answer: 1875.

4. Question: What is the race type of the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Thoroughbred (Grade I stakes race).

5. Question: What is the Kentucky Derby dubbed as?

Answer: The Run for the Roses.

6. Question: What is the distance of the race track?

Answer: 1.25 miles.

7. Question: What is the duration of a Kentucky Derby race?

Answer: Two minutes.

8. Question: How old should a thoroughbred horse be to participate in the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Three years old.

9. Question: On which day of the year is the Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs?

Answer: The first Saturday in May.

10. Question: What is the Kentucky Derby's official flower?

Answer: A rose.

11. Question: When was the smallest race of the Kentucky Derby? How many horses competed in it?

Answer: 1892, and only three horses competed!

12. Question: When did the Kentucky Derby take place in 2020 instead of the traditional first Saturday of May (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)?

Answer: 5 September 2020

13. Question: How old is the Kentucky Derby as of May 2020?

Answer: 146 years old.

14. Question: Why is the Kentucky Derby called 'The Run for the Roses'?

Answer: Because the winner gets draped in a blanket or garland of roses.

Kentucky Derby Winners Trivia

Group of three young horses on the pasture

The whole point of any race is, of course, to crown a winner. In case you didn't know already, the winners of the Kentucky Derby are not people but the majestic thoroughbred three-year-old horses that run in the race. Of course, the jockey, who rides the thoroughbred horse, as well as the trainer of the thoroughbred also share in the win, but the star of the show is always the majestic horses that run in the Kentucky Derby. Try out this Kentucky Derby trivia game to test your trivia knowledge of the winners of the Derby.

15. Question: Who was the first winner of the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: A three-year-old chestnut thoroughbred named Aristides

16. Question: Who was the jockey of the first winner of the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Oliver Lewis, who was only 19 years old.

17. Question: How many roses are there in the rose garland presented to the winner of the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: The number of roses in the garland or blanket is approximately 554 roses.

18. Question: In what time did the thoroughbred Aristides win the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Two minutes and 37 seconds.

19. Question: What is the Kentucky Derby trophy made of?

Answer: 14-carat gold.

20. Question: Who is the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Bill Shoemaker at 54 years old.

21. Question: Which horse races other than the Kentucky Derby need to be won to become a 'Triple Crown' winner?

Answer: The Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

22. Question: What kind of horses can become a 'Triple Crown' winner?

Answer: Only three-year-old thoroughbred horses.

23. Question: What is the most popular drink at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby?

Answer: Mint Julep is the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby that is the most popular.

24. Question: The Kentucky Derby is held at the end of which two week long festival?

Answer: The Kentucky Derby is held at the end of the Kentucky Derby Festival.

The 2015 Kentucky Derby Trivia

The year 2015 was a special year for the Kentucky Derby as it was the year in which the Derby had the highest number of attendees. The race was broadcast by the American news network NBC (National Broadcasting Company). This was also the year in which betting shops set a record on the wagering amount: the total betting amount was a staggering 137.9 million United States dollars. How much trivia knowledge do you possess about the 2015 race? Who was the winner in 2015? Can you answer these 2015 Kentucky Derby trivia questions and answers? Here is a quick and fun trivia on the 2015 Kentucky Derby to test your knowledge.

25. Question: What was the track's condition for the 2015 Kentucky Derby?

Answer: The track's condition was fast in nature.

26. Question: What is the largest number of attendees for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs?

Answer: 170,513 people attended the Derby in 2015.

27. Question: Who was the winner of the 2015 Kentucky Derby?

Answer: The thoroughbred horse named American Pharoah won the 2015 Kentucky Derby.

28. Question: Who was American Pharoah's trainer?

Answer: Bob Baffert was American Pharoah's trainer.

29. Question: Can you fill the gap? The 2015 Kentucky Derby was the __ th run of the Derby.

Answer: It was the 141st run of the Derby.

30. Question: Who was the thoroughbred American Pharoah's jockey?

Answer: Victor Espinoza was American Pharoah's jockey.

Kentucky Derby 2018 Trivia Questions

The 2018 Kentucky Derby was held on Saturday (of course!) 5 May  2018. This time also, it was broadcast by the American news network NBC (National Broadcasting Company). The race was won by a horse that had never competed, at two years of age, which made it quite a special year for the Kentucky Derby. Here is a quick and fun trivia about the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Try to answer these trivia questions to see how much trivia you know about the Kentucky Derby facts.

31. Question: Who won the 2018 Kentucky Derby?

Answer: The thoroughbred horse named Justify won the 2018 derby.

32. Question: Who was the thoroughbred Justify's trainer?

Answer: Bob Baffert.

33. Question: Who was the thoroughbred Justify's jockey?

Answer: Mike Smith.

34. Question: How many horses competed in the 2018 Derby?

Answer: 20 horses competed in 2018.

35. Question: What was the prize money won by the winner of the 2018 race?

Answer: 1.432 million US dollars.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly trivia for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Kentucky Derby trivia for kids and adults, then why not look at our horse trivia or Super Bowl trivia for more?

Main image credit: Cheryl Ann Quigley / Shutterstock.com

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