Kentucky Derby Betting Information
Betting on the Kentucky Derby is similar to any other horse race, but the stakes are much higher. This article will provide important background information and everything you need to know for how to bet on Kentucky Derby races. Before placing your wager, you want to be as prepared as possible. Learning how to bet horses successfully and make money on events like the Kentucky Derby is more than just win-place-show or exacta betting. And there are many ways to handicap a race beyond looking at just the past performance charts. Several angles can be useful and successful, and some angles are better than others. Legality of Kentucky Derby Betting Unlike the legal restrictions placed on sports gambling, horse racing betting is widely accepted in the United States. There are 43 states where pari-mutuel wagering has been made legal. Some of these states have a mixture of live racetracks and off-track betting (OTB) locations.
Each year since 1875, spectators have been heading to Churchill Downs to participate in legal Kentucky Derby betting. The iconic horse race is the oldest continuously-run sporting event in the USA, representing the first jewel of the famous Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Known as 'The Run for the Roses' and 'The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports', the race comprises the best three-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world competing in a 1 1⁄4-mile race around Churchill Downs’ dirt track.
Much has changed since the inaugural running of the Kentucky Derby, with nearly 150 years of winners being produced. One of the biggest differences between the early days of the race and the modern Derby is the amount of money wagered on the race. Horse tracks and racebooks report that hundreds of millions of dollars are bet on the event each year, typically bringing in more than any other racing event on the planet.
Churchill Downs, Fair Grounds and twinspires.com racing analyst Joe Kristufek.
While wagering was once only conducted in person, horse enthusiasts now have the option to bet at just about any track via ubiquitous simulcast wagering. Alternatively, and even more popularly, horseplayers can use an online racebook to start placing wagers. As horse fans are located all over the nation, it raises the question of whether or not Kentucky Derby betting is actually legal in all 50 states. We’re here to answer that question (and many others!), and we also provide you with all of the information that you need to get started with legal Kentucky Derby betting.
Unlike the legal restrictions placed on sports gambling, horse racing betting is widely accepted in the United States. There are 43 states where pari-mutuel wagering has been made legal. Some of these states have a mixture of live racetracks and off-track betting (OTB) locations. Others have legalized pari-mutuel wagering but do not have any physical tracks. That leaves only 7 states and the District of Columbia that do not offer horse racing betting.
However, residents of these states (and all states) can use offshore online racebooks to safely bet the ponies. On a federal level, there is only one law that directly regulates horse racing: the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 (IHRA). The Act authorizes licensed racetracks and betting facilities to send and accept bets from persons not physically located within the state. The IHRA essentially allows bettors to wager on races all over the US as long as the pastime is legal in the wager’s originating state as well as in its destination state. Of course, if you use an offshore racebook to bet on the Kentucky Derby, you can even do so in states that don’t have tracks or pari-mutuel betting laws of their own.
When betting at a local track, you can purchase a ticket from the teller or a self-service kiosk. However, online horse racing betting requires a deposit into your racebook account. If you are new to online horse betting, learning how to make real money racebook deposits is easy. Once logged into your account, you can select “Deposits” from your account dashboard. Legal Kentucky Derby betting sites provide several funding options to fit the needs of bettors. Some of the deposit options include Bitcoin, various altcoins, credit cards, checks, and bank wire transfers.
Betting on the Kentucky Derby with Bitcoin is an instant deposit option that is 100% reliable. The limits are flexible (typically $10 to $50,000), and there are never any additional fees. Using a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card to fund an online racebook account is a popular method, though most online racebooks only allow up to $5,000 to be deposited. There may also be fees of up to 9% charged by the racebook and/or your card issuer.
Being able to get your money out of an online racebook is just as important as getting it in. Every legal Kentucky Derby betting site offers payout options that are reliable and secure. For the fastest online racebook withdrawals, you should use Bitcoin. Kentucky Derby winnings are sent to your Bitcoin wallet in just a few hours rather than a few days, meaning you can get your cash ASAP. There are also no fees when making a withdrawal with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. For non-Bitcoin users, other horse racing betting payouts include checks, MoneyGram, Western Union, money orders, and bank wire transfers.
