The Kentucky Derby: race guide and betting markets

When and where is the Kentucky Derby run?

The Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, over a mile and a quarter for three-year-old thoroughbreds. The winner is covered in a blanket of roses, which is where its nickname, the Run for the Roses, comes from.

What makes the race different?

• Only three-year-olds can run, so every horse gets one shot at it.
• The trip is a mile and a quarter on dirt.
• Fields often reach 20 runners, which makes the start and the first turn crowded.
• It opens the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Which betting markets are common?

• Win: your horse finishes first.
• Place or each-way: your horse finishes in the paid places, under the market's terms.
• Forecast or exacta: the first two finishers in order.
• Tricast or trifecta: the first three in order.

What should you weigh up before betting?

With so many runners there is more traffic and more luck in running, so favourites get beaten more often than in small fields. Look at the draw, form in the prep races and whether the horse has run on dirt before. Our horse racing page covers the basics of racing markets.