All Derby Week tours are fully non-refundable.
Explore availability during Kentucky Derby week and find the best experience for you.
COMING SOON!
While Churchill is home to the Kentucky Derby, Horse Country is home to Kentucky Derby winners!
Please note that tour availability is limited, there is no guarantee of availability for any of the connections listed below. We do our best in Horse Country to let fans meet their favorites, however no guarantees can be made for any horse on any particular tour. Availability depends on the health and daily activities of each horse.
To stay up-to-date on the 2024 Kentucky Derby and Oaks Trail, visit https://www.kentuckyderby.com/.
Get inspired for your visit with
Denali Stud | Gainsborough Farm
Lane’s End Farm | Mill Ridge Farm
Runnymede Farm | Spendthrift Farm
Taylor Made Farm | WinStar Farm
The first Kentucky Derby was held in 1875 at Churchill Downs. Famed African American jockey, Oliver Lewis, rode Aristides to victory in the first ever Kentucky Derby in from of a crowd of 10,000 spectators. Since 1875, the race has never been cancelled, only postponed twice. In 1945 due to World War II, the race was delayed by a month and was run on June 9th. Second in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Authentic went on to win the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby in September 2020.
While many things have changed since 1875, the Kentucky Derby is arguably still the greatest tradition in the Bluegrass State. Today, the Kentucky Derby is held at a distance of a mile and a quarter, and the winning horse and connections receive a blanket of roses. The race typically draws over 150,000 guests to Churchill Downs.
Three-year-old Thoroughbreds are eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby, colts and fillies. Only one-sixth of one percent (0.17%) of three-year-old Thoroughbreds will make it into the starting gate of the Kentucky Oaks or Derby. It takes immense skill, talent and a little bit of luck to win the America’s greatest race.
There have only been three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby in the history of the race, Winning Colors (1988), Genuine Risk (1980), and Regret (1915).
While Louisville and Churchill Downs are the home to the Kentucky Derby, Lexington and Horse Country are the home to Kentucky Derby winners!
After their successful racing careers, many Kentucky Derby winners retire to stud at one of the world-renown stallion stations in the Bluegrass. Most Kentucky Oaks winners retire to their second careers are broodmares in the Bluegrass too!
Currently, Horse Country members are home to 8 Kentucky Derby winners: Mage (2023), Authentic (2020), Country House (2019), Justify (2018), Always Dreaming (2017), Nyquist (2016), American Pharoah (2015), and Street Sense (2007).
While many successful racehorses, including Kentucky Derby winners, retire to a second career as stallions or broodmares, there are many Thoroughbreds who find different types of new careers.
The Thoroughbred is incredibly versatile and many retired racehorses will go on to second athletic careers in equestrian sport. Retired Thoroughbreds compete in a variety of equine disciplines, from hunter jumpers to eventers to trail horses, backyard ponies, and more.
In Horse Country, there are many accredited aftercare facilities who retrain and rehome retired racehorses. You can tour these non-profit farms with your ticket purchase helping fund their important work!
Plan your week in the Bluegrass for the Kentucky Derby.
Here’s a few more resources to help you make the most of your time in Horse Country.
