a famous race for three-year-old horses held each year on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. The field is limited to three-year-olds. The track distance is 1.25 mi (2,000 m)