What is the Garland of Roses at Kentucky Derby? When did it begin?
The Kentucky Derby, known as "The Run for the Roses," features a blanket of over 400 red roses draped over the winning horse.
You've likely heard the The Kentucky Derby referred to as "The Run for the Roses. " But what does that actually mean? The name comes from the tradition of draping Kentucky Derby winner with the Garland of Roses in the Winner's Circle at Churchill Downs .
Here's the history behind "The Run for the Roses" nickname and everything you need to know about the Garland of Roses before the 2026 Kentucky Derby, held this year on Saturday, May 2, at Churchill Downs , in Louisville, Ky. Why are roses associated with the Kentucky Derby? According to the Kentucky Derby media guide, the first connection came in 1883 when roses were presented to women attending a Derby party given by New York socialite Evander Berry Wall.
“The roses created such a sensation with the ladies that track president Col. M. Lewis Clark decided to feature the rose as the official flower for the 1884 Kentucky Derby," The Courier Journal previously reported .
More Kentucky Derby news: 20 years of pink bliss: How the Oaks Lily became a Churchill Downs classic The first published account of roses draped on the winning horse came in 1896 when Ben Brush was given a collar of white and pink roses. What does 'The Run for the Roses' mean? New York sports columnist Bill Corum coined the phrase “Run for the Roses” in 1925, but the Kentucky Derby’s connection with the flower traces decades before.