Horse racing is undeniably exciting, but many spectators who tune into the Kentucky Derby don’t fully understand the history of the race. And honestly, to appreciate the majesty of top-level Grade I horse racing, you certainly don’t have to be any kind of aficionado.
However, for those who are betting on Kentucky Derby action, or even for those thinking about doing so, it’s a good idea to get some kind of background on both the history of the race and the wagering procedures and outcomes thereof. The Following Kentucky Derby FAQs should answer a lot of your initial questions about the “fastest two minutes in sports.”
Kentucky Derby Event FAQs
For the particulars of the biggest horse race in the world, the following Kentucky Derby Event FAQs should get you up to speed on the basics behind the who, what, where, when, and why. If you’re planning on attending the race, or even if you’re just curious about its history, some of your questions should be answered here.
When Is The Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday of May each year. While the Derby is the first leg of the famed Triple Crown series, it hasn’t always been run before the Preakness Stakes, albeit the current format has been in effect since 1932. (Prior to that, the Kentucky Derby had been held after the Preakness on 11 occasions, with the races held on the same day in both 1917 and 1922.)
Where Is The Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is run each year at the famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, where it has been staged each year since its inception. Churchill Downs is the most famous racetrack in horse racing history.
How Old Is The Kentucky Derby?
The first Kentucky Derby was held at Churchill Downs in 1875, and it has been raced every year since, making it nearly 150 years old. In fact, the Kentucky Derby represents the oldest ongoing major sports institution in America, older than even the National League of Major League Baseball, which was founded one year later in 1876.
How Many People Attend The Kentucky Derby?
Churchill Downs is one of the largest sporting venues in the country, with seating and standing room for over 170,000 spectators. Typically, the Kentucky Derby draws about 160,000 fans each year.
Is There A Kentucky Derby Dress Code?
Yes and no. While there is no Kentucky Derby dress code, there are staff “suggestions” (which basically means you can be asked to leave if you’re deemed to be dressed inappropriately). Generally speaking, the preferred Kentucky Derby attire is comprised of dress jackets, blazers, vests, collared shirts, and cummerbunds for the gentlemen, while the ladies are encouraged to wear dresses, pantsuits, and the like. Shorts are generally frowned upon, and torn clothing, t-shirts, halter tops, midriff tops, and basic athletic wear is not allowed. For Churchill Downs sections where “Track Casual” attire is permitted, dress shorts and capris are acceptable, as are dress jeans and slacks. (Clip-on ties are allowed but will probably get you laughed at.)
How Much Does It Cost To Go To The Kentucky Derby?
If you’re an owner with a horse in the contest, it costs millions of dollars to go to the Kentucky Derby. However, if you’re a fan and simply wish to witness the race in person, tickets range from under $100 for infield entry to tens of thousands of dollars for club seats and accommodations.
What Is The Entry Fee For Kentucky Derby Participants
In addition to the millions of dollars invested in a 3-year-old Thoroughbred race horse by the time they’re ready to run the Kentucky Derby, the entry fee for the Derby itself is $25,000 to register and $25,000 more if the horse makes the final cut.
What Is The Kentucky Derby Purse Size?
The current Kentucky Derby purse size is $2 million, with $1,425,000 going to the winner and the rest split proportionally for positions 2 through 5. A fifth-place horse can expect to win in the neighborhood of $60,000.
Kentucky Derby Betting FAQs
For most folks, the particulars of the Kentucky Derby’s history or event background is less important than the wagering and betting laws surrounding the race. After all, the dramatic majority of bettors won’t be able to attend Churchill Downs for the historic running, so they’ll be betting at simulcast locations and legal online racebooks. These Kentucky Derby betting FAQs should help you get a handle on your handle.
Is it Legal To Bet On The Kentucky Derby?
It is mostly legal to bet on the Kentucky Derby, although a few US states do not allow on-site simulcast wagering and/or off-track betting (OTB). For a list of all the states that offer legal Kentucky Derby betting, please visit this primer. For those who wish to bet on the Derby online, it is completely legal to do so for residents of all 50 states, provided they use a reputable offshore racebook (Bovada, SportsBetting, BetOnline, etc.).
Will I Be Arrested For Betting On The Kentucky Derby?
