Why Is the Kentucky Derby Called the 'Run for the Roses'? It Took 42 Years to Stick

The Kentucky Derby's rose tradition feels like it must have arrived with the very first race in 1875. It didn't — the 'Run for the Roses' identity actually built up gradually over the better part of five decades, through a New York socialite's party, a jockey's bouquet, a sportswriter's catchy phrase, and finally a formally designed garland.

1883: Roses at a Party, Not a Race

The very first documented connection between the Kentucky Derby and roses has nothing to do with the racetrack at all — in 1883, roses were presented to women attending a Derby party hosted by New York socialite Evander Berry Wall, a purely social gesture with no formal tie to the race itself.

1884-1896: The Tradition Moves to the Winner's Circle

The following year, 1884, Churchill Downs founder Meriwether Clark began the practice of giving the Derby's winning jockey a bouquet of roses — the first time roses were tied specifically to the race's outcome rather than a surrounding social event. It took over a decade more for the tradition to reach the horse itself: the first published account of roses draped directly on a Derby winner came in 1896, when Ben Brush received a collar of white and pink roses.

1904: The Red Rose Becomes Official

In 1904, the red rose was formally designated the Kentucky Derby's official flower — the specific color choice that's remained unchanged in the century-plus since, and the detail that turned a loose collection of rose-related customs into something closer to an actual institution.

1925: A Sportswriter Names It

The phrase 'Run for the Roses' itself is credited to New York sports columnist Bill Corum, who coined it in 1925 — 42 years after roses first appeared at that original 1883 party, and 50 years after the Derby's actual first running in 1875. It's Corum's phrase, more than any single flower-related custom before it, that cemented roses as the race's defining shorthand in public consciousness.

1932: The Garland Gets Its Final Form

The Garland of Roses now draped over the winning horse each year in its familiar form was first designed in 1932, by Louisville florist Grace Walker, and presented to that year's winner, Burgoo King. Nearly 50 years after the first stray roses appeared at a Derby-adjacent party in 1883, the tradition finally arrived at the specific, designed ritual still performed today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Kentucky Derby always have a rose tradition?

No — the first race in 1875 had no rose connection at all; the tradition built up gradually starting in 1883, with the modern Garland of Roses not taking its current form until 1932.

Who coined the phrase 'Run for the Roses'?

New York sports columnist Bill Corum, in 1925.

When did the red rose become the Kentucky Derby's official flower?

1904 — the specific color choice that has remained unchanged ever since.