Few, if any, races have had such an international impact as the Epsom Derby. It was back in 1779 that the 12th Earl of Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury allegedly tossed a coin to decide the name of a new race at Epsom Downs. The Earl won the toss, and the rest is history. Epsom’s Classic contest for the three-year-old colts made its debut in 1780, one year after the fillies’ equivalent of the Epsom Oaks.
While the Earl and Sir Charles expected the Derby to take a prominent position on the British racing scene, they surely couldn’t have imagined the proliferation of international imitators. Near neighbours France and Ireland each had their own Derby by 1866. By the end of the 19th Century, the Derby dream had spread to South America, with Chile getting in on the act in 1885.
What is The Chilean Derby?
The Chilean Derby, also known as El Clásico El Derby, is a 1m4f Group 1 contest open to three-year-old colts and fillies. The race traditionally takes place on the first Sunday in February each year. With over £80,000 (2025) on offer, over £60,000 of which goes to the winner, El Derby is among the most valuable events of the Chilean season.
The beautiful turf course at Valparaíso Racecourse sets the stage for El Derby. Sitting just off the coast in Vina del Mar, the track nestles in tranquil woodland, providing a relaxed summery setting. The historic Tudor-style grandstands are a nod to the English inspiration behind the track’s biggest race.
El Derby takes top billing on a quality card, with the Group 3 Alberto Solari Magnasco and Listed Hugo P. Bouchier heading the undercard.
Epsom Imitator Inspires Beauty Queens and Automobile Parade
Seeing the success of the Epsom Derby and the various copycat races around the world, the Valparaíso Sporting Club began planning their own race in 1882. It took three years for those plans to come to fruition, with the inaugural El Derby taking place in 1885. The likeliest reason for that delay is the lack of three-year-old racehorses in Chile at the time. Only three runners contested the first Chilean Derby, despite the race initially being open to thoroughbreds and mixed-breed runners referred to as half-bloods.
Over the years, the profile and size of the field have steadily increased. El Derby is now firmly established as one of the key fixtures of the Chilean racing year and is preceded by a carnival-like celebration. Each year, a Derby Queen is selected to lead a parade of antique cars through the sunny streets of Vina del Mar, in what must be one of the most distinctive big-race build-ups in the world. The race is popular with both dedicated punters and more casual racing fans. On the day of the race, many families gather in the centre of the course and set up a BBQ to watch the action.
Triple Crown and Golden Double
Just as the Epsom Derby joins the 2,000 Guineas and St Leger to make up the British Triple Crown, El Derby is paired with two other high-profile contests in the Chilean Triple Crown. In Chile, El Derby is the third and final leg of the coveted trio, being preceded by:
- El Ensayo – The Chilean Triple Crown kicks off with this Group 1 event at Club Hípico de Santiago, which takes place in late October/early November each year. Held over the same 1m4f trip as El Derby, the race made its debut in 1873. That longevity makes El Ensayo the third-oldest race in all of the Americas, behind only the United States duo of the Travers Stakes and Belmont Stakes
- El Clásico St Leger – The middle leg of the Triple Crown takes place at Club Hipódromo in Independencia, Santiago. Born one year after El Derby in 1886, El Clásico St Leger is held over 1m3f and takes place in late November/early December each year
Kay Army became the thirteenth winner of the Chilean Triple Crown in 2023/24. As of 2025, Kay Army’s trainer, Juan Pablo Baeza Jnr, is the most successful in the history of El Derby with nine wins. Sergio Vasquez leads the way among riders, having picked up seven wins for six different trainers between 1979 and 1992.
In addition to its ties with the Club Hípico and Hipódromo Classics, El Derby enjoys a connection with another race at Valparaíso. Around a month before El Derby, the Vina del Mar track plays host to the Copa Jackson – named in honour of one of the track’s founders, Juan S. Jackson. Also open to three-year-old colts and fillies, this Group 2 contest is held over the slightly shorter 1m3f trip. Any horse to win the Copa Jackson is said to have achieved the Golden Double. As of 2025, the most recent winner of the Golden Double was the Jeremy Laprida-trained Ya Primo in 2019.
Still going strong 140 years after making its debut, El Derby enjoys a history and heritage to match many other Derby events. English in inspiration but Chilean in flavour, the flagship event is set to provide an excuse for beauty queen-led classic car parade for years to come.