Kentucky Derby sets wagering record in 2025
Churchill Downs Incorporated announced the betting results of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Sovereignty, owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC, trained by William Mott, and ridden by Junior Alvarado, won the high-profile race by a length and a half at 7-1 odds.
The company said that wagering from all sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program set a record of $349.0 million to top last year’s record of $320.5 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race was a record of $234.4 million, beating last year’s record of $210.7 million. All-sources handle for Derby Week rose to a record of $473.9 million, beating last year’s record of $446.6 million.
TwinSpires handled a new record of $108.0 million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Derby Day program, compared to last year’s record of $92.1 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering. TwinSpires’ handle on the Kentucky Derby race was a new record of $73.0 million, beating last year’s record of $60.9 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering.
In terms of the Derby betting handle flowing to Churchill Downs’earnings, the company expects adjusted EBITDA for Derby Week to be one of the top two results in the company’s history, although $2 to $4 million lower than last year’s Kentucky Derby.