You absolutely will not be arrested for betting on the Kentucky Derby. However, if land-based wagering on horses is not explicitly legal in your state, be sure to use a top online racebook like Bovada et al. to bet on the contest.
What Is The Best Online Kentucky Derby Racebook?
Most online horse racing enthusiasts prefer Bovada, and it is probably the best online Kentucky Derby racebook in the industry. However, Bovada does not accept customers from DE, MD, NV, NJ, or NY. If you live in one of these states – or if you simply wish to shop around for the best odds on a given horse – you can use another top racebook like SportsBetting or BetOnline.
What Is The Best Deposit Method For Kentucky Derby Betting?
The best deposit method for Kentucky Derby betting is largely dependent on your particular needs. However, if you need to get cash into your racebook account ASAP, you’ll want to use a debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) or a cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin). These have reasonable limits for most bettors, and they have near-immediate transfer times.
What Is The Best Withdrawal Method For Kentucky Derby Betting?
The best withdrawal method for Kentucky Derby betting again depends on your personal needs. That said, if you want your winnings ASAP, you can request that your payout be sent via cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. Otherwise, you’ll have to rely on a courier check, bank wire, or money order, though these can take between one and two weeks to clear.
Should I Accept The Online Racebook Bonus?
This is a difficult question to answer, as there is a bit of fine print to consider when you accept an online racebook bonus. Still, the rule of thumb for most bettors is simply this: If you bet frequently and plan to do so for the foreseeable future, the bonuses will typically make you money (or give you better chances to do so). However, if you bet infrequently and only on large events like the Kentucky Derby, you will want to pass on any offered bonuses.
What Is Rollover?
Rollover is the mechanism by which your racebook bonuses have their terms fulfilled. For example, Bovada has a 50% Sports Welcome Bonus worth up to $250 (and which is valid for Kentucky Derby betting). This bonus has a rollover of 5X, among the lowest anywhere. This means that, if you deposit $500, you will have $750 to wager with. However, before you can withdraw any winnings associated with that $750, you must wager 5 times that amount at the site, or $3750.
What Is Pari-mutuel Betting?
Pari-mutuel betting is a pool-based system of betting, and it is used for the Kentucky Derby and all other horse racing events. Unlike regular sports betting, you will not know how much you stand to win until all the bets are in, as the winnings come out of the total handle (minus the racebook house take). Winners are paid according to the odds of their wagers at the time they are placed, with the allotted money split between everyone with the same winning ticket in a given bet category.
How Do I Read Kentucky Derby Odds?
Kentucky Derby odds are usually presented in the fractional system, though some books use the American moneyline system. If a horse has 5-to-1 odds (read as “five to one odds”), this might be shown as 5/1 or 5:1. It may also be shown via the moneyline as +500. All of these mean the same thing, in this case that a $1 bet pays out $5 (plus your initial $1 investment).
Who Is The Favorite To Win The Kentucky Derby?
While there is always going to be a favorite to win the Kentucky Derby, the leading horse usually won’t be known (or even agreed upon by racebooks) until the day of the race itself. Futures wagers are often available months ahead of the Derby, but be cautious here, as futures bets are not refunded if your horse does not actually compete in the event.
Kentucky Derby Trivia FAQs
A good bettor (or enthusiastic horse racing fan) should be aware of the various course and event records set over the years at the Kentucky Derby. In addition to impressing your friends come raceday, you might even find an edge when it comes to how to wager on the current Run for the Roses.
What Was The Largest Kentucky Derby Field?
The largest Kentucky Derby field was 23 horses in 1974. Currently, the Derby field is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.
What Was The Smallest Kentucky Derby Field?
The smallest Kentucky Derby field was 3 horses, and it happened twice, in 1892 and 1905. Thankfully, the modern Derby typically sees an average of five times that many competitors.
What Is The Fastest Kentucky Derby Time?
The fastest Kentucky Derby time was achieved by the great Secretariat in 1973, who finished the race in 1:59.40, which remains the record for the Derby under its current 1.25-mile format. (In the Derby’s earliest days, the course was 1.5 miles long, for which Spokane holds the record, having clocked 2:34.5 in 1889.)
What Is The Slowest Kentucky Derby Time?
