The California Derby is a race for Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 horses held early in the year at Golden Gate Fields

Golden Gate Fields

Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area...

. An ungraded

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

 stakes, it's open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The Derby offers a purse of $100,000.

Northern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's first major test for horses hoping to run for the Triple Crown

United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing

In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...

, the California Derby is also the main local prep race for the $200,000 El Camino Real Derby

El Camino Real Derby

The El Camino Real Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eight miles on Tapeta. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $150,000.Northern California's premier...

 also run at Golden Gate.

The California Derby has been run since 1873. At that time it was set at twelve furlongs or a mile and a half and was won by Camilla Urso. Mollie McCarty

Mollie McCarty

Mollie McCarty, , foaled in 1873, was an outstanding California-based Thoroughbred racehorse who won her first 13 race starts and was second on the two occasions when she was defeated.-Breeding:...

 won the 1876 edition and in 1909, African-American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 James Lee won the race aboard High Private. Joe Madden, who ran second in the California Derby, won the 1909 Belmont Stakes.

Winners of the California Derby since 1991

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Positive Response	Julien Couton	William E. Morey	Saul Gevertz, William E. Morey, Roger Newman, and Ray Pagano	1:44.56
2010	Ranger Heartley	Julio Garcia	John W. Sadler John W. Sadler John W. Sadler is an American horse trainer in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing.Sadler got his first win in 1979 at Golden Gate Fields racetrack in the San Francisco Bay Area...	David Alpert/Herb Alpert Herb Alpert Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...	1:45.40
2009	Chocolate Candy	Russell Baze Russell Baze Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....	Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers....	Craig Family Trust Jenny Craig Jenny Craig is an American weight loss guru and founder of Jenny Craig, Inc. Craig was raised in New Orleans and married Sidney Harvey Craig in 1979. In 1983, she and her husband created a nutrition, fitness, and weight loss program in Australia...	1:43.98
2008	Yankee Bravo	Alex Solis Alex Solis Alex O. Solis is a jockey based in the United States. He currently lives in Glendora, California and rides predominantly in Southern California...	Patrick Gallagher	Harlequin Ranches et al.	1:44.57
2007	Bwana Bull	David Lopez	Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers....	Mark De Domenico et al.	1:44.70
2006	Cause to Believe Cause to Believe Cause to Believe is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a contender for the U.S. Triple Crown in 2006....	Russell Baze Russell Baze Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....	Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers....	P. Redekop/Peter Abruzzo	1:41.07
2005	NO RACE
2004	Trieste's Honor	Russell Baze Russell Baze Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....	Mike Puype	Cobra Farm	1:47.95
2003	Mr. Technique	Roberto Gonzalez	Jeff Bonde	James Vreeland	1:47.65
2002	Tracemark	Jason Lumpkins	Craig Dollase	Edward T. McGrath	1:47.93
2001	Takin It Deep	Jose Arriaga	Gil Matos	M. A. Douzas	1:49.25
2000	Bet On Red	Ron Warren, Jr.	Brent Sumja	James Egide/Barry Thiriot	1:48.00
1999	Red Sky's	Russell Baze Russell Baze Russell Avery Baze is a horse racing jockey. He holds the record for the most race wins in North American horse racing history, and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame....	Jeff Bonde	M/M Barton D. Heller	1:47.16
1998	Prime Meridian	Rafael Meza Rafael Meza Rafael Q. Meza is a retired jockey who competed in Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States.A native of Tijuana, Mexico, Meza began riding in California near the end of the 1970s. and would spend his career riding from a base in that State...	Brent Surnja	Kenwood Racing, Rancho San Miguel, et al.	1:48.64
1997	I'm a Jewel	Agapito Delgadillo	William Delia	William Delia & Elaine Garrison	1:52.55
1996	Pike Place Dancer	Corey Nakatani Corey Nakatani Corey S. Nakatani is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.Nakatani currently resides at Belmont Park...	Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers....	Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers....  & Todaro	1.50.33
1995	Fine n' Majestic	Eddie Delahoussaye Eddie Delahoussaye Edward J. Delahoussaye is a retired American Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana.He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 wins...	Bill Shoemaker	Bienstock, Papiano, Winner et al.	1:42.49
1994	Screaming Don	Adalberto Lopez	Lanny Sharp	Heim, Said & Sharp	1:48.31
1993	Denmars Dream	Alex Solis	Ian Jory	Terry Dennis Deering	1:49.96
1992	Treekster	Gary Boulanger Gary Boulanger Gary Dale Boulanger is a former jockey who competed in Canada and the United States and who is currently a trainer in Florida. He began his career in 1987 at Tampa Bay Downs then went to the Pacific Northwest where he was the leading jockey for three straight years from 1989 through 1991 at...	Vladimir Cerin	Mary Ann Racing Stable, et al.	1:48.19
1991	Green Alligator	Corey Nakatani Corey Nakatani Corey S. Nakatani is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.Nakatani currently resides at Belmont Park...	Murray Johnson	Anderson Fowler	1:47.90