Inaugurated in 1876 at Chester Park, a racetrack on Spring Grove Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio, the race was canceled after the 1883 running.
It was revived in 1924 by the Maple Heights Park racetrack with future Hall of Fame inductee and that year's Kentucky Derby winner Black Gold claiming victory.
Pete D. Anderson, trainer of 2007 winner Delightful Kiss, won this race in 1964 as the jockey on National.
The Ohio Derby was not scheduled to be run in 2009 in order to maintain reasonable purses for area horsemen.
However, an announcement was made in August that the Grade II race would run on October 3, 2009 on the Best of Ohio card.