The slowest Kentucky Derby time for a winner is 2:52:25, set by Kingman in 1891 when the race was 1.5 miles in length. The slowest winner of the Derby under its current 1.25-mile format was Stone Street, who finished in 2:15.20 (1908).
What Horse Was The Biggest Underdog To Win The Kentucky Derby?
The biggest underdog to win the Kentucky Derby was Donerail, who had 91-1 odds (+9100) in 1913. The next longest shots to win the Derby were Mine That Bird (2009) and Giacomo (2005), who both carried 50-1 odds (+5000).
What Are The Most Famous Horses To Win The Kentucky Derby?
There have been 12 Triple Crown winners, so it figures that the most famous horses to win the Kentucky Derby would be drawn from this pool. Historically, no other horse can hold a candle to Secretariat (1973), who is rated as the number-one or number-two racehorse of all time, depending on whom you ask.
Other notable winners include Citation (1948), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), and Barbaro (2006). Barbaro did not win the Triple Crown, but he was expected to before tragically breaking his leg in the Preakness (which would lead to his eventual euthanizing just a few months later).
What Are The Most Famous Horses Not To Win The Kentucky Derby?
In 1920, a horse named Man o’ War (ranked as the first- or second-best racehorse of all time along with Secretariat) was held out of the Kentucky Derby by his owner. That would prove a costly mistake retrospectively, as he went on to easily win the Preakness Stakes and Belmont that year before becoming the most significant sire in horse racing history. It is likely Man o’ War would have won the Triple Crown had he raced in the Kentucky Derby.
Other notable non-winners include Alydar, who finished a close second to Affirmed in the 1978 Kentucky Derby (and the other two legs of the Triple Crown), and Point Given, who in 2001 was being hailed as the next Secretariat and won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, but finished in a disappointing 5th place in the Derby.
What Jockeys Have The Most Kentucky Derby Wins?
There are two separate jockeys with 5 Kentucky Derby wins each. Eddie Arcaro won the Derby in 1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, and 1952, while Bill Hartack won it in 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1969. Arcaro twice won the Triple Crown, riding Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948. Hartack never won a Triple Crown.
What Trainers Have The Most Kentucky Derby Wins?
The most Kentucky Derby wins by a single trainer is 6 by Ben A. Jones (1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952). Jones was the head trainer for both Whirlaway and Citation in their successful Triple Crown campaigns.
What Owners Have The Most Kentucky Derby Winners?
The most Kentucky Derby wins for an owner is 8 by Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1968). 11 of their horses – including Triple Crown winners Whirlaway and Citation – have been inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
What Is The Biggest Bet Ever Won At The Kentucky Derby?
Winning tickets are not often publicized at the Derby, and the biggest single bet ever won is either intentionally undisclosed or simply lost to the annals of time (factoring in inflation, of course). That said, there are records that individual bettors have made in excess of $1 million on Superfecta bets throughout the race’s recent history, which likely puts them near the top. In 2017, one lucky bettor made news when he won $75,000 on a $1 ticket.
Kentucky Derby Triple Crown FAQs
As the first leg of the famed Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby has obvious implications for the seeding and expectations that come with the other two races in the series. Additionally, the results of the Derby can often clue you in on what is most likely to happen in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The following Kentucky Derby Triple Crown FAQs should assist you in picking any favorites for these two other world-class Thoroughbred races:
How Often Does A Horse Who Wins The Kentucky Derby Win The Preakness Stakes?
If a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, he is likely to win the Preakness Stakes approximately 25.4% of the time. This has happened 35 times in 138 qualifying Triple Crown series.
How Often Does A Horse Who Wins The Kentucky Derby Win The Belmont Stakes?
A horse that wins the Kentucky Derby is likely to win the Belmont Stakes 16.7% of the time. This has happened 23 times in 138 chances.
How Often Does A Horse Who Wins The Kentucky Derby Win The Triple Crown?
A horse that wins the Kentucky Derby goes on to win the Triple Crown (that is, to win both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes) only 8.7% of the time. There have only been 12 Triple Crown winners in history, and even though it seems that a horse will accomplish this feat a little under 1 time in 10, such wins have come in bunches with decades-long gaps between them.
