Some call it the “most exciting two minutes in sports,” in reference to the speed of good, old-fashioned horse power and the millions of dollars that ride on the outcome. Others call it the “run for the roses,” given the giant floral garnish donned by the fastest pair in the winner’s circle. But you probably know this annual celebration of hats, horses and hooch as the Kentucky Derby, or the first leg of the Triple Crown.
This year marks the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, held each May at Louisville’s historic Churchill Downs Racetrack. Yet only 36 mounts have followed up a Derby victory with a win in the Triple Crown’s second leg, the Preakness Stakes. A mere 13 have then sealed the deal in the Belmont Stakes, including the 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. The chance to see history is nevertheless just one element of what makes the Kentucky Derby so special.
More than 120,000 Mint Juleps are served each year, for one thing. The most fashionable headgear also is on display, as roughly 90% of women attending embrace the time-honored tradition of big hats at the race track. To help get you in the spirit for this year’s festivities, we analyzed the event from all angles. We researched everything from betting slips and boozing to spectator fashion and stud fees in search of the best Kentucky Derby facts and stats out there.
You can check out all of our Kentucky Derby fun facts in the infographic below. We also convened a panel of industry experts to get some Derby scouting reports and insights into major issues facing horseracing.
7 Kentucky Derby Facts for 2023:
- 150K – Number of attendees are expected for the 2023 Kentucky Derby (15 times more compared to the first race in 1875).
- $78 Million – Net revenue increase due to Kentucky Derby & Oaks in 2022.
- $274 Million – Total amount wagered on the 2022 Kentucky Derby (9% increase over the previous record in 2019).
- $250 to $1,000 – Price of a high-end Kentucky Derby hat (90% of female spectators wear hats).
- $120K – Number of Mint Juleps served over Kentucky Derby weekend, requiring 1K pounds of fresh mint and 60K pounds of ice.
- 522,000 – Number of cans of beer that will be consumed. 142,000 hot dogs will be eaten.
- $1.28 Billion – Sales of thoroughbred horses in 2022 (up 11% from 2021).
Ask the Experts: Not Just Horsin’ Around
We posed the following questions to a panel of leading horseracing experts in order to better understand both the Kentucky Derby and the equine industry more generally. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What measures should be adopted to better protect the health and well-being of race horses?
- Who do you think will win this year’s Kentucky Derby?
Ask the Experts
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Practice, Equine Industry Program, College of Business – University of Louisville
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DVM, Diplomate ACVIM – Professor, Large Animal Internal Medicine; Director, Tufts Equine BAL Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine – Tufts University
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Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, School of Materials Engineering – Purdue University
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Workforce Liaison BCTC Equine – Bluegrass Community & Technical College
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