To start placing bets on the first jewel of the Triple Crown, you will need to become familiar with the legal Kentucky Derby wager types. Horse bet types are the same no matter where you choose to place your wagers. There are straight bets that are commonly wagered, as well as exotic horse bets that are more complex. Overall, horse racing wager types are much simpler than bet types associated with other sports. Here are some of the common types of bets that can be placed on the Kentucky Derby:
- Win – A bet on your horse to win the race.
- Place – A wager on your pick to finish in the top 2.
- Show – Betting on the horse to finish in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
- Exacta – You must correctly select the horse to finish first and the horse to finish second in the Kentucky Derby.
- Trifecta – A bet on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in exact order.
- Superfecta – Correctly selecting the top four finishers in specific order.
| Race Day: |
| September 5, 2020 |
| Post Time: |
| 7:01pm EDT |
| Track: |
| Churchill Downs |
| Length: |
| 1.25 Miles |
| Location: |
| Louisville, Kentucky |
Many times, fans of the Kentucky Derby will simply place a bet based on a horses name or on the clear favorite. Those looking to make more informed bets should learn the ins and outs of how to bet on the Kentucky Derby. Looking at past Kentucky Derby winners and historical betting odds can help with predicting how a particular horse might perform in the upcoming race. Trends can be noted in the success at certain post positions, how often favorites have won, and the number of winners that have gone onto secure the Triple Crown. With over 140 horses to have won the Kentucky Derby since its inception, here are the most recent winners of the Kentucky Derby and some of the biggest legends of all time (asterisks denote Triple Crown winners):
- Justify* (2018)
- Always Dreaming (2017)
- Nyquist (2016)
- American Pharoah* (2015)
- California Chrome (2014)
- Big Brown (2008)
- Barbaro (2006)
- Spectacular Bid (1979)
- Affirmed* (1978)
- Seattle Slew* (1977)
- Secretariat* (1973)
- Citation* (1948)
- Assault* (1946)
- Count Fleet* (2013)
- Whirlaway* (1941)
- War Admiral* (1937)
- Omaha* (1935)
- Gallant Fox* (1930)
- Sir Barton* (1919)
- Donerail (2013)
- Aristides (1875)
Most horse enthusiasts that are new to betting on the Sport of Kings will have additional questions. You might wonder what happens if your horse is scratched, or you’ll want to learn more about how to bet on the Kentucky Derby at a local track. You can find detailed explanations of horse bet types, deposit methods, and more throughout this site, but we also want to help fill in any blanks. Take a look at our full list of Kentucky Derby FAQs and find out the answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding betting on the Run for the Roses.
What happens if my horse is scratched from the Kentucky Derby field?
If your horse is scratched from the Kentucky Derby, your resolution will be determined by the house rules of the venue where you wager. Typically, refunds will be offered, but some racebooks will assign alternate horses as outline in their rulebooks. If the scratched horse was part of a larger exotic wager, you will only have that aspect of your wager refunded or adjusted. If you place a futures bet on the Kentucky Derby winner and this horse fails to race for any reason (including injury, illness, owner’s decision, etc.), you simply lose the wager.
What happens if the Kentucky Derby ends in a tie?
No Kentucky Derby race has ever ended in a tie, also called a “dead heat.” With the photographic and electrical sensor technology used in modern races, dead heats are less likely than ever. However, if the Derby does end in a tie, most tracks will combine the pools for the two horses and share the winnings proportionally.
How do I wager on the Kentucky Derby at my local track?
If your local track or OTB facility has simulcast horse racing wagering, betting on the Kentucky Derby at such a venue is as simple as visiting the ticket counter and placing your wager. With venues with electronic kiosks, you can place your wager as you would for any other race. Note that the pool at your track will not mirror the odds at Churchill Downs, as the payout will be determined only by action at that particular track.
