Kentucky Derby sets betting handle record, up 15% from 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The purse for horse racing's most famous race got a $2 million boost. The prize money for the 150th Kentucky Derby on May 4 will be a record $5 million guaranteed, as part of a record-breaking cash infusion into Churchill Downs' spring meet. The 50 stakes races run under the Twin Spires as part of its 43-day spring meet…

CINCINNATI - This past weekend's Kentucky Derby once again claimed its crown as the biggest day in horse racing. For some, Derby Day is about frilly hats, mint-infused beverages and perhaps a bet or two. But for horse owners, like Michael Annechino, they view it as an important opportunity to attract fresh eyes to the sport. The first leg of…

Horse racing is a nearly year-round sport, but the months of May and June are the biggest on the calendar. The Triple Crown of horse racing gets underway on Saturday with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The Preakness follows on May 20, and the Belmont Stakes run on June 10. The Kentucky Derby is the most famous of the three and will feature…

It's Derby Day and the horse are approaching the starting gate for America's biggest race. The 2023 Kentucky Derby is down to 19 runners following four scratches and the three also-eligible entrants now ready to Run for the Roses. That includes two Japan hopeful's Derma Sotogake and Mandarin Hero. Japan now has two horses running in the 2023…

Churchill Downs is investigating an untimely string of events ahead of its premier event on Saturday. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most-watched sports events of the spring. Often dubbed the "two most exciting minutes in sports," around 16 million viewers tuned in to watch Rich Strike win the contest in 2022. At 80-1 odds, Rich Strike had the…

The first Saturday in May is near. That means it's time for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, which is set for May 6. History was nearly made at last year's Derby, with longshot Rich Strike winning in stunning, upset fashion. As the oldest continuously held sporting event in American history, the Kentucky Derby has no shortage of…

The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875 and ranks as the longest continuously held major sporting event in the United States. This year will mark the 149 edition of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, which had been held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs every year since 1946 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the…

Understanding handle Record Kentucky Derby pools Comparing to the Preakness S. and Belmont S. The Kentucky Oaks Enticing Payouts Betting handle reveals the enthusiasm for the Kentucky Derby (G1). Contested annually on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby serves as the standard-bearer for the North America Thoroughbred racing industry. a…

Undefeated Flightline and Rich Strike, upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, head a field of eight in the Breeders' Cup Classic for the US$6-million race that also includes a horse from the barn of embattled trainer Bob Baffert. The Classic field was among the horses entered for the US$28-million, 14-race world championships on November 4-5 at…

KY Derby Winner Rich Strike May Find Riches Again in Saturday's G2 Lukas Classic (Rich Strike / Photos by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is back at Churchill Downs and trainer Eric Reed is hoping his prized colt will notch a third-career victory beneath the historic Twin Spires in Saturday's…

G2 Lukas Classic Preview: Rich Strike Could Hit It Big Again This Saturday (Rich Strike / Photo by Holly M. Smith) From the Churchill Downs Media Team: Saturday's G2, $500000 Lukas Classic is shaping up to be one of the more competitive races in North America this year. Grade I winners Happy Saver and Hot Rod Charlie are among the nominated…

The Kentucky Derby attendance started to approach pre-pandemic levels in 2022. While less people attended the 2022 Kentucky Derby than initially expected, horse racing fans set an all-time record for betting handle, wagering a whopping $273.8 million on the Run for the Roses. There were 147000 fans at the 2022 Kentucky Derby. That is actually 23000…

The second-largest upset in Kentucky Derby history saw a record number of wagers placed on the "greatest two minutes in sports," according to ESPN. Saturday's 148th edition saw a record betting handle of $179 million in the parimutuel pool, a 17% increase compared to 2021. The historic race, won in dramatic fashion by 3-year-old colt Rich Strike at…

Rich Strike was not even supposed to be in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Ethereal Road was set to start from the No. 20 post position and round out the 20-horse field. But Ethereal Road was pulled out of the race Friday morning, moving Rich Strike in. Despite the late notice, the extreme far-outside post and astounding 80-1 odds to win, Rich Strike,…

The sport of horse racing has produced many shocking results but perhaps none bigger than what happened on Saturday when rank outsider Rich Strike upstaged a classy field to win the 148th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Kentucky, US. Sent off at odds of 84/1, Rich Strike, who was a late entry, was delivered from the back…

Jockey Sonny Leon guides Rich Strike (center) to victory in the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, beating 4-1 favorite Epicenter (left), ridden by Joel Rosario, by three-quarters of a length in an 80-1 upset Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Anyone anticipating a return to normalcy in the…

The 148th running of the Kentucky Derby provided another thrilling finish. And this time it defied all logic and understanding. Rich Strike, an also-eligible horse who got into the Derby on Friday, won the Run for the Roses in a stunning result as the longest-shot in the race at 80/1 odds. "We found out about 30 seconds before the deadline on…

Rich Strike pulls off the upset of a lifetime to win the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He set off as a massive 80-1 underdog and started the race near the back of the field. The three-year-old colt took advantage of the fast race pace and blasted off to the front of the pack at the end of the final stretch to cross the wire first. He was…

Rich Strike, the longest of longshots that went into the Kentucky Derby with odds of 81-1, won the 148 edition of the famed thoroughbred race on Saturday at Louisville's Churchill Downs. Epicenter, the 4-1 favorite pick, came in second. Zandon, at 6-1, ran third. The contest, dubbed the Run for the Roses, had a crowded field of 20 horses. It was…

Rich Strike is the winner of the 148th Kentucky Derby at famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The horse entered the race with 80-1 odds to win. It's one of the biggest upsets in the history of the race. Epicenter (4-1) came in second, Zandon (6-1) finished third, and Simplification (35-1) finished fourth. Rich Strike takes home the $1.86…

Maximum Security's disqualification at Saturday's Kentucky Derby made an unlikely winner out of 65-1 longshot Country House - and one Las Vegas gambler who banked $78000 on an $8 bet. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the unidentified horseplayer watched the race with his mother at the Mirage, where he placed a pair of $4 superfecta bets.…

Justify, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, crosses the finish line to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. Rob Carr/Getty Images The 145th Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The first event of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, the…

Aside from the races, and the fashion, one of the keynote aspects of Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs is betting. A record $273.8 million dollars was wagered from all sources last year, with $179 million just on the main event. There will be significant betting placed at the track and at sportsbooks around the world and online once again this…