This year, the Kentucky Derby will be held on May 4 2024.
The Kentucky Derby is not only the biggest horse race in the US, but it is also one of the best-known horse races on the planet. Run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, this Grade 1 stakes flat race is contested by three-year-old thoroughbreds worldwide.
One of the unique features of the race is that it is run over a distance of 1m 2f (10 furlongs) and will be the first time any of the entries will have raced professionally over that distance. Open to male and female horses, the males (Colts and Geldings) carry a weight of 126 pounds, whilst the females (Fillies) carry 121 pounds.
This is where the fastest horses come to compete, the pinnacle of the racing calendar, and the most-watched race in the US. Victory can see a winning horse, jockey, owner, or trainer’s name enter the history books.
When and where will the Kentucky Derby be run?
The iconic Churchill Downs, in south Louisville, will host the Kentucky Derby again. Named after Samuel Churchill, who was part of a wealthy family from Kentucky, the facility first opened its gates in 1875.
Now, Churchill Downs can accommodate up to 170,000 people and attracts many famous faces for the big race. HM Queen Elizabeth II attended the race on five occasions between 1984 and 2007, with Street Sense the final Kentucky Derby winner she would witness in person.
Why is the Kentucky Derby such an important race?
The Kentucky Derby is the most eagerly awaited horse race in the US, and this year’s running of it will mark its 150th anniversary. The event is held each year and forms the first leg of the American Triple Crown, with the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes concluding the treble challenge.
The prize purse for the Kentucky Derby was increased in January 2024 to an incredible $5 million, which is why the race attracts the very best flat-running horses and trainers.
The race was first run on May 17, 1875, in front of a crowd estimated to be in the region of 10,000 people. Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr had organised it for the Louisville Jockey Club after being inspired by the Epsom Derby following his travels to England.
The first race was contested over 1m 4f (12 furlongs), the distance that the Epsom Derby is run over, before the length of the race was changed to its current distance of 10 furlongs in 1896.
Fifteen entries lined up for the inaugural Kentucky Derby, which Aristides won under the ride of Oliver Lewis.
Best Kentucky Derby performers
The incredible Secretariat set the record for winning the Kentucky Derby over 10 furlongs in 1973 with a time of 1 min 59.4 secs, which is still to be beaten to this day. Ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte and trained by Lucien Laurin, this equine legend went on to complete the Triple Crown that year, winning all three races in record times.
When the Kentucky Derby was run over 12 furlongs of the first two decades of the race, Spokane held the record of 2 mins 34.5 secs for winning the race in 1889.
The record for the biggest margin of victory is tied between four horses, each of whom won the race by eight lengths. They are Old Rosebud (1914), Johnstown (1939), Whirlaway (1941), and Assault (1946).
When Donerail won the Kentucky Derby in 1913, he won at the highest-ever odds of 91/1. In recent years, Rich Strike landed the race at odds of 80/1 in 2022.
Incredibly, three horses have won the Kentucky Derby despite never competing as a two-year-old. They were Apollo (1882), Justify (2018), and last year’s winner, Mage (2023).
Kentucky Derby Jockey and Trainer records
In total, 107 jockeys have won the Kentucky Derby, with two jockeys winning the race for a record five times.
Eddie Arcaro won in 1938, 1941, 1945, 1948, and 1952 over 21 years. Bill Hartack matched that feat from 12 rides, winning the race in 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, and 1969.
There have been 116 winning trainers over the years, with two trainers claiming a record six titles.
Ben Jones trained six winners from 11 starts landing success in 1938, 1941, 1944, 1948, 1949, and 1952. In recent years, Bob Baffert was the king of Churchill Downs, equalling the trainer record with wins in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, and 2020, from 24 starts.
Recent winners of the Kentucky Derby
| Year | Winner | Odds |
| 2023 | Mage | 15/1 |
| 2022 | Rich Strike | 80/1 |
| 2021 | Mandaloun | 12/1 |
| 2020 | Authentic | 8/1 |
| 2019 | Country House | 30/1 |
| 2018 | Justify* | 3/1 |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | 9/2 |
*Went on to win the Triple Crown
Get Ante Post Kentucky Derby odds
If you want to bet on the event, you can look at the Ante Post Kentucky Derby odds weeks before the race. Ante post betting is an extremely popular way to get better odds for the races you wish to gamble on. This is because the bookies create their prices well in advance of knowing which horses might enter the race and the form of the horses when the race arrives.
Check out all our latest sports markets for the best odds.
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