Ever since my sister moved to Louisville, Kentucky decades ago, the Kentucky Derby has assumed a little more prominence in the Brady family. My parents traveled down there in the 1980s to spend Derby time with her, and she still enjoys the weeks-long hoopla surrounding the race.
In recent years, she has shared her excitement with her siblings by encouraging my brothers and me to pick a horse. Back in 2024, I picked Mystik Dan – and he was the winner, just ahead of Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, I didn't bet anything.
Anyway, the Kentucky Derby is timeless – and what better way to show that than by looking back ninety years ago see what coverage the Lorain Journal had for the 1936 edition of the race. Coverage started several weeks early. What's really interesting is that the second article below points out that at that time, only one filly had ever won the Derby. (As of right now, there have only been three in the race's entire history.)
April 11, 1936
April 20, 1936
April 22, 1936
April 23, 1936
April 23, 1936
April 27, 1936
May 2, 1936
Bold Venture, a 20-1 long shot, was the winning horse that year, beating the favorite, Brevity.
May 4, 1936
And here's some British coverage of the race, courtesy of British Gaumont Newsreel. It's pretty funny at the end.
The 2026 Kentucky Derby is tomorrow – so be sure to pick a horse and tune in!
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Sorry, but every time I watch the Derby or any horse race, I always think of the great "Fugue for Tinhorns" from Guys and Dolls. These three guys are great, especially Stubby Kaye. And did you know this tune was the inspiration for the Rice Krispies Song?
