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Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Uncle Heavy
A decade after Social Inclusion set the world abuzz as a possible Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, his son Uncle Heavy is embarking down the same path.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Mystik Dan
Does Mystik Dan have the pedigree to stretch out over 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby (G1)? That’s an important question Derby handicappers must ponder.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Hades
How far can Hades run? Does he have the stamina to shine over 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby (G1), or will shorter journeys prove more favorable?
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Stronghold
The Kentucky Derby (G1) looms on the horizon for Stronghold, but does he have the pedigree to shine racing 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May? That’s a tricky question that requires a nuanced answer.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Otto the Conqueror
Otto the Conqueror showed unwavering tenacity to win the Remington Springboard Mile at Remington Park by three-quarters of a length, in the process joining the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Sierra Leone
Racing 1 1/8 miles is no obstacle for Sierra Leone, winner of the Blue Grass (G1) and Risen Star (G2) and runner-up in the Remsen (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Neither should the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby (G1) prove problematic for the beautifully bred colt.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: No More Time
A gate-to-wire victory in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs launched No More Time into the picture as a 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Domestic Product
The pedigree of Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Domestic Product suggests the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby (G1) might be a furlong farther than his best.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Encino
Encino is bred top and bottom to shine on dirt, which bodes well for his chances of factoring in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Deterministic
A seven-month layoff couldn’t stop Deterministic from joining the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a win in the one-mile Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct. But can Deterministic stretch out over 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby (G1)?
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Honor Marie
When Honor Marie tackled a two-turn configuration for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, he rallied strongly to win by two lengths, emerging as a 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Endlessly
Endlessly has been a force to reckon with on turf and synthetic, but he's never run on dirt, the surface over which the Kentucky Derby (G1) is contested.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: T O Password
A hard-fought head triumph in the Fukuryu S. at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan thrust T O Password into the picture as a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Track Phantom
Does Lecomte (G3) winner Track Phantom have the stamina to carry his speed over 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby (G1)? His pedigree gives off mixed signals.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Fierceness
A blend of tactical speed and staying power carried Fierceness to blowout victories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Florida Derby (G1), stamping the bay colt as the possible favorite for the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Racing
Kentucky Derby dynasties: Visualizing today's most successful bloodlines
The 150-year history of the Kentucky Derby is more than written records, photographs, crackly old broadcasts, race replays, and personal memories.
Kentucky Derby
Catching My Eye: Unpacking the Louisiana Derby
Fair Grounds has signed off on its 152nd season, but with a series of prep races that have been as productive as any on the first weekend of May, it’s way too soon to turn the page. Here’s a bookmark for the 111th Louisiana Derby, which when the dust settles, I believe will rank as one of the best and most productive in recent memory.
Analysis
2024 Kentucky Derby News and Notes
2024 KENTUCKY DERBY LATEST NEWS, LIVE UPDATES, ANALYSIS, CONTENDERS & ODDS INFORMATION
Kentucky Derby
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Florida Derby
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Arkansas Derby
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential.
Racing
Racing Roundtable: Louisiana Derby, Jeff Ruby, and Fair Grounds Oaks takeaways
The Racing Roundtable assesses the Louisiana Derby (G2), Jeff Ruby Steaks (G2), and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) from the past weekend.
Racing
Hanson: 2024 Louisiana Derby Day Spot Plays
The penultimate day of the 2023-24 winter meet at Fair Grounds on Saturday is also the biggest, highlighted by the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2). Before that comes 11 races, including four open stakes. Here are several horses of interest on the program.
Racing
Scully: Handicapping Fair Grounds All Stakes Pick 5
Saturday’s 111th running of the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) anchors a $500,000 guaranteed All Stakes Late Pick 5 sequence at Fair Grounds, and I've put together a ticket.
Racing
A Clean Start: The Evolution of the Kentucky Derby Starting Gate
In its 150 years, the Kentucky Derby has gone from a standing start to a barrier to the modern starting gate, a journey that shows the ever-evolving science of a clean start.
Racing
Playing the Bayou Bluegrass 5
An incredibly challenging sequence of five races to be held at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park will be offered on Saturday as the Bayou Bluegrass 5, which is based on a $1 minimum wager with a 15% takeout rate.
