derby ( /ˈdɑːbɪ/ DAH-bee or /ˈdɜrbɪ/ DUR-bee) is a type of horse race, named after the Derby Stakes, still run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. That was in turn named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race in 1780. The best-known example in the United States is the Kentucky Derby.
Traditionally, the term "derby" is used strictly to refer to races restricted to three-year-olds, as the English and U.S. Triple Crown races all are. The most notable exceptions to this rule are the Hong Kong Derby and Singapore Derby, restricted to four-year-old Thoroughbreds, and the Canadian Pacing Derby, an annual harness race for "aged pacers" (Standardbreds) four years old and up.
In Scandinavian harness racing Derby is restricted to four-year-olds. Exception is the Finnhorse Derby, which is restricted to five-year-olds.
| Name | Place | Distance | Restrictions | First race |
Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Derby | Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA | 1 3/16 miles | 1884 | |||
| Australian Derby (also known as AJC Derby) | Randwick Racecourse, Sydney | 2,400 metres | 3 yr olds | 1861 | Late March or early April | |
| Bangalore Derby | 2,400 metres | 4 yr olds & up | ||||
| Epsom Derby (also known as The Derby, Derby Stakes and the English Derby) | Epsom Downs Racecourse, England | 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards | 3 yr olds colts and fillies | 1780 | 1st Saturday in June | |
| French Derby (more often known as Prix du Jockey Club) | Chantilly Racecourse | 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) | 3 yr olds colts and fillies | 1836 | Early June | |
| German Derby | Horner Rennbahn, Hamburg | 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles) | 3 yr olds colts and fillies | 1869 | Early July | |
| Hong Kong Derby | Sha Tin Racecourse | 2,000 metres | 4 yr olds | 1873 | mid March | |
| Italian Derby (Derby Italiano) | Capannelle Racecourse | 2200 | 1884 | |||
| Indian Derby | Kolkata Racecourse, Kolkata | metres | ||||
| Irish Derby | The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland | 1½ miles | 3 yr olds | 1866 | Last Sunday in June | |
| Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, USA | 1¼ miles | 3 yr olds | 1875 | 1st Saturday in May | |
| New Zealand Derby | Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland | 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) | 3yr olds | 1860 | 1st Saturday in March | The richest Derby in the Southern Hemisphere |
| Queensland Derby | ||||||
| Singapore Derby | Kranji Racecourse | 2,000 metres | 4 yr olds | 1880 | Mid July | |
| Swedish Trotting Derby (Svenskt Travderby) | Jägersro Racetrack, Malmö | 2,640 metres (1,64 miles) | 4yr olds | 1928 | 1st Sunday in September | |
| Tokyo Yushun Japanese Derby |
Tokyo Racecourse | 2,400 metres | 3 yr olds colts and fillies | 1932 | late May or Early June | The richest Derby in current date |
| Victoria Derby | Flemington Racecourse | 2,500 metres | 3 yr olds | |||
| WATC Derby | ||||||
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