How can I handicap horses when betting over the Internet?
Normally, handicapping horses is one of the pleasures of onsite horse betting. Bettors can observe the horses as they warm up, analyze their gaits and course conditions, get a look at the jockeys, and more. Online, none of that is possible to do first-hand, and you’ll need to find a reliable newswire service to pass along appropriate, pertinent information in a timely manner. You can get a look at the horses on pre-race TV broadcasts, and many websites offer live coverage and pre-race analysis of the Kentucky Derby. And, as always, Google is your frenemy.
What are the best deposit methods to use at online Kentucky Derby racebooks?
Most horseplayers use credit or debit cards to fill up their accounts at overseas racebooks. However, these transactions are limited in the amount that you can deposit at any given time, and they can even be blocked by your bank on rare occasions. For the best, most reliable, fastest deposit strategy for Kentucky Derby betting, it’s best to use Bitcoin or a supported cryptocurrency. These transfer in just minutes, and they are 100% guaranteed.
What are the fastest payout methods at Kentucky Derby betting sites?
By far the fastest way to claim your Kentucky Derby winnings from an offshore racebook is to be paid out in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. Instead of paying large fees and waiting up to two weeks to receive your money via traditional methods like courier checks, money orders, or bank wires, crypto allows you to receive your funds in a matter of hours with no extra fees attached!
Do I have to pay taxes on my Kentucky Derby winnings even if I use an offshore racebook?
Yes, you always have to pay taxes on your Kentucky Derby winnings. This is also true for all other horse betting winnings, online casino game winnings, online sportsbook winnings, and online poker winnings. For instructions on how to claim your winnings on your income taxes, you can visit this official IRS primer * https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc419 * on the subject.
There are dozens of legal Kentucky Derby betting sites for horse enthusiasts to choose from. When betting the ponies, you want to have a variety of wager types and betting options. Sites that offer mobile racebooks are also ideal so that you can bet on your horses no matter where you are. Bonuses and promotions that give you more money to wager with are a huge perk of using legal horse racing betting sites versus visiting local tracks, too. With all that in mind, the best online racebooks for Kentucky Derby betting are Bovada, SportsBetting, BetOnline, and 5Dimes.
Bovada is one of the most trusted online racebooks in the industry. All of the latest Kentucky Derby betting odds are posted well ahead of the highly anticipated event, and often before other books publish their own numbers. Bovada has more ways to bet on the Derby than most betting sites, offering Kentucky Derby futures and fixed odds. The same wagering options available at Churchill Downs are also at Bovada, which means you bet on your horse to win, place, or show. Exotics such as exactas, trifectas, superfectas, pick 3s, and pick 6s provide even bigger payouts on the Kentucky Derby.
At Bovada, you can bet on the Kentucky Derby with Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash, which is another plus of using the site, as local books don’t take cryptocurrencies at all. You can deposit a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $5,000 via this method. Bovada offers a Bitcoin Welcome Bonus with code BVSBITCOIN50. The online racebook will match the amount deposited by 50% for up to $500. The site also offers a Welcome Bonus of 50% worth up to $250, which is available via any deposit method. Join Bovada today to start legally betting on the Kentucky Derby!
| Performance: | +97.2 |
| User Rating: | +96.5 |
| Payout Times: | +94.9 |
| Customer Service: | +90.2 |
| Deposit Options: | +88.9 |
SportsBetting makes the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports even more entertaining. When you use this legal Kentucky Derby betting site, you get instant access to horse racing tips, a live horse racing stream, and the latest odds on the Kentucky Derby. SportsBetting’s racebook is easy to navigate, and you can even bet on the Kentucky Derby from your mobile phone, whether you’re using an iPhone or Android handset. Just use your smartphone or tablet browser to visit the mobile racebook and wager on the Run for the Roses from anywhere!
