VIDEOS
LATEST
Which 2021 Kentucky Derby horse should you bet?
If you still need help narrowing down the 2021 Kentucky Derby field, we have the perfect solution with our latest personality quiz!
Racing
Ranking the major Kentucky Derby preps of 2021
For this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), a record eight top-tier prep races were contested. Let’s look back at final round of preps and rank their apparent impact on the 2021 Kentucky Derby field.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Betting Guide 147
The Kentucky Derby Betting Guide has been produced annually since 2017. Players enjoy the Tipsheets from our authoritative handicappers whom provide tickets and top picks to watch in the paddock. From Brisnet, the At a Glance report from the previous full spring meet allows players to enter the meet early with informed stats on hot jockeys, trainers and track biases.
Racing
Mucciolo: Kentucky Derby 147 post position draw analysis
The field is set for the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. And is the case every year, there are multiple talking points centered on where the contenders have been drawn in the 20-horse field. Here are my three major takeaways from Tuesday’s post position draw.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile: Florent Geroux
Normally, one doesn’t expect to see a standout apprentice jockey from France shift his tack to the United States and carve out a productive career riding elite dirt horses.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile: Flavien Prat
A champion apprentice jockey in his native France, Flavien Prat has been on a steady rise to stardom.
Racing
Kentucky Derby 2021 by the numbers
To get you ready for the most exciting racing event of the year, check out these fast facts and figures, as we break down the 2021 Kentucky Derby by the numbers.
Racing
147th Kentucky Derby field and ML
The field and morning line odds for the 147th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Racing
Kentucky Derby jockey profile: David Cohen
Through the years, jockey David Cohen has carved out a productive career at racetracks across the country.
Racing
Kentucky Derby jockey profile: Corey Lanerie
The shortest path around a racetrack is the inside rail, and few jockeys have capitalized on this advantage as well as Corey Lanerie.
Racing
One Hundred Years Ago, Colonel Bradley Goes for the One-Two
A century ago, the Kentucky Derby was blossoming into the Run for the Roses, America’s most famous horse race. Names now iconic in Derby history contributed to its growing popularity, these humans and horses synonymous with cascading blankets of roses and icy cups of mint juleps: Regret and Exterminator, Harry Payne Whitney and Colonel Matt Winn. In the 1920s and 1930s, another Kentucky colonel added his name to that list, Edward Riley Bradley.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile: Luis Saez
The rise of jockey Luis Saez has been meteoric. Ever since he started riding, he’s been a force to be reckoned with.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile: Mike Smith
The 55-year-old from New Mexico has partnered with some of racing’s most legendary horses since picking up his first official victory.
Racing
Kentucky Derby workouts and bubble watch: April 26, 2021
The field is set, the post draw is right around the corner, and all the serious pre-race workouts are complete. The Kentucky Derby is just five days away, and you can feel the tension building.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Jockey Profile: Ricardo Santana Jr.
It’s safe to say Ricardo Santana Jr. is a jockey on the rise. The 28-year-old from Panama has made almost uninterrupted progress since September 2009.
Racing
Five festive Kentucky Derby drinks that aren't a mint julep
Not everyone acquires the taste of the mint julep, the traditional Kentucky Derby libation made of one part water, one part sugar, bourbon, mint, and a heap of crushed ice.
Racing
Keeler Johnson's top five contenders to watch for the Kentucky Oaks
Although most handicappers are focused on analyzing the Kentucky Derby, Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs is a great race in its own right.
Racing
How the rose became the Kentucky Derby's signature flower
It is every owner’s dream to receive the huge garland presented to the winner of the Run for the Roses each year. But where does the tradition come from?
Racing
The best horses to lose the Kentucky Derby
These five horses made their mark in racing history in spite of their shortcomings in the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby
2021 Kentucky Derby: Brisnet Speed Rating Report
The Kentucky Derby is the most analyzed race in North America, and Brisnet Speed ratings serve as a useful handicapping tool for the big event.
Racing
Why didn't Man o' War run in the Kentucky Derby?
Considered by many to be the greatest thoroughbred racehorse of all-time, Man o’ War wasn't even entered in the 1920 Kentucky Derby, a head-scratching decision even now.
Racing
Meet the Kentucky Derby contenders of 2021
Discover each of the Kentucky Derby contenders with TwinSpires' official Meet the Kentucky Derby Contenders free download! This document will introduce you to each Kentucky Derby runner by exclusive family information and reveal true abilities to run the 1 1/4 miles distance at Churchill Downs in a style or effort that past horses have found success with.
Racing
QUIZ: Learn your Kentucky Derby style
Before you tune in to the Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 1, make sure you know what to wear with our Kentucky Derby style quiz!
Racing
The 5 greatest trainers that have never won the Kentucky Derby
A horseman’s greatness is often determined by their success in Triple Crown races, particularly the Kentucky Derby (G1). These five outstanding trainers are without a win in the "Run for the Roses."
Racing
Who is the most intriguing Kentucky Derby longshot?
Get to know some of the most interesting dark-horse candidates for the greatest two minutes in sports.
Racing
The Kentucky Derby's luckiest (and unluckiest) draws
The number your pick draws in the Kentucky Derby could decide your fate before you even place a bet.
Racing
Watch: The bond between O Besos' two riders
Jockey Marcelino Pedroza and exercise rider Magarito Fierro have more in common than the Greg Foley-trained Kentucky Derby contender O Besos.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: O Besos
Kentucky Derby winners might be elite racehorses, but they don’t necessarily make elite stallions. Derby winners who sire Derby winners are a relative rarity; can Orb pull off the double with O Besos?