Racing
Trackside: 2024 Louisiana Derby Weekend at Fair Grounds [VIDEO]
TwinSpires races to the track this weekend to bring you exclusive content surrounding this week's Louisiana Derby where 100 points are up for grabs on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby
Tipsheet: 2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks
An overflow field of 14 sophomores will run nine furlongs on the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park in the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on Saturday.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Jeff Ruby S. at Turfway Park. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential. The star rating of 1 to 5 represents opportunity to perform well. Be sure to follow these contenders by adding them to your Stable Alerts.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Amante Bianco
When Amante Bianco rallied to victory in the Cattleya at Tokyo Racecourse, the flashy white colt picked up 10 qualification points on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and emerged as a possible contender for the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Racing
Becoming Involved: Ownership and Investment in Racehorses
The thrill of winning drives every Thoroughbred racehorse owner. It can be a difficult journey, one filled with setbacks and anguish, but nothing beats the excitement and fulfillment when everything comes together.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Louisiana Derby
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Locked
After overcoming a wide trip to win the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Locked ranks among the early favorites for the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Racing
The Culinary Spectacle of the Kentucky Derby: A Feast of Tradition and Excitement
Join us as we delve into the captivating numbers that fuel the culinary spectacle at the Kentucky Derby — a celebration where tradition, flavor, and excitement come together in a manner unlike any other.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Cornishman, Quiet Wisdom strike
Could a Road to the Kentucky Derby foray be in the cards for Cornishman? It’s not inconceivable.
Racing
Sierra Leone ranks as overall 7-1 favorite in KDFW Pool 5; Impel favored in Oaks Future
Although no points races were contested over the weekend, there was wagering action aplenty in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW), and the lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW).
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Timberlake
Can Timberlake become the third son of Into Mischief to win the Kentucky Derby (G1)? Only time will tell, but the bay colt is trending in the right direction.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Drum Roll Please
Drum Roll Please joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a third-place finish in the Remsen (G2), and a subsequent 3 3/4-length win in the Jerome S. at Aqueduct reiterates his emergence as a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Ramjet
When Ramjet stormed home victorious by three lengths in the Hyacinth S. on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, he delivered on a pedigree geared top and bottom toward high-level success running long on dirt.
Racing
Tall Tales of the Track, Kentucky Derby Edition: Bets, Brawls, and Beefs at the 1911 Derby
In 1911, the famed Kentucky Derby was the scene of a racing drama with a cast of characters that included a Kentucky hardboot, a Chicago plunger, a classic-winning jockey, and a suspicious bit of cash.
Racing
Sierra Leone, Tarifa early favorites in Kentucky Derby and Oaks future pools
The fifth pool of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and the 2024 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW) will be offered concurrently this week for three days, beginning at noon ET on Friday.
Racing
Racing Roundtable: Kentucky Derby and Oaks leaderboard roundup and other notable performances
With a break in the action along the Road to the Kentucky Derby this upcoming weekend, the Racing Roundtable gives their top Kentucky Derby (G1) and Oaks (G1) picks at the moment and discusses some stakes action that caught their eye over the weekend.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Society Man wins on class drop
A trio of Triple Crown nominees broke their maidens last week, emerging as possible Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders eight weeks out from the first Saturday in May.
Racing
Faded Glory: Forgotten Kentucky Derby Winners (Worth, 1912)
In Louisville, the big show went on as racing fans once again celebrated another Kentucky Derby, its victor a champion colt whose brief time on the racetrack left the sport wondering “what if?”
Racing
Five of the biggest shocks in Kentucky Derby history
Unlike games of chance that you might encounter in a casino, the result of a Thoroughbred horse race is far from a random outcome event. That’s not to say that there aren’t inexplicable surprises from time to time. In its century and a half of longevity, the Kentucky Derby has seen its share.
Kentucky Derby
2024 Kentucky Derby Prep Races Schedule
Since 1975, the Derby field has adhered to a strict limit: 20 starters. This constraint, akin to experimental parameters, shapes the race's dynamics. In 22 of the last 25 years, the field has swelled to this maximum—a statistical anomaly that defies assumptions.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Be You breaks through
You might assume March is too late for a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner to break his maiden. That might be true for some horses, but it shouldn’t be an issue for Be You.
Racing
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 San Felipe S.
Meet the horses running in the 2024 San Felipe S. (G2) at Santa Anita.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Fountain of Youth S.
