The 1875 Kentucky Derby was the 1st running of the Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...

. The race took place on May 17, 1875. The first Kentucky Derby was a 1.5 mile race, and the traditional distance of 1.25 miles was not established until the 1896 Derby. Thirteen of the fifteen jockeys in the race, including winner Oliver Lewis

Oliver Lewis

Oliver Lewis was an African-American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. In 1875, Lewis rode in the very first Kentucky Derby on the winning horse, Aristides...

, were African-American. Attendance was estimated at 10,000.

Full results

Finished	Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time / behind
1st		Aristides	Oliver Lewis Oliver Lewis Oliver Lewis was an African-American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. In 1875, Lewis rode in the very first Kentucky Derby on the winning horse, Aristides...	Ansel Williamson Ansel Williamson Ansel Williamson was an African American thoroughbred horse racing trainerAnsel Williamson was born a slave in Virginia sometime around the middle part of the 19th century. In 1864 he was purchased by Robert A. Alexander, owner of the famous Woodburn Stud near Midway, Kentucky. Taught the breeding...	H.P. McGrath	2:37.75
2nd		Volcano	H. Williams		George H. Rice
3rd		Verdigris	W. Chambers		C.A. Lewis
4th		Bob Woolley	William Walker William Walker (jockey) William "Billy" Walker was an African American jockey.Born a slave in near Versailles, Kentucky, Billy Walker was the leading rider at Churchill Downs in the fall racing season of 1875-76 and the spring campaigns of 1876 through 1878...		Robinson, Morgan & Co.
5th		Ten Broeck Ten Broeck Ten Broeck was an American U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse whose 1878 match race win in Louisville against the great California mare, Mollie McCarty was immortalized in the Kentucky folk song commonly called Molly and Tenbrooks.Bred by John Harper at his farm near Midway,...	M. Kelso		F.B. Harper
6th		Grenoble	J. Carter		Allen Bashford
7th		Bill Bruce	M. Jones		S.J. Salyer
8th		Chesapeake	W. Henry		H.P. McGrath
9th		Searcher	R. Colston		J.B. Rodes
10th		Ascension	W. Lakeland		William Cottrill
11th		Enlister	Halloway		Stringfield and Clay
12th		McCreery	D. Jones		Gen. Abe Buford Abraham Buford II Brigadier General Abraham "Abe" Buford II was a soldier and Thoroughbred horse breeder. Born in Woodford County, Kentucky, his origins were a Huguenot family named Beaufort who fled persecution in France and settled in England before emigrating to America in 1635.Abraham Buford was the son of...
13th		Warsaw	Masterson		Stringfield and Clay
14th		Vagabond	J. Houston		A.B. Lewis & Co.
15th		Gold Mine	Stradford		J.A. Grinstead