1877 Kentucky Derby
| Grade I stakes race | |
Baden-Baden, the 1877 winner. | |
| Location | Churchill Downs |
|---|---|
| Date | May 22, 1877 |
| Winning horse | Baden-Baden |
| Jockey | William Walker |
| Trainer | Edward D. Brown |
| Owner | Daniel Swigert |
| Surface | Dirt |
The 1877 Kentucky Derby was the 3rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 22, 1877.[1] The 1877 Derby was the first to attract a major celebrity spectator, Polish actress Helena Modjeska.[2] Mint juleps, sometimes associated with the Derby, were first served at this race to Modjeska.[3] Baden-Baden, the horse that won, went on to win the Travers Stakes, one of only ten horses to do this.[4] William Walker, his jockey, was one of the Black jockeys who dominated the sport in the South after the Civil war. He went on to become a respected expert and advisor on Thoroughbred and attended every Derby for the rest of his life.[5]
Full results
| Finished | Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time / behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Baden-Baden | William Walker | Edward D. Brown | Daniel Swigert | 2:38 0/0 | |
| 2nd | Leonard | Robert Swim | Hal Pettit McGrath | |||
| 3rd | King William | Bailey | Smallwood & Co. | |||
| 4th | Vera Cruz | Isaac Burns Murphy | James T. Williams | |||
| 5th | McWhirter | H. Moore | Abraham Perry | Gen. Abe Buford | ||
| 6th | Odd Fellow | D. Williams | J. J. Merrill | |||
| 7th | Malvern | S. Jones | George H. Rice | |||
| 8th | Early Light | W. James | Frank B. Harper | |||
| 9th | Dan K. | McGrath | Johnson & Mills | |||
| 10th | Lisbon | Douglass | Daniel Swigert | |||
| 11th | Headlight | Shelton | L. B. Field |
Payout
The winner received a purse of $3,300. The second-place finisher received $200.[6]
References
- ^ Kentucky Derby History, 1877
- ^ "Kentucky Derby Red Carpet". Archived from the original on 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
- ^ "The History of Racing and the Mint Julep". ReserveBar. Archived from the original on 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ^ "Mixed Results: How Kentucky Derby Winners Have Fared In The Travers Stakes". Saratoga Living. 2019-03-26. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ^ Libecap, Emily. "William Walker" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 17, 2025.
- ^ "1877 Kentucky Derby Results Tables" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2010-07-10.