The 2024 Kentucky Derby saw a record wager of $210.7 million.
The 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday saw a photo finish and record betting interest. According to Churchill Downs, $210.7 million was wagered on Mystik Dan’s Kentucky Derby victory, breaking the previous betting record of $20 million set last year. Mystik Dan, an 18-1 outsider, held off Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the Kentucky Derby’s closest finish since 1947, according to the track.
Overall, betting on the Kentucky