The 2024 Kentucky Derby has come and gone. Mystik Dan took home the roses on Saturday afternoon, capping off a record-breaking day and week for Churchill Downs.
The Kentucky Derby’s home track announced Sunday that the Derby Day program generated more than $320 million in betting handle. Officials added that Kentucky Derby betting itself handled more than $210 million.
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More on a massive Kentucky Derby betting week
Both of those handle totals shattered records set just one year ago. In 2023, bettors wagered nearly $289 million on Kentucky Derby Day and more than $188 million on the race itself (won by Mage).
Of the Derby’s $210 million in handle, more than $10 million came from Japan. This year’s Kentucky Derby featured a pair of contenders bred and campaigned in Japan. Forever Young finished third in a photo finish with Mystik Dan and runner-up Sierra Leone, while longshot T O Password rallied to finish fifth.
In addition to the handle records, more positive news came from the TV world. NBC Sports reported the Derby was watched by 16.7 million viewers, up from 14.8 million in 2023. That’s the biggest audience the race has had in the past 35 years, and is the largest number for an NBC program since the NFL playoffs in January.
What’s next for the horse racing world?
The eyes of handicappers now turn to Maryland for the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Preakness Stakes betting takes center stage on Saturday, May 18. The 2024 Preakness Stakes will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Who will run in that race, however, is still unknown. Mystik Dan’s trainer, Ken McPeek, said Sunday that his horse isn’t certain to run in the Preakness. Many other Kentucky Derby runners will likely bypass the race as well due to the quick turnaround time. That includes Sierra Leone, whose connections are eyeing next month’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
In fact, the likely Preakness Stakes betting favorite wasn’t even eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby. Muth won the Arkansas Derby (beating Mystik Dan, among others), but could not earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points due to trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension. That suspension was held up in court twice in the weeks leading up to the Derby.
