Thoroughbred racing takes center stage on May 2 as many of the best 3-year-old racehorses in training will compete in the 152nd Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs. The Derby is the most iconic race in the sport, the one event that annually reaches outside the media sphere of horse racing and grabs the attention of an international audience with a captivating mixture of tradition, spectacle, and elite equine competition.
The Kentucky Derby is the first jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown, which has been swept by 13 horses since 1919. It will be followed by the Preakness Stakes, held this year at Laurel Park on May 16, and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, scheduled to run June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.
The Derby is the longest continuously held sporting event in North America, held every year (and almost always on the first Saturday in May) since 1875. It is North American racing’s most prestigious event for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s restricted to 3-year-olds, meaning that every racehorse has only one chance to win it. The race is held at 1 ¼ miles, a demanding distance that the overwhelming majority of 3-year-olds have not attempted at this point in their racing careers. And the race has unmatched cultural significance – to win the Kentucky Derby means the horse and its connections (owner, breeder, trainer, and jockey) become a part of history.
This year’s Derby, boasting a purse of $5 million, is expected to draw a full field of 20 horses, with three overseas runners scheduled to start. It will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock, with a post time to be announced soon.
Whether you are planning on putting some money down on the race or just want to know more about the horses, we’ve got you covered with our Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet. The Kentucky Derby contenders are presented below in order of their position on Churchill Downs’ Road to the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard. Check back on the evening of April 25 for an updated Cheat Sheet after the Kentucky Derby post-position draw.
