<Tr> <Th> Purse </Th> <Td> US $2 million 1st: $1,425,000 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Bonuses </Th> <Td> US $200 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Kentucky Derby / ˈdɜːrbi /, is a horse race that is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two - week - long Kentucky Derby Festival . The race is a Grade I stakes race for three - year - old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs . Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms). </P> <P> The race is often called "The Run for the Roses" for the blanket of roses draped over the winner . It is also known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports" in reference to its approximate duration . It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, then the Belmont Stakes . Unlike the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, which took hiatuses in 1891--1893 and 1911--1912, respectively, the Kentucky Derby has been run every consecutive year since 1875, even during both World Wars . A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown . In the 2015 listing of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the Kentucky Derby tied with the Whitney Handicap as the top Grade 1 race in the United States outside the Breeders' Cup races . </P>

What age horse runs in the kentucky derby