Woodford Reserve 149th Kentucky Derby 2023

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby 149 Edition — the 2023 annual commemorative bottle celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's 1973 Kentucky Derby victory, featuring original artwork by Kentucky native Jaime Corum titled Secretariat – Still the Greatest: the legendary thoroughbred in the Winner's Circle at Churchill Downs.

The 149th Kentucky Derby was not just another race — it was the 50th anniversary of the most celebrated performance in the history of American thoroughbred racing. On May 5, 1973, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in 1:59 2/5, a time that has never been equaled in the 150+ years the race has been run. No horse has gone faster. Woodford Reserve's 2023 bottle honors that specific moment — not just the race, but the record — through Corum's portrait of Secretariat in the Churchill Downs winner's circle.

Jaime Corum is a Kentucky native known for her equine portraiture, and Secretariat is the most painted, photographed, and celebrated subject in the history of thoroughbred art. The painting's title says everything: Still the Greatest.

Woodford Reserve has served as the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby since 1999 and commissions a new original artwork for the annual commemorative bottle each year.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Dried fruit, vanilla, caramel, and gentle spice
• Palate: Rich caramel, baking spice, chocolate, and oak with rounded fruit complexity from triple copper pot still distillation
• Finish: Medium-long with warm spice and caramel

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Race: 149th Kentucky Derby, 2023
• Theme: 50th anniversary of Secretariat's 1973 Derby win (1:59 2/5)
• Artist: Jaime Corum (Kentucky native)
• Artwork: Secretariat – Still the Greatest
• Size: 1 Liter

Browse the full Woodford Reserve collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why does the 2023 bottle feature Secretariat? The 149th Derby in 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's 1973 victory — still the fastest Kentucky Derby ever run at 1:59 2/5. No horse has matched that time in the half century since.
• Who is Jaime Corum? A Kentucky native known for equine portraiture. Her painting captures Secretariat in the Churchill Downs winner's circle — the most iconic setting in thoroughbred racing for the most iconic racehorse in history.
• Is the whiskey different from other Derby bottles? No — every Derby bottle is Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 90.4 proof in a 1-liter format. The label artwork changes each year.