The 150th Run for the Roses broke all previous betting records for not only the race itself but for Kentucky Derby Week and the 14-race card as well.
We break down the epic numbers below ahead of the upcoming Preakness Stakes.
Derby Day Delerium
May 4, 2024, proved to be a banner day of betting for Kentucky Derby betting as Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) reported a record-setting $210.7 million on the single biggest race on the calendar. This year was a full $22 million ahead of last year’s 149th Run for the Roses.
A whopping 156,710 fans filled the stands at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, slightly higher than the 150,335 who attended last year but well short of the 170,713 racing fans who converged on the Downs in 2015.
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard the Kentucky Oaks winner, Thorpedo Anna, on Friday night at odds of 4-1 before his monumental ride the following day on the Kentucky Derby winner, Mystik Dan, who won by a nose as an 18-1 long shot. It was also a historic few days for Kenneth McPeek as well who trains both horses.
“This marks an extraordinary weekend of racing for trainer Kenneth McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. who scored victories in both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby,” said the Paulick Report.
More Records Broken
But Kentucky Derby betting wasn’t the only record broken as the 14-race card also set a record, soaring 11.1% from a previous high of $288.7 million to this year’s new record of $320.5 million. Kentucky Derby Week also smashed the previous high of $412 million set last year to $446.6 million this year.
Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI, said: “We expect the Kentucky Derby Week Adjusted EBITDA to reflect a new record with $26 to $28 million of growth over the prior record set last year. As we reflect on 150 years of our storied past, we remain committed to innovating new experiences for Derby fans.”
Mobile Apps Do Big Derby Day Biz
Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), owner of the mobile app TwinSpires had a blockbuster day with a $60.9 million handle on the big race, besting last year’s record of $48.9 million by $12 million.
FanDuel’s shared wallet platform worked without a hitch as customers could access the horse racing portal through the sportsbook app for the first time. According to a FanDuel spokesperson, 700,000 customers made a bet on the Kentucky Derby, which was up significantly from the 500,000 who did so last year. The company did not reveal handle numbers but did say, “Peak bets were at Super Bowl levels, and the (FanDuel Racing app) performed without interruption.”
DraftKings’ Johnny Avello, DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations, expressed satisfaction with his company’s Kentucky Derby performance, saying, “We had an outstanding week of horse racing and wagering leading into the 150th Kentucky Derby, which did not disappoint. We were thrilled with the engagement we saw on Saturday with horse racing fans downloading and using the DK Horse app, which topped off the awesome weekend.”
But there was one hiccup as XpressBet, owned by 1/ST Racing which also owns the Preakness Stakes, did admit to experiencing some technical glitches on Derby Day with 1/ST President Aidan Butler writing, “Xpressbet encountered a small technical issue on Saturday, which created intermittent service for some customers. It affected these customers on races 6 and 7. The issue was quickly resolved.”
