NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The Kentucky Derby will showcase a sponsor for the first time in its 131 years of horse racing, as the chain that owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut has inked a deal with the race.

Yum! Brands -- the world's largest restaurant company -- will launch its first-ever campaign to increase public exposure of the parent company. The brands it owns, which include Long John Silver's and A&W restaurants, are much better known than Yum!, which was formed in 1997.

It selected the Kentucky Derby because the race's audience tends to be in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, with higher household incomes than most sporting events.

The company's logo will appear between the Twin Spires on the track, as well as on signage and riders' jackets.

The race is May 6, 2006, with an estimated 157,000 fans in attendance at Churchill Downs.

Both Churchill Downs and Yum! Brands are based in Louisville, Ky.

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