LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 3, 2007) – Churchill Downs has welcomed the arrival of the solid gold trophy that will be presented to the owner of the 3-year-old Thoroughbred that wins the 133 rd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 5.

The priceless trophy, which is believed to be the only solid gold trophy presented annually to the winner of an American sports event, was delivered to the historic track on Tuesday, April 3. The Kentucky Derby winner's trophy is created each year by New England Sterling of Attleboro, Mass. and Marc Forbes, the company's president, personally escorted the 14-karat gold hand-made trophy on its journey to Louisville.

“New England Sterling creates a wide variety of wonderful pieces each year, but the winner's trophy for the Kentucky Derby clearly remains our most special item,” said Forbes. “This solid gold trophy is produced specifically for each year's renewal of the ‘Run for the Roses,' and its value is, quite literally, priceless. The Kentucky Derby has long been one of the world's great sports events and New England Sterling is proud to be a part of a rich tradition that is now in its 133 rd consecutive year.”

The current version of the Kentucky Derby winner's trophy dates to 1924. Churchill Downs' legendary general manager (and later president) Col. Matt Winn commissioned the trophy for the “golden anniversary” running of the race. Two earlier versions of the trophy had been presented to the winning owners in 1922 and 1923.

Outside of jeweled embellishments made to the trophy for the special anniversary renewals in 1949 (75 th Derby), 1974 (100 th ) and 1999 (125 th ), only one significant change has been made in the trophy's design. That change also came in 1999, when track officials deferred to racing tradition and changed the direction of a decorative horseshoe on the trophy. That shoe had point downward on each trophy since 1924, but was turned up on the 1999 Derby trophy and each trophy since. Racing superstition holds that all of the luck will run out of a horseshoe that is turned downward.

The trophy, which is topped by a 14-karat gold horse and rider, has horseshoe-shaped wreath handles and stands 22-inches tall, which includes its jade base. The trophy weighs approximately 60 ounces.

Information on New England Sterling, Inc. is available on the Web at http://www.newenglandsterling.com/index.htm/.