2025 Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge (KDBC) offers lucrative prizes

There’s still time to join the $5,000 Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge (KDBC) on TwinSpires.com and compete for your share of a guaranteed $250,000 prize pool.

What is the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge?

The KDBC is a live-money handicapping tournament packed with lucrative prizes. In addition to a minimum $250,000 in cash prizes (including $100,000 to the winner), the KDBC awards Kentucky Derby tickets and hotel accommodations to the top two finishers, a seat to the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge (BCBC), two seats to the 2026 KDBC, and two seats to the 2026 National Horseplayers Championship (NHC).

Based on the minimum $250,000 prize pool, here’s how the 2025 KDBC prize structure breaks down:

• 1st - $100,000 + 2 Kentucky Derby 152 Tickets + Hotel + 2026 KDBC Seat or 2025 BCBC Seat or 2026 NHC Seat
• 2nd - $50,000 + 2 Kentucky Derby 152 Tickets + Hotel + 2026 KDBC Seat or 2025 BCBC Seat or 2026 NHC Seat
• 3rd - $25,000 + 2026 KDBC Seat or 2025 BCBC Seat or 2026 NHC Seat
• 4th - $18,750 + 2026 KDBC Seat or 2025 BCBC Seat or 2026 NHC Seat
• 5th - $13,750 + 2026 KDBC Seat or 2025 BCBC Seat or 2026 NHC Seat
• 6th - $12,500
• 7th - $10,000
• 8th - $8,750
• 9th - $6,250
• 10th - $5,000

Entries for the 2025 KDBC will be accepted up until 11:00 a.m. ET. The cost to enter is $5,000, of which $1,500 goes to the prize pool and $3,500 serves as your bankroll. You can register by visiting the KDBC tournament page.

Rules for the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge

The basic rules are simple: players must wager their entire $3,500 bankroll across at least seven races (minimum $250 per race) on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Only Races 1-12 will count toward the tournament; the KDBC culminates with the 151st Kentucky Derby (Race 12), so Races 13-14 (after the Kentucky Derby) are not part of the KDBC.

Players may bet their winnings, and there’s no limit on bet sizes. However, only win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and double bets will count toward tournament play. The complete rules can be viewed here.

How many players are participating in the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge?

Since entries are still open, the number of players competing in the 2025 KDBC is unknown. However, at the time of this writing, there are over 130 entries.

A total of 14 KDBC entries were awarded at the end of Friday’s $1,000 Kentucky Oaks KDBC Qualifier tournament on TwinSpires. The tournament drew 140 entries, and the top 10%--led by Olivia Perkins-Mackey with a winning score of $3,000.82—earned fees-paid entries into the KDBC.

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