Donald Gordon, the lazy son of Colonel Moncrief Gordon, isn't much interested in anything other than racing his father's horse. That is, until he meets pretty stableman's daughter Alice Brown. Colonel Gordon makes a ten thousand dollar bet that his prize stallion can beat a rival's thoroughbred in the Kentucky Derby, and plans on his son riding the horse to victory. While rushing to tell him the news, the Colonel discovers that Donald has eloped with Alice. Infuriated that his only heir has married a commoner's daughter, the Colonel banishes Donald from home. Looking for penance, the young man becomes a crewman on a merchant ship. But as the race approaches, the Colonel realizes his mistake and decides to call his son back. But with Donald on the ocean halfway around the world, it may be too late for him to win the Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Derby is the first starring feature for dashing actor Reginald Denny. He had garnered notice earlier that year as a boxer in the Universal serial The Leather Pushers (1922). He would thereafter become one of the most popular leading men of the silent era. Denny's heavy British accent caused the actor some difficulty once sound was introduced, but he eventually found a niche playing supporting parts in films such as The Little Minister (1934), Anna Karenina (1935), and Rebecca (1940). Actor-director King Baggott was one of the first heavily publicized movie stars in America, and was even called "The Man Whose Face Is As Familiar As The Man In The Moon" in tabloids of the day. He is remembered for his roles in classics like The Scarlet Letter (1911), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913) and Ivanhoe (1913). Baggott's most popular work behind the camera was the William S. Hart western Tumbleweeds (1925). Big-budget films like The Kentucky Derby were called "Universal Jewel Productions" in hopes of justifying higher ticket prices. This ploy proved to actually dissuade audiences, and Carl Laemmle did away with the practice in 1929.