- Kentucky Derby weekend is generally one of the busiest betting weekends on the sports betting calendar.
- The Kentucky Derby in 2025 set a betting record for the third straight year at this event.
- The Kentucky Oaks also set a new wagering benchmark.
The Kentucky Derby is always a major event on the sports betting calendar, even if you don’t watch horse racing regularly.
The 2025 edition was no exception as both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks set wagering records over the weekend.
Churchill Downs Reports Unprecedented Weekend in Betting Handle
The action started on Friday at the Kentucky Oaks, which was won by Good Cheer. The undefeated filly entered the race as the favorite to win, according to the Kentucky Oaks odds.
TwinSpires, which is the official betting service for the race, reported they took in $20.9 million for the day. When TwinSpires includes all streams of betting, the total amount was $73.9 million on Oaks Day, and $22.7 million came in on the Kentucky Oaks. Horse racing events are unique in that there were 13 total races on Friday, and the Oaks was race #11 on the program.
The furious horse racing betting action continued on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby, which was the 12th of 14 races on the day at Churchill Downs. The track reported a handle of $349 million, which eclipsed 2024’s record mark of $320.5 million. It was the third year in a row that a new betting record at set at the Kentucky Derby. Sovereignty edged out Journalism, which is the favorite in the Kentucky Derby odds. Sovereignty was second in the odds, but managed to hold on to come in first in the race.
It was an interesting weekend at Churchill Downs in many ways. It was revealed that every horse in the Kentucky Derby field was a descendant of Secretariat, the greatest horse in the history of racing.
The weekend was also a banner event for NBC Sports, who set a record for the network with 21.8 million viewers during its peak.
Will the Kentucky Derby Set More Records in 2026?
Interest seems to increase every year for the Kentucky Derby, which means betting is sure to go up. You don’t need to be a horse racing aficionado to bet on the Derby. Furthermore, it’s not like a three-hour football game. It’s called the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” for a reason. That means you can watch the race, and it’s over before you know it, so you can go on with your day or night.
It stands to reason that we’ll see another wagering increase at horse racing betting sites in 2026 for the “Run for the Roses”. Mark your calendars for the first Saturday in May, which is when the 2026 Kentucky Derby will be run.
You must be logged in to comment. Don't have an account? Sign up today.