Racing
The oddest horse names in Kentucky Derby history
There are a number of weird and wonderful horse names that have made it to the biggest stage of all. Here are the 10 best in Kentucky Derby history.
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby Context: O Besos
To make the Kentucky Derby field, O Besos needed a top three finish in the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). He was the only contestant to make an impact from off the pace in an eight-horse field, rallying well for third.
Racing
How to pick a Kentucky Derby horse if you're not a handicapper
From meaningful moniker to coat color, here are a few alternate ways to find a winning Kentucky Derby horse if you're not an expert handicapper.
Racing
Kentucky Derby roundup: April 12, 2021
Upsets reigned supreme in the final round of Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races. As the first Saturday in May marches closer, let’s review on the latest news and notes on the Derby trail:
Racing
Some Things Stay the Same: One Hundred Days, One Hundred Years Ago
A century ago, January 21st saw racing in the midst of its yearly changing of the guard, the champions of 1920 giving way to their successors.
Racing
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Horse Profile: Get Her Number
Gary Barber’s Get Her Number earned an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on November 7 with a three-parts of a length triumph in the $301,000 American Pharoah.
Racing
QUIZ: The ultimate Kentucky Derby quiz
Do you know everything there is to know about the history and culture of "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports?" Find out by taking our skill-testing quiz.
Racing
Wagering options for your Kentucky Derby party
Offering friendly wagering options at your Kentucky Derby party brings the betting windows to your home and gives your guests an opportunity to be more invested in the race.
Racing
Derby Americana: Kentucky Derby bourbon tour
In this edition of Derby Americana, we look at bourbon, a spirit synonymous with Kentucky.
Racing
Kentucky Derby culinary traditions
Elevate your Derby party by adding one of these customary dishes to your menu.
Racing
Analyzing 30 years of Kentucky Derby pace fractions
Once upon a time, the Kentucky Derby was a race in which any running style could regularly succeed. But times have changed.
Kentucky Derby
10 little-discussed Kentucky Derby records
Boost your Kentucky Derby trivia skills by reviewing these 10 little-discussed records.
Racing
Kentucky Derby Americana: Decadent and Depraved
The 96th running of the Kentucky Derby led Hunter S. Thompson to introduce gonzo journalism to the world.
Racing
2020 Kentucky Derby News & Notes
The Kentucky Derby news and notes offers all of our Derby news coverage cultivated in one place! Bookmark and stay up to date.
Racing
1945 - When the Kentucky Derby moved from May to June by Vance Hanson
When the Kentucky Derby ran in June. 1945 proved a record season for Thoroughbred racing with nearly $1.4 billion wagered following the lifting of the ban.
Racing
Phenom to Journeyman: The Riding Life of Bill Boland
For almost seven decades, Bill Boland has been able to call himself a winner of the Kentucky Derby. The Hall of Fame jockey recently looked back on his career and his stories are priceless.
Racing
2019 Kentucky Derby News & Notes
The Road to the Kentucky Derby series of points races ended with a bang when OMAHA BEACH recorded a one-length victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park .
Final works are all that remain as the contenders ready for the first Saturd ...
Racing
2018 Kentucky Derby News & Notes
The preps have been completed and the contenders are putting in their final major works – it's time for the 2018 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs!
The clock is ticking down the days – not the months, not the weeks, the DAYS! – until the 14 ...
Racing
Apollo casts a long shadow but curses made to be broken
What does the Kentucky Derby hold for future contenders, what can we learn from the past? One of the longest-standing trends in sports, the Curse of Apollo says...
Racing
Mike Battaglia prepares to call the Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park (Adam Spradling Photo)
Spiraling Up to the Kentucky Derby
The story behind Turfway Park's Kentucky Derby prep-race during a special race call of the Battaglia Memorial by his son Mike Battaglia.
Racing
2017 Kentucky Derby News & Notes
The 143rd running of the famed Kentucky Derby (G1) takes place Saturday, and another great field of three-year-olds has been assembled to take part in the Run for the Roses.
The first Kentucky Derby took place May 17, 1875, and “The Most Exciting ...
Racing
Nyquist a powerful Kentucky Derby winner
After capturing his second Kentucky Derby in five years, trainer Doug O’Neill said of Nyquist: "He’s a remarkable athlete…you put him in company and he’s just a Ferrari."
Racing
Kentucky Derby Pedigrees: Gun Runner
Gun Runner’s pedigree offers an attractive blend of high-class speed and routing capacity over every surface.
His sire is the brilliant and unbeaten Candy Ride, who secured championship miler honors in his native Argentina with a pair of Group 1 r ...
Pedigree
Kentucky Derby Post Positions Cause Major Top 20 Shifts
All during the Road to the Kentucky Derby, my number one has been Carpe Diem. After last night’s post-position draw, that is no longer the case. We would be kidding ourselves if we said post position didn’t matter in a field of 2 ...
Racing
Top 5 Horses that Never Ran in the Kentucky Derby
Late-bloomers end up becoming awesome runners later in the horse racing year, and later on in their careers at older ages.
Racing
Kentucky Derby 2026
Kentucky Derby information
Learn about the 2026 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
- 2026 Purse: $5 million
- 2026 Race Date: Saturday, May 2nd
Previous Kentucky Derby Contenders: | Runner Information |
 (Photo by Coglianese Photos) |
|
 (Photo by Coady Media) |
|
 (Photo by Benoit Photography) |
|
 (Photo by Coady Media) |
|
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