The SportsBetting racebook has exclusive promotions for their horse enthusiasts. The most popular offer is a $25 risk-free bet on your first horse wager. If your first bet in the racebook is not a winner, the racebook will reimburse your account with a $25 free-play within 24 hours. SportsBetting also gives rebates up to 7% every time you bet on the ponies. You can sign up at SportsBetting today and get started with legal Kentucky Derby betting.
| Performance: | +93.2 |
| User Rating: | +93.9 |
| Payout Times: | +87.8 |
| Customer Service: | +91.2 |
| Deposit Options: | +95.9 |
No other site does Triple Crown betting quite like BetOnline. Not only can you bet on the Kentucky Derby, but there are also wagering opportunities for the Road to the Kentucky Derby, which comprises the preliminary qualifying races. There are numerous ways to win at BetOnline, whether it be with straight bets, exacta boxes, trifectas, superfectas, or other exotic bets. If you ever need more information about a particular bet, the site also has plenty of guides to help you with your betting strategies. BetOnline also provides you with the morning line odds at Churchill Downs on race day, so you’ll always have the freshest lines possible.
Betting on horses online is already convenient, but BetOnline makes betting on the Run for the Roses even more flexible with Kentucky Derby mobile betting. Their mobile racebook allows you to bet on the ponies from your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry smartphone. You can also wager from your iPad, Windows Surface, Galaxy Tab, or any other modern tablet. As long as you are connected to the Internet, this online racebook can go wherever you do. To use the BetOnline mobile racebook, simply visit the website from your mobile device.
| Performance: | +90.5 |
| User Rating: | +91.6 |
| Payout Times: | +92.8 |
| Customer Service: | +92.2 |
| Deposit Options: | +93.9 |
5Dimes is your premier headquarters for Kentucky Derby betting. The site has been in operation for more than 20 years and always has plenty of Derby Day betting odds as the event draws near. 5Dimes is also the only site with two different online racebook options. You can either use their Rebate Racebook or their Plus 10% Racebook. The Rebate Racebook will reward you with horse bet rebates between 2% and 5% for all Win, Place, and Show wagers, and 4%-9% for exotic bets.
With 5Dimes’ Plus 10% Racebook, you can make the most of your winning bets. Bet at Churchill Downs or any of the other major racetracks, and receive a 10% rebate on winning Win or exotic wagers. All of the Triple Crown races take place at major tracks, but if you want to bet on other races of the day, you can still receive 10% back on all winning Win bets. All horse bet rebates from both racebooks are credited daily every morning at 8:00 AM ET. There is no other online racebook that puts more money back in your pocket than 5Dimes. Join 5Dimes today and start betting on the Kentucky Derby!
| Performance: | +90.7 |
| User Rating: | +88.6 |
| Payout Times: | +89.4 |
| Customer Service: | +93.7 |
| Deposit Options: | +91.9 |
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The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020, at the iconic Churchill Downs race track in Louisville, KY (NBC, 6:50 PM). 21 horses qualified this year (the field is limited to 20 horses, but up to four alternates can qualify – this year’s sole alternate, Bodexpress, was substituted for early favorite Omaha Beach when he was scrapped with an entrapped epiglottis in the last week leading up to the race). Still, only one pony can come away with the first jewel of the Triple Crown. After last year’s winner, Justify, went on to win the Triple Crown in spectacular fashion, the pressure is on this season’s crop of 3-year-olds to repeat that rare feat.
The 2020 Kentucky Derby was pushed back to September 5 and it is now a good time to look at the betting odds. Tiz The Law leads all other horses with the shortest odds by far. He is followed by Authentic and Honor A.P. Although Tiz The Law drew the unfavorable 17th starting gate, a gate where no winner has started from since the Derby began using the gate in 1930, but his history is what has horse race bettors taking action. Tiz The Law has already won the Belmont Stakes, another Triple Crown event, giving good reason for the colt's short odds.
