1919 Kentucky Derby

45th Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby
Location	Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
Date	May 10, 1919
Winning horse	Sir Barton
Jockey	Johnny Loftus
Trainer	H.G. Bedwell
Owner	J.K.L. Ross
Conditions	Heavy
Surface	Dirt

The 1919 Kentucky Derby was the 45th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 10, 1919.[1][2] Winner Sir Barton went on to win in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, becoming the first winner of the American Triple Crown.[3]

Pre-race coverage

A New York Times writer believed that the Preakness Stakes was competing for attention with the Derby, as it was held four days following the Derby and offered a purse of $30,000, larger than the Derby's $20,000.[4] The author felt that the three-year old racing horses during the 1919 season were a "good crop" and that the course record of 2:03+2⁄5 set by Old Rosebud in 1914 could be broken.[4] Sennings Park, a horse who stayed through the winter at Churchill Downs, ran a mile at the track in 1:43 3/5, the best time of the season in late April.[5]

Result

Final placings (1–12)[6]

Finish	Post Position	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Final Odds[N 1]	Stake[N 2]
1	1	Sir Barton	Johnny Loftus	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross		$20,825
2	13	Billy Kelly	Earl Sande	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross		$2,500
3	8	Under Fire	Mack Garner	Patrick Dunne	Patrick Dunne		$1,000
4	7	Vulcanite	Cecil Howard	John Hogan	William F. Polson		$275
5	9	Sennings Park	Harry Lunsford	Oswald A. Bianchi	Oswald A. Bianchi		–
6	2	Be Frank	James Butwell	Walter B. Jennings	Cornelius M. Garrison		–
7	11	Sailor	J. McIntyre	Kimball Patterson	James W. McClelland		–
8	5	St. Bernard	Earl Pool	B. J. Brannon	B. J. Brannon		–
9	10	Regalo	Frank Murphy	John C. Gallaher	Gallaher Bros.		–
10	6	Eternal	Andy Schuttinger	Kimball Patterson	James W. McClelland		–
11	14	Frogtown	John Morys	Henry E. McDaniel	Willis Sharpe Kilmer		–
12	3	Vindex	Willie Knapp	James G. Rowe Sr.	Harry Payne Whitney		–

• Winning Breeder: John E. Madden & Vivian A. Gooch; (KY)
• Horses Corson and Clermont scratched before the race.[8]

Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule[9]

Post Position	Horse	Win	Place	Show
1	Sir Barton	$7.20	$6.70	$6.00
13	Billy Kelly	–	$6.70	$6.00
8	Under Fire	–	–	$10.80

Aftermath

For the first time in race history two horses from the same owner finished in first and second place.[10] In addition, Ross became the first Canadian owner to have a horse win the Kentucky Derby.[10]

References

Endnotes

1. The odds are all to $1; for example, Sir Barton's odds of winning were $ on a $1.00 wager.
2. The total purse for the race was $24,600.[7][6]

Citations

1. "Record May Fall In Kentucky Derby". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 4, 1919. p. 18. ProQuest 174480956 – via ProQuest .
2. Kentucky Derby History, 1919
3. Stephanie Diaz (June 27, 1994). "A Nearly Forgotten First". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
4. "Record May Fall In Kentucky Derby". The New York Times. May 4, 1919. p. 6. ProQuest 100535167 – via ProQuest .
5. "Kentucky Derby To Be Run On May 10". The Tuscaloosa News and Times–Gazette. May 1, 1919. p. 5. Retrieved October 27, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
6. O'Connor 1921, p. 137.
7. "Sir Barton Crosses Wire First in Rich Kentucky Derby". Nashville Tennessean and the Nashville American. May 11, 1919. p. 18. ProQuest 905601822 – via ProQuest .
8. 1919 Kentucky Derby Results Tables Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
9. "Kentucky Derby is Won By Sir Barton". The New York Times. May 11, 1919. p. 21. ProQuest 100522630 – via ProQuest .
10. O'Connor 1921, p. 134.

Bibliography

• O'Connor, John L. (1921). "Forty-Fifth Derby 1919". History of the Kentucky Derby, 1875-1921. New York: Rider Press. pp. 134–137.