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 John Battaglia Memorial
Meet the horses running in the 2024 John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfland Park.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Four winners running long
Reasoned Analysis failed to factor in two starts as a juvenile, but the Chad Brown trainee broke through in his three-year-old debut, emerging as a possible Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Antiquarian scores for Pletcher
On Feb. 18, 2018, Justify won his debut in eye-catching fashion. Less than four months later he was a Triple Crown winner, proving late February isn’t too late for a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner to break his maiden.
Racing
Sierra Leone becomes 6-1 individual favorite in KDFW Pool 4
The overarching story was the impact of Saturday’s Risen Star (G2) in the midst of the betting window – and the ensuing plunge on Sierra Leone.
Racing
Trackside: 2024 Risen Star Week at Fair Grounds [VIDEO]
TwinSpires is trackside all week from Fair Grounds as we talk with trainers, visit with horses and host barn tours. Our team of Abbey Huffman, Ashley Anderson and Blaise Bollman give you exclusive access to one of the main staging grounds of winter racing and Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Kentucky Derby
Locked installed at 10-1 for Pool 4 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Pool 4 of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) will be held this week. Wagering opens at noon ET on Friday and concludes Sunday at 6 p.m. $2 win and exacta wagering will be offered.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Winners in Florida and New York
Two-time Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainer Todd Pletcher continues to add to his roster of contenders for the 2024 Run for the Roses.
Racing
Fair odds for 150th Kentucky Derby (Feb. 9 edition)
The Kentucky Derby (G1) points leaderboard is about to undergo some dramatic changes beginning next week with the first 50-points-to-the-winner prep, the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Racing
Dornoch looking to keep Kentucky Derby in the family
If successful in the Kentucky Derby, not only would Dornoch long be recognized as the winner of an historic edition, but he would also become the first sibling of a Derby winner to also win the race.
Racing
Pedigree profile: Nysos
After two blowout victories sprinting, it was no surprise to see Nysos dominate his two-turn debut, winning the one-mile Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) at Santa Anita by 7 1/2 lengths.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Well-bred Tuscan Gold romps
Only time will tell if Tuscan Gold has the talent to win the Kentucky Derby (G1). But there’s no doubt the bay colt has the pedigree to shine on the first Saturday in May.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Robert B. Lewis Stakes
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) at Santa Anita. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential. The star rating of 1 to 5 represents opportunity to perform well. Be sure to follow these contenders by adding them to your Stable Alerts.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: 2024 Withers Stakes
Meet the horses running in the 2024 Withers S. (G3) at Aqueduct. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a rating of potential. The star rating of 1 to 5 represents opportunity to perform well. Be sure to follow these contenders by adding them to your Stable Alerts.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Speak Easy is the talk of the town
One year after Kentucky Derby winner Mage won a Pegasus World Cup Day maiden race at Gulfstream Park, Speak Easy impressed in an identical maiden contest.
Racing
Catching My Eye: Asmussen has two pointed for Risen Star
In the end, the Lecomte (G3) didn’t tell me much besides reinforcing a lesson I thought I had etched into my skull.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Hall of Fame is very fast
The equine Hall of Fame took a solid first step toward a place in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame when he smashed a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Racing
Fierceness holds steady at 8-1; 'All Others' 2-1 in KDFW Pool 3
Final odds for Pool 3 of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Racing
Horses to watch in Pool 3 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will be offered Friday-Sunday, and TwinSpires handicappers James Scully and Vance Hanson have come up with individual choices they like among the lineup of 40, as well a consensus value play.
Racing
First-crop sires: The Wine Steward finishes 2023 as Vino Rosso’s top earner
Spendthrift Farm’s Vino Rosso, the 2019 winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), closed out the 2023 season ranked third among North American first-crop sires, with $2,193,544 in progeny earnings; nearly 17% of which was earned by The Wine Steward.
Racing
Fierceness installed at 8-1 for Pool 3 of Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Pool 3 of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) will be offered this weekend, beginning at noon ET on Friday. Wagering closes Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Pool 3 features $2 win and exacta wagering.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Pletcher saddles three winners
Two-time Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a trio of possible 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders to break their maidens during the second week of January.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Ari’s Magic sparkles on debut
The first week of January produced a handful of noteworthy three-year-old maiden winners with possible Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Flashy winners close out 2023
During the closing days of 2023, a bevy of potential Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders posted flashy maiden victories from coast to coast.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Cox colts shine at Fair Grounds
A pair of 1 1/16-mile maiden special weights contested at Fair Grounds on Saturday could have 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) implications.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Winners from coast to coast
All around the country, promising 2-year-olds posted sharp maiden victories last week, throwing their names in the ring as potential 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Speed Runner runs to his name
Two-time Kentucky Derby (G1)-winning trainer Todd Pletcher already conditions Fierceness, the early favorite for the 2024 Run for the Roses. But Pletcher’s contingent of possible Derby contenders keeps getting deeper.
