Kentucky Derby Trophy Arrives at Churchill Downs

The coveted Kentucky Derby 2016 trophy arrived at Churchill Downs this morning. New England Sterling, who has been making the trophy since 1975, carefully unpacked it with gloved hands for display and pictures.

Excluding the jade base it sits on, the solid gold trophy measures 22 inches tall and weighs 65 ounces.  It starts as a round, flat disc before being spun into its final shape. On top of the trophy sits a gold horse and rider who watches over the process of the spinning. When asked how much the trophy would cost, Susanne Blackinton-Juaire of New England Sterling could only answer “priceless.”

The trophy has been mostly the same over the years, but there have been a few small changes in detail. The most notable of these changes was for Kentucky Derby 125. The gold horseshoe that pointed downward was rotated 180 degrees so the luck would no longer fall out of it. Come Kentucky Derby 150, the horseshoe will have diamonds in it.

In addition to the owner’s gold trophy, three small silver replicas are made and given to the jockey, trainer, and breeder of the winning horse. The trophies are taken back for engraving following the presentation and again presented on Stephen Foster Night at Churchill Downs.

The Kentucky Derby trophy will make a few rounds in the local community for people to see before the Run for the Roses on May 7.

By Christine Oser