Kentucky Derby 2025 Smashes Betting Records with $349M Handle

A Betting Bonanza

The 151st Kentucky Derby, held on May 3, 2025, turned Churchill Downs into a betting hotspot, raking in a record $349 million in wagers across the day’s program.

That’s a solid 9% jump from 2024’s $320.5 million, marking the fourth straight year of record-breaking handles. The main event alone saw $234.4 million bet, up 11% from last year’s $210.7 million and a whopping 24.2% over 2023.

TwinSpires, the Derby’s official betting partner, handled $108 million for the day, a 17% leap from $92.1 million in 2024, with $73 million poured into the Derby race itself, topping 2024’s $60.9 million by 20%.

Kentucky’s second year of legal online sports betting likely fueled the surge, drawing more players to horse racing through platforms like TwinSpires. Derby Week, spanning multiple race days, also hit a new high with a $473.9 million handle, up 6% from $446.6 million last year.

Despite the betting frenzy, Churchill Downs Inc. expects its adjusted EBITDA for the week to fall $2 to $4 million short of 2024’s milestone 150th Derby, though still among its top two results ever. Weaker ticket sales in areas like the new Starting Gate Pavilion didn’t help.

Sovereignty Steals the Show

Sovereignty, a 3-year-old colt, galloped to glory in the rain-soaked 151st Kentucky Derby, beating 19 rivals on a sloppy 1¼-mile track.

With 7-1 odds, he outran pre-race favorite Journalism (3-1) by 1½ lengths, clocking 2:02.31. Jockey Junior Alvarado, riding for trainer Bill Mott and owner Godolphin, LLC, nabbed his first Derby win, while Mott scored his second.

Sired by Into Mischief, Sovereignty’s victory paid $17.96 on a $2 win bet and earned Godolphin $3.1 million from the $5 million purse, boosting the colt’s career earnings to $3.7 million.

The muddy conditions didn’t dampen the crowd’s spirit, with 147,406 fans packing Churchill Downs, down 6% from 2024’s 156,710 but still lively for a rainy day. The record attendance remains 170,513, set in 2015.