In Pictures: The Kentucky Derby

Nearly $165 million was gambled on the race last year [EPA]

The Kentucky Derby is a race for three year olds over one and a quarter miles, held annually on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in Louisville [EPA]

The race was first run in 1875 and this year(***)s edition will be the 138th. The Derby is the first leg of US racing(***)s Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes [EPA]

The prize money for this year(***)s race is nearly $2.2 million. The winning connections get just over $1.4 million, a 14-carat gold trophy and a garland of 564 red roses sewn into a satin blanket [EPA]

Only 11 horses have won all three legs of the Triple Crown: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978) [EPA]

The most successful trainer is Ben Jones, with six winners between 1938 and 1952 and the most successful jockeys are Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack with five wins each [EPA]

Despite a rookie jockey and a price tag of just $11,000 as a yearling, I(***)ll Have Another chased down victory in the final furlong to win the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Jockey Mario Gutierrez was in no doubt of the horse(***)s quality saying after the race, "He(***)s an amazing horse. I kept telling everybody, from the first time I met him, I knew he was the one."