After recent record-setting wagering years, betting on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby declined, with total Derby Day betting dropping from a record $349 million in 2025 to $340 million.
All betting specifically on the Derby also dropped to $225 million after an all-time high of $234.4 million last year. On a positive note, total handle for Derby Week saw a 3% increase for a new record of $487 million, according to Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI).
TwinSpires, the official Derby online betting partner owned by CDI, saw a new record handle of $129 million for Derby Week, up $7 million (6%) from the prior record set in 2025. The platform also scored a new record handle of $89 million for Derby Day, up 1% from last year’s record of $88 million.
The online handle on the Kentucky Derby race itself reached $57 million, about the same as last year’s record.
Longshot Comes Out On Top
The Kentucky Derby has seen rising betting numbers over the last few years as more states have embraced legalized sports betting. The last drop came in 2020, when betting on the race slid by 52% from 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The growth of prediction markets may have played a small role in the reduced numbers, as two of the major platforms didn’t offer markets on the race after Churchill Downs warned the companies about a 1978 federal law giving state gaming regulators significant power to oversee betting on horses.
The race itself proved to be quite an exciting event, with 23-to-1 longshot Golden Tempo coming from the back of the pack to win and top favorite Renegade, which finished second. Golden Tempo was trained by Cherie DeVaux, who became the first female trainer to win the race.
“We commend the connections of Golden Tempo on an exceptional victory in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby,” Churchill CEO Bill Carstanjen said. “This year’s Kentucky Derby Week was a remarkable celebration of racing.”
An even bigger longshot finished in third. Ocelli faced final odds of 70 to 1 but ran a strong race and helped produce some big payouts in exotic wagering. A $1 trifecta, picking the top three finishers, paid out $11,251. A $1 superfecta, picking the top four horses, paid out $94,490.
TV Ratings Rise
On the television side, the Derby saw a new ratings record, averaging 19.6 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. This topped the 1989 record, peaking at 24.4 million viewers during Golden Tempo’s victory.
Viewership increased by 11% over last year’s 17.7 million, with a record streaming audience of 1.3 million playing a major part of that.
In related news, Churchill Downs announced the purchase of the Preakness Stakes in April. That event is the second leg of the Triple Crown and is set for May 16, followed by the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
