THE KENTUCKY DERBY TROPHY

In case you did not know it, the Kentucky Derby has annually presented a 14 karat gold trophy to the winning owner of the famous race since 1924! The trophy had been presented hit or miss in times before that year, but no one knows for certain if the owner of the very first Kentucky Derby winner, Aristides, in 1875 ever received it. But one thing is for sure - it was and is a very coveted trophy.

A certain fabulous jeweled embellishment in the shape of a diamond horseshoe was added for the Derby’s 75, 100, 125th anniversaries and only one change was made to the direction of the 18 karat horseshoe in 1999 to celebrate the 125th. The officials decided that the horseshoe had to be pointed up in keeping with the historical significance of lore and luck! Today, each trophy presented since 1999 has the sparkling horseshoe pointing upward.

The company that has designed and manufactured the trophies is located in Massachusetts and is called New England Sterling. The trophy, that is topped by an 18 karat molded horse and rider, also sports horseshoe shaped handles. The entire Kentucky Derby trophy weighs 56 ounces, is 22 inches tall and is mainly handcrafted with a jade base which is more coveted than Kentucky Derby bet. Unlike the trophy, you can win your Kentucky Derby bet without leaving the comfort of your home. If you want to bet on the Kentucky Derby you can do so by checking out www.Kentucky-Derby-Online-Betting.com for 2014 Kentucky Derby betting odds, picks, and predictions for the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby. The trophy of course, must be finished by April in time for the Derby each year in May. Craftsmen begin the task the year before. It is believed that the Churchill Downs trophy is the only solid gold trophy awarded to any winner of a major sporting event in the U.S.

A quick math calculation will tell you that at today’s price of an ounce of gold which is $1,333 dollars, a horse breeder or owner could certainly buy a great batch of foals. Who knows, one of them, if the choices are made with knowledge and skill, could bring in yet another one of those fabulous gold trophies with the horseshoe pointing up!