Racing
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Dornoch
It’s safe to say that Dornoch has the pedigree of a Kentucky Derby (G1) winner. Because… he literally has the pedigree of a Kentucky Derby winner.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: How talented is El Capi?
How talented is El Capi? It’s hard to say for certain. He was spectacular when debuting in a seven-furlong maiden special weight last Saturday at Aqueduct, but his performance was not without a caveat.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Five graduate at Churchill
Possible contenders for the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) were out in abundance during Thanksgiving week at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Fierceness popular in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2
Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 closed on Sunday with runaway Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Fierceness listed as the 8-1 individual favorite.
Racing
Fierceness installed at 15-1 in Pool 2 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Fierceness, the presumptive champion two-year-old colt following a dominating performance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita earlier this month, was installed at 15-1 on the morning line for Pool 2 of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW).
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Carbone finishes fast in debut
The week before Thanksgiving is typically a quiet one as far as stakes racing goes. But Carbone made enough noise for five stakes horses when he smashed his debut on Sunday at Churchill Downs.
Racing
First-Crop Sires: Flameaway making a mark on turf
Flameaway’s first crop started strong this spring/summer, placing him among the top five freshman sires based on progeny earnings, and the eight-year-old stallion remains prominent.
Racing
First-crop sires: Vino Rosso a top-shelf stallion with most progeny earnings by first-crop sires
Vino Rosso has created some distance between himself and Maximus Mischief as the top first-crop sire by progeny earnings in North America and Europe.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Nash dominates for Godolphin
Possible Road to the Kentucky Derby contenders were out in abundance on Sunday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Kentucky Derby glory a longshot for major juvenile winners
The lopsided win by Fierceness in last week's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) has put the colt in the position of early favorite to repeat that success in the 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs next May.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Knightsbridge impresses
While most racing fans were watching the Breeders’ Cup, a trio of Saturday maiden special weights at tracks around the U.S. produced eye-catching winners with possible 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations.
Racing
A Classic Connection: How Derby Horses Fare in the Breeders' Cup Classic
At 10 furlongs, the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) stands as the capstone race of the two-day, 14-race world championships. Its distance is the same as the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Racing
Betting begins on Pool 1 of 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager
Pool 1 of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) begins on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon ET and will conclude on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Churchill winners shine
The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) is barely more than six months away, which means it’s time to resume our annual Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch series.
Racing
Meet the Contenders: Pros, Cons, and horse ratings for the 2023 Iroquois S.
Meet the Contenders: Pros, Cons, and horse ratings for the 2023 Iroquois S.
Racing
Hanson: England gets its Triple Crown right, why can't we?
The drumbeats and clamoring for changes in spacing between the three Triple Crown events has gotten noticeably louder in recent weeks, the result of a disturbing trend this year in which there was little continuity in field composition.
Triple Crown
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Mage
It’s safe to say Mage hails from a family of Kentucky Derby veterans. His sire, grandsire, and dam sire all started in the Run for the Roses.
Kentucky Derby
Later developers increasingly the ones to fear in American classics
It was only five years ago that we were still talking about the “Curse of Apollo,” whereby horses unraced at age two were perceived to be at a serious disadvantage in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby Reflections by John Mucciolo
The 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs didn’t disappoint with a huge crowd on hand, a massive viewing audience from afar, and a thrilling race with a great storyline, too.
Kentucky Derby
Catching My Eye: Kentucky Derby Weekend at Churchill Downs
Analyst Kevin Kilroy looks back on the weekend of racing at Churchill Downs, including the 149th Kentucky Derby (G1), the Pat Day Mile (G2), and the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.
Kentucky Derby
Racing Roundtable: 2023 Kentucky Derby weekend
James Scully, Kellie Reilly, and Vance Hanson recap the events of Kentucky Derby weekend in this edition of the Racing Roundtable.
