Meet the American who created the Kentucky Derby, Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., born of pioneers

Clark Jr., the grandson of explorer William Clark, founded the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs in the aftermath of the Civil War. The race became part of the nation’s healing process, though Clark Jr. died and never witnessed the Derby's growth.

The Kentucky Derby is a global sports spectacle and, in the eyes of many, America’s definitive sporting tradition. 

The event was forged, almost incredibly, by two of the great epic events in United States history: the triumph of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the tragedy of the Civil War.

The bluegrass seeds of the world's most famous horse race were planted by a fascinating man with a uniquely American heritage.

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His name is Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. 

He's the founder of both the Kentucky Derby, which was has been run every year since 1875, and the Louisville Jockey Club, later known as Churchill Downs. 

Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. founded the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, which is named for his mother's family. Clark Jr. was the grandson of famed Lewis and Clark Expedition leader William Clark.  (Churchill Downs Racetrack, Courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum)

"Clark’s impact on the Kentucky Derby and on horse racing in general cannot be overstated," Chris Goodlett, senior director of curatorial and education affairs at the Kentucky Derby Museum, told Fox News Digital.

"He was extremely important, to say the least."

"Clark’s impact on the Kentucky Derby and on horse racing in general cannot be overstated." — Chris Goodlett, Kentucky Derby Museum

If the name Meriwether Lewis Clark sounds familiar, it should. 

The founder of the Kentucky Derby is the grandson of one of