Kentucky Derby trivia and fun facts. The Kentucky Derby is known as the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, and also known as the Run for the Roses. The 140th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2014.
http://www.chicagonow.com/between-us-parents/2014/05/kentucky-derby-trivia-and-fun-facts/
The Kentucky Derby was first run at 11⁄2 miles (2.4 kilometres), the same distance as the Epsom Derby. The distance was changed in 1896 to its current 11⁄4 miles (2.0 kilometres). On May 17, 1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Derby
In 1904 the Kentucky Derby made the red rose its official flower. Since 1987, Kroger has carried the torch and tradition of one of the world's most prestigious flower arrangements. 7,000 roses, shipped from farms in Ecuador and Columbia, made the journey to Louisville in 2016.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2016/05/07/making-garland-roses-derby-winner/84044700/
Kentucky Derby trivia and fun facts. By , May 1, 2014 at 3:20 pm. The Kentucky Derby is known as the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports, and also known as the Run for the Roses. The 140th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Test your knowledge or just learn some fun facts to impress your friends and family at your Kentucky Derby party.
http://www.chicagonow.com/between-us-parents/2014/05/kentucky-derby-trivia-and-fun-facts/
The Kentucky Derby /ˈdɜːrbi/ is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Derby
The rose garland, now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, is the source of the nickname Run for the Roses® and has a history almost as long as the Derby itself. 1896 - The rose garland first appeared when the winner, Ben Brush, received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses. 1904 - The red rose became the official flower of the Kentucky Derby. 1925 - New York sports columnist Bill Corum famously dubbed the Kentucky Derby the Run for the Roses®.. 1932 - The garland as it exists today was first introduced for the 58th running, won by Burgoo King.
https://www.kentuckyderby.com/history/traditions/garland-of-roses
Garland of Roses. The Kentucky Derby is called the “Run for the Roses” because of the garland of 554 red roses draped over the winner. The roses were first established as part of the Derby celebration when they were presented to all the ladies attending a fashionable Louisville Derby party.
http://www.kentucky-derby.net/history/garland-of-roses/
The roses were such a sensation, that the president of Churchill Downs, Col. Lewis Clark, adopted the rose as the race’s official flower. The rose garland now synonymous with the Kentucky Derby first appeared in the 1896 when the winner, Ben Brush, received a floral arrangement of white and pink roses.
http://www.kentucky-derby.net/history/garland-of-roses/
The 2017 Kentucky Derby will be the 143rd running, and is set for Saturday, May 6, 2017 with a $2 million guaranteed purse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Derby
The finished crown of the Garland of Roses for the 142nd Kentucky Derby sat atop the blanket in a backroom just off from the track Saturday. The crown is the reason that the 462 red roses used on the garland is always subject to change. The crown has as many roses as there are Thoroughbreds in the Derby.
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2016/05/07/making-garland-roses-derby-winner/84044700/
how many roses are awarded at the derby
There are 554 roses awarded at the Derby. At the derby, 554 roses are awarded.