The 1877 Kentucky Derby was the 3rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 22, 1877. The 1877 Derby was the first to attract a major celebrity spectator, Polish actress Helena Modjeska. Mint juleps, sometimes associated with the Derby, were first served at this race to Modjeska. Baden-Baden, the horse that won, went on to win the Travers Stakes, one of only ten horses to do this. William Walker, his jockey, was one of the Black jockeys who dominated the sport in the South after the Civil war. He went on to become a respected expert and advisor on Thoroughbred and attended every Derby for the rest of his life.
Full results Finished Post Horse Jockey Trainer Owner Time / behind 1st Baden-Baden William Walker Edward D. Brown Daniel Swigert 2:38 0/0 2nd Leonard Robert Swim Hal Pettit McGrath 3rd King William Bailey Smallwood & Co. 4th Vera Cruz Isaac Burns Murphy James T. Williams 5th McWhirter H. Moore Abraham Perry Gen. Abe Buford 6th Odd Fellow D. Williams J. J. Merrill 7th Malvern S. Jones George H. Rice 8th Early Light W. James Frank B. Harper 9th Dan K. McGrath Johnson & Mills 10th Lisbon Douglass Daniel Swigert 11th Headlight Shelton L. B. Field
Payout The winner received a purse of $3,300. The second-place finisher received $200.
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