The track rules for betting on the Kentucky Derby can slightly vary depending on where you are placing your bet. One aspect that generally remains the same is that bets will close just a few minutes before The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports begins. When using an online horse racing betting site, you can also review any rules on betting limits, wagering restrictions (i.e. no parlays, payout ceilings, etc.), and scratches prior to placing your bets. Whatever book you choose, there will usually be an entire page dedicated to the house horse betting rules, and reading it beforehand will prevent any surprises.
Legal online Kentucky Derby betting sites offer the same bets that you are accustomed to placing at the racetrack. Horse racing betting sites will accept action on both straight and exotic wagers on horse betting odds. Some bets are more complicated than others, especially when betting on multiple races, but we can give you a crash course on the horse racing bets that you will want to know. The horse bet types that we mention are universal, and you will find them at any reputable online horse racing betting site that you use for betting on Derby Day.
- Win – A bet on your selected horse to win the race.
- Place – A bet that your selected horse will finish in 1st or 2nd place.
- Show – A bet that your selected horse will finish in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
- Across the Board (Win, Place & Show) – When you bet “across the board”, you are essentially making three separate Win, Place, and Show bets. If you wager $2 across the board on horse #5, you are betting $2 to win, $2 to place, and $2 to show, thus risking a total of $6 (the price of the ticket). Should your horse win, you would receive the payouts for all three bets. Place, you receive the Place and Show winnings. Show, and you will receive the Show payout.
- Exacta –An exacta bet is when you wager on which horses will finish 1st and 2nd, in that exact order.
- Exacta Box – For an exacta box, you will select two or more horses and bet on them to finish first or second in any order. For example, being that the minimum bet amount is generally $1, you could assemble a $1 exacta box on 3 horses. There are 6 possible combinations that would result in you winning the bet. Thus, the cost of your exacta box would be $6. If it were a $2 exacta box, the price of the ticket would be $12, a $3 box would cost $18, and so on.
| Exacta Quick Reference Guide | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of HORSES | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| COMBINATIONS | 2 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 30 | 42 | 56 | 72 |
| COST FOR $2 | $4 | $12 | $24 | $40 | $60 | $84 | $112 | $144 |
- Trifecta – A trifecta is a bet on which horses will finish in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in that exact order.
- Trifecta Box – A trifecta box is where you pick 3 or more horses and bet on them to come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in any order. Let’s say that you like horse #2, #5, #7, and #8. Your four-horse box would have a total of 24 different possible combinations for each horse to finish anywhere in the top 3. The minimum cost of boxing a trifecta is $1 per selection, which means you would pay $24 for this particular bet.
| Trifecta Quick Reference Guide | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of HORSES | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| COMBINATIONS | 6 | 24 | 60 | 120 | 210 | 336 |
| COST FOR $2 | $12 | $48 | $120 | $240 | $420 | $672 |
- Superfecta – For a winning superfecta wager, you must select the first four finishers of a race in that exact order.
- Superfecta Box – A superfecta box also involves the first four finishers, but it takes all possible combinations of your 4 or more horses to finish in any order. If you buy a $1 superfecta box and pick 5 horses, for example, you give yourself 120 possible winning combinations. Thus, such a ticket would cost $120.
| Superfecta Quick Reference Guide | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of HORSES | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| COMBINATIONS | 24 | 120 | 360 | 840 | 1680 | |
| COST FOR $2 | $48 | $240 | $720 | $1,680 | $3,360 | |
- Churchill Downs
- 700 Central Ave.
- Louisville, KY 40208
Driving from the west (St. Louis)
Take I-264 East from 1-64E. Take exit 9 (Taylor Blvd). Go north on Taylor Blvd, exit onto Longfield Ave for Gate 10 and Central Ave for Gate 17.
