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On 17th May 1875, an estimated ten-thousand people gathered at the track to watch the first Kentucky Derby. Jockey Oliver Lewis rode the colt, Aristides, to victory in the 1.5 mile race. This was the same distance as the Epsom Derby and Grand Prix de Paris; however, the Kentucky Derby was run over its current distance of 1.25 miles from 1896.
Like the races that inspired it, the Kentucky Derby became a regular fixture on the social calendar, and from 1952 it also became an annual television event. On 3rd May that year, CBS broadcast the race coverage of their Louisville affiliate television station, WHAS, to the nation. The winner was Hill Gail, ridden by Eddie Arcaro and trained by Ben A. Jones.
For more details of this race see the official website page about the 78th Kentucky Derby.