1889 Kentucky Derby

The 1889 Kentucky Derby was the 15th running of the Kentucky Derby, won by Spokane. The race took place on May 9, 1889.[1] The winning time of 2:34.50 set a new Derby record for a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km), and remains the Derby record for the distance (which has not been run since 1894.) [2] This was the first Derby where $2 win wagers were available.[3]

15th Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
LocationChurchill Downs
DateMay 9, 1889
Distance1+1⁄2 miles (12 furlongs)
Winning horseSpokane
Winning time2:34.50
JockeyThomas Kiley
TrainerJohn Rodegap
OwnerNoah Armstrong
ConditionsThree-Year-olds
SurfaceDirt

The Derby in 1889 was an exciting one for fans as thousands packed into Churchill Downs (then called the Louisville Jockey Club) to see the field of eight take on the reigning Two-Year-Old Champion Proctor Knott. It was the largest crowd the track had seen since the Ten Broeck–Mollie McCarty match race in 1878, with an estimated 16,000 in attendance.

Ridden by Tennessee native Tom Kiley and sent off at 6-1 odds, Spokane got on the rail and closed in the stretch to the cheers of the crowd, running down the Proctor Knott to win by a nose in the final strides. In a time before photo finish, it was left to the judges who awarded the win to Spokane after deliberation.

He set a new Kentucky Derby record for 1½ miles at 2:34.50, nearly beating the record set by Luke Blackburn in 1880.

Spokane is the only Montana-bred horse to win the Derby, and his win came the same year Montana became a state, when it joined the Union on November 8, 1889.

Full results
Finished Post Horse Jockey Trainer Owner Time / behind
1st 5 Spokane Thomas Kiley John Rodegap Noah Armstrong 2:34.50
2nd 9 Proctor Knott Shelby Barnes Samuel W. Bryant George Scoogan/Samuel W. Bryant Nose
3rd 8 Once Again Isaac Murphy Milton Young 2
4th 10 Hindoocraft Armstrong Scoggan Bros. 1
5th 3 Cassius Fred Taral Beverwyck Stable 1
6th 11 Sportsman Isaac E. Lewis J. K. Megibben & Co. 1⁄2
7th 4 Outbound Hollis Fleetwood Stable
8th 13 Bootmaker Warwick Wilson & Young

Payout
Post Horse Win Place Show
Spokane $ 34.80 6.30
Proctor Knott 2.90
  • The winner received a purse of $4,880.
  • Second place received $300.
  • Third place received $150.[2]

References
  1. Kentucky Derby History, 1889
  2. "1889 Kentucky Derby Results Tables" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
  3. Mooney, Bill (30 April 2014). "Spokane, the Kentucky Derby winner of 1889, a part of Montana folklore". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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