Driving from the east (Lexington)
Take I-264 West from 1-64W. Take Exit 10 (Third St/Southern Pkwy). Take a right and head north on Third St/Southern Pkwy. Go to Central Ave. Turn left for Gate 17, continuing on Central Ave. Turn left on fourth St for Gate 10, bearing right (You will pass the barns).
Driving from the south (Nashville)
Take I-65 North or I-264 West to Exit 10 (Third St/Southern Pkwy). Take a right and head north on Third St/Southern Pkwy. Go to Central Ave. Turn left for Gate 17, continuing on Central Ave. Turn left on fourth St for Gate 10, bearing right (You will pass the barns).
Driving from the north (Indianapolis)
Take I-65 South. Take exit 132 (Crittenden Drive). This exit veers left. Continue on Crittenden Drive, going straight. Take a right a Central Ave intersection, then continue straight down Central Ave for 1.6 miles, then you will reach the track.
Morning line odds are posted by a handicapper at the racetrack before wagering begins. These odds are meant to be a prediction of how the actual pari-mutuel odds will pan out at post time. While not binding for betting purposes, these numbers are reliable at forecasting who the betting favorite will be. Morning line odds are more informational than anything else, as they just give an idea of how the general public will bet. Your payouts will be determined by the actual odds, which will fluctuate throughout the day depending on the amount of money wagered on each horse. As such, understanding Kentucky derby betting odds is vital. After you have handicapped several other aspects of the race, you can factor in the morning line odds to see how it compares to your data. This is part of shopping Kentucky Derby betting odds so you can find the find the best values on the board.
The “tote board” has been a staple of horse racing betting since it was first brought to the US in the 1930s. In modern times, the tote board – “tote” is short for “totalizator”, which is another name for pari-mutuel betting – is run by computer software that supplies bettors with real-time odds and updates on the betting activity happening at the track. The tote board serves as a useful handicapping tool because it allows you to see how the public is betting and how this affects the odds. The tote board can also help with timing your bets. Once you understand how to read the tote board, you can use it to your advantage when determining a betting strategy. Below is a list of typical information that you will find on the tote board at Churchill Downs (or any other racetrack):
- Race Number
- MTP – (minutes until the start of the race)
- Post Time – (the time the race is scheduled to begin)
- Time of Day
- Track Condition – (takes weather conditions into consideration)
- Pools – (total amount of money wagered)
- Odds
- Will Pays – (for exotics involving multiple races)
- Fractions
- Final Time
- Unofficial/Official – (when the results of the race have been made official)
- Pay Outs
There are a few things that every horseplayer should know before placing a bet. One of the great aspects of horse betting is that the protocol is the same no matter where you place your wager. This means that whether you are at the ticket counter or online, the same information will be necessary. For efficiency and consistency, all tickets will contain the following details:
- Track Name
- Race Number
- Dollar Amount Of Bet
- Type Of Bet
- Horse Number
All of this information is pretty self-explanatory, but let’s say you were placing a Derby Day bet at your online racebook. You would be able to easily navigate through the necessary screens to select the bet details, and the information on your ticket would look something like this: Churchill Downs, Race 4, $4 to Place on horse #2.
Triple Crown betting involves making a wager on the horse that you believe can win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. The Kentucky Derby is the first opportunity to see how up to 20 selected Thoroughbreds perform in the sport’s most highly competitive environment. Once a winner is announced at the Derby, there is now a possibility that there could be a Triple Crown winner when all is said and done. When you start betting on the Triple Crown after Derby Day, you are betting on a particular horse to win the next two races. Triple Crown betting is one of the most exciting ways to wager because Triple Crown winners are few and far between, though they historically tend to come in bunches.
The 2019 Triple Crown season is once again upon us, with millions of fans ready to watch the races. Each leg of the Triple Crown will showcase the most talented three-year-old Thoroughbreds in the world. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg (aka the first jewel) of the Triple Crown, always taking place on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. This is followed by the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD, just three weeks later. Finally, the Triple Crown races conclude with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, two weeks later. Below is the complete Triple Crown 2019 schedule.