Kentucky Derby
2023 Kentucky Derby: Five Takeaways You Need to Know After Mage's Win in 149th Race
Mage’s victory as a 15-1 chance in Saturday’s 149th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) will leave plenty of food for thought in the coming days. For the moment, here are five instant takeaways.
Kentucky Derby
2023 Kentucky Derby winner: Mage (15-1) wins the 149th Kentucky Derby
In a thrilling drive to the Churchill Downs finish line, 15-1 longshot Mage fought off all challengers to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) by one length.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby 2025
Kentucky Derby information
Learn about the 2025 Kentucky Derby
What is the Kentucky Derby?
- Location: Churchill Downs
- Inaugural Race: 1875
- Current Distance: 1 & 1/4 miles (10 furlongs)
- Track Type: Left-Handed Dirt
- Age Qualification: Three-year-olds
- 2025 Purse: $5 million
- 2025 Race Date: Saturday, May 3rd
Kentucky Derby Contenders: Updated Oct. 7, 2024 | Runner Information |
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Kentucky Derby Video
A Brief History of the Kentucky Derby
The most famous horse race in the world is the most thrilling two minutes in sport. It takes place on the first Saturday in May at the historic Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky and regularly attended by more than 150,000 people. The record attendance was 165,307 in 2012, and in 2014 164,906 watched California Chrome win "the run for the roses".
The inaugural Kentucky Derby took place in 1875 after Col. Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr had visited England three years earlier and witnessed the Epsom Derby, a famous race which had been run since 1780 on the outskirts of London. The Kentucky Derby was originally raced over the same distance of 1 & 1/2 miles as the Epsom Derby (it was changed to its current distance of 1 & 1/4 miles in 1896. An estimated crowd of 10,000 watched the colt Aristides crowned winner of the first running of the race at the newly constructed Churchill Downs racecourse.
The first live radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was in 1925, and it wasn't until 1949 that the first television coverage of the race happened. In 2016 the race will be covered live by NBC with real-time payouts and results from horse racing's premier event available all day on BetAmerica.com.
The race is so popular that in the preceding two weeks leading up to the running, the city of Louisville holds the Kentucky Derby Festival, Kentucky’s largest single annual event. The Kentucky Derby Festival is comprised of several events, including Thunder Over Louisville (the biggest annual fireworks display in North America), the Great Balloon Race, the Pegasus Parade (one the countries largest), and The Great Steamboat Race.
Entries into the Kentucky Derby include some of the most famous racehorses to ever compete. Notable entries into the race include Regret, Sir Burton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Citation, Northern Dancer, Seattle Slew, War Emblem, and California Chrome.
Visit our Kentucky Derby Trivia page for more insights into the most famous race in the world, including detailed facts about entries, records, and winners.
TwinSpires is a licensed supplier of online betting on the Kentucky Derby. You can bet on the Kentucky Derby legally online at TwinSpires.com with a regulated U.S. based website where your deposits are safe and your winnings are guaranteed. All bets are placed directly into the official Churchill Downs betting pools and all winnings are paid at full track odds.
Kentucky Derby Race Records
Fastest Time Recorded
- 1.59.40
Secretariat - 1973
Biggest Odds Winner
- 91-1
Donerail - 1913
Biggest Win Margin
- 8 lengths
Assault (1946) & Whirlaway (1941)
Most Wins by a Jockey
- 5
Eddie Arcaro (1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1952) & Bill Hartack (1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1969)
Most Wins by an Owner
- 8
Calumet Farm (1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1968)
Most Wins by a Trainer
- 6
Ben A Jones (1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, 1952)
Bob Baffert (1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021*)
Kentucky Derby prep-race listing:
View a complete list of prep-races that award points along the Road to the Kentucky Derby trail. Prep-races are valuable stepping stones for horses looking to compete on the First Saturday in May.
Kentucky Derby Party & Fun Facts
- KELLY: One Hundred Years Ago, Colonel Bradley Goes for the One-Two
- KELLY: More Than One Way to Wear Roses
- HANSON: D. Wayne Lukas the best asset for fillies in Kentucky Derby preps
- HANSON: Phenom to Journeyman: The Riding Life of Bill Boland
- KELLY: Some Things Stay the Same: One Hundred Days, One Hundred Years Ago
- HANSON: 1945 - When the Kentucky Derby moved from May to June