The Nashville Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three years olds, over a distance of one and five-sixteenths miles on the turf held annually in late August or early September at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, Kentucky during their short turf meeting.

With a purse of $3,000,000 million for its 2026 running—including $1,250,000 million for Kentucky-bred runners—the Nashville Derby is the richest race to be run at Kentucky Downs, as well as the second richest turf race in the United States behind the Breeders' Cup Turf. The total purse makes the Nashville Derby the richest race in the United States outside of the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders' Cup.

History

The original name of the event, the Dueling Grounds Derby, reflected the former name of Kentucky Downs. The track formerly known as Dueling Grounds Race Course is located very close to the Kentucky-Tennessee border, where numerous duels were held in the 1800s. With the introduction of Instant Racing in 2011, the influx of revenue enabled the administration of the track to add new events.

The inaugural running of the race was on September 6, 2014, the opening day of the five-day meeting at Kentucky Downs. A field of eight entrants lined up and the event was won by the James Lawrence II trained My Afleet who started at 8/1 defeating the favorite Medal Count who earlier in the year finish third in the Belmont Stakes by a nose in a time of 2:14.10. Later, My Afleet continued his career as a steeplechaser winning an event as a ten-year-old in 2021 at Willowdale in Pennsylvania and setting a new track record for the three-mile timber course.

With the influx of gaming revenue at Kentucky Downs the purse for the event has risen dramatically to nearly $750,000 offered by 2020.

From 2016 until 2019 the event was sponsored by the Lexington, Kentucky-based Exacta Systems. Big Ass Fans, also based in Lexington, sponsored the event in 2021 and 2022.

In 2022 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III and was to be held on September 4, but was moved to the next day, Labor Day.

In April 2024 Kentucky Downs announced that the Dueling Grounds Derby would be renamed as the Nashville Derby. Kentucky Downs co-manager Ron Winchell said that the name change reflected the track's close proximity to Nashville, Tennessee. The positioning of the Nashville Derby at the end of August, Winchell added, was designed to attract American and European horses, as well as fit between major three-year-old turf stakes run in Kentucky and New York.

In December 2025 it was announced by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association that the race would be upgraded to Grade II for 2026.

Records Speed record: miles: 2:06.76 – Moon Over Miami (2020), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (2025)

Margins: length – Oscar Nominated (2016)

Most wins by an owner: No owner has won the event more than once

Most wins by a jockey:

2 – Frankie Dettori (2024, 2025)

Most wins by a trainer: 2 – Todd A. Pletcher (2018, 2019) 2 – William I. Mott (2015, 2020)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefNashville Derby2026Caroline St. BeatTyler GaffalioneMiguel ClementMadaket Stables & Steven Bouchey miles2:08.49$1,832,500II2025Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB)Frankie DettoriJames Owen The Gredley Family miles2:06.76$2,780,000III2024 Bellum Justum (IRE) Frankie Dettori Andrew M. Balding King Power Racing miles 2:07.28 $2,337,160 IIIDueling Grounds Derby2023 Anglophile Declan Cannon Brian A. Lynch LFG Racing miles 2:08.93$998,000 III2022 Kitodan Gerardo Corrales Eric N. Foster Foster Family Racing, Douglas E. Miller & William J. Wargel miles 2:15.41$750,000 III2021 Accredit Martin Garcia Pavel Matejka Bob Grayson Jr. & Pavel Matejka miles 2:10.94 $732,375 Listed2020 Javier Castellano William I. Mott Summer Wind Equine miles 2:06.76 $707,625 Listed2019Social Paranoia Jose L. Ortiz Todd A. Pletcher The Elkstone Group miles 2:08.50$600,000 Listed 2018 Channel Cat Luis Saez Todd A. Pletcher Calumet Farm miles 2:15.51$398,000 Listed 2017 Big Bend Drayden Van Dyke Thomas Proctor Union Rags Racing miles 2:11.57$350,000 Listed 2016 Oscar Nominated Florent Geroux Michael J. Maker Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey miles 2:11.45$346,710 2015 Closing Bell Jose Lezcano William I. Mott WinStar Farm miles 2:17.60$299,300 2014 My Afleet Jeffrey S. Amling & Merriefield Farm miles 2:14.10$230,417

Legend:

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References