- The Kentucky Derby - Saturday, May 5, 2019 – Churchill Downs – Louisville, KY
- The Preakness – Saturday, May 19, 2019 - Pimlico Race Course – Baltimore, MD
- The Belmont Stakes – Saturday, June 9, 2019 – Belmont Park – Elmont, NY
Kentucky Derby Betting Sheets
There have been 13 Triple Crown winners in the history of American Thoroughbred racing, and each year, horse enthusiasts speculate if yet another champion will arise. Each of the following three-year-olds accomplished the feat of winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in the same year. With the races occurring within mere weeks of each other, the journey is a true test of endurance and stamina. The most recent winner of the Triple Crown is Justify, who was only the second horse to do so since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978. Will this year’s race to the Triple Crown bring a new champion?
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Sir Barton | Johnny Loftus | H. G. Bedwell | J.K.L. Ross |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | Earl Sande | James Fitzsimmons | Belair Stud |
| 1935 | Omaha | Willie “Smokey” Saunders | James Fitzsimmons | Belair Stud |
| 1937 | War Admiral | Charles Kurtsinger | George Conway | Samuel D. Riddle |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | Eddie Arcaro | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | Johnny Longden | Don Cameron | Mrs. J. D. Hertz |
| 1946 | Assault | Warren Mehrtens | Max Hirsch | King Ranch |
| 1948 | Citation | Eddie Arcaro | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm |
| 1973 | Secretariat | Ron Turcotte | Lucien Laurin | Meadow Stable |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | Jean Cruguet | William Turner, Jr. | Karen L. Taylor |
| 1978 | Affirmed | Steve Cauthen | Lazaro S. Barrera | Harbor View Farm |
| 2015 | American Pharaoh | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Zayat Stables |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert | WinStar Farm |
The Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest and most well-revered sporting events in American history. The event itself dates back to 1875, though the concept of the Derby began a few years prior. In 1872, Meriwether Lewis Clark decided to create a marquee horse racing event in the US after taking inspiration from his experiences at Epsom Derby in England and his interactions with the French Jockey Club. He was gifted land by his uncles Henry and John Churchill, and the rest is history. The first winner of the Kentucky Derby was Aristides (1875), who was ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis and finished first in a field of 15 by clocking a time of 2:37.75.
The Kentucky Derby was originally contested at 1 1/2 miles, but the race was shortened to 1 1/4 mile in 1896. It was also in this year that winning horse Ben Brush and jockey Willie Simms received a wreath of roses for their efforts. Many often wonder where the race got its nickname “Run For the Roses”, and we can speculate that this marked the beginning of the Derby’s association with that particular flower. By 1904, when Kentucky made the red rose its official flower, the rose had already become synonymous with the Derby in terms of decoration and its traditional gifting to winners. It was in 1925 that New York sportswriter Bill Corum coined the phrase “Run for the Roses”, and it eventually became an official nickname of the Kentucky Derby.
The 1 1/4th-mile race - also known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” due to the approximate length of time it takes for the winner to run from the gate to the finish - is run by 3-year-old male and female Thoroughbred horses. The race is run on the dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. To receive an invitation to compete in the Derby, a horse must first compete in various contests known as the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Road to the Kentucky Derby consists of roughly 45 races, though most horses only run a select few of these. There is a point system used in the races, and the 18 horses with the most points after the series concludes earn a spot in the Derby. Two slots are reserved for the winners of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby series and the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series.
Kentucky Derby Betting Online
The famed Kentucky Derby garners spectators from all over the world, and the winning pony takes nearly $2 million of the total $3 million purse. The top five horses each get a portion of the total purse. This purse increases fairly regularly, but the winnings pale in comparison to the lifetime studding fees that a well-performing Derby pony will earn after retiring from racing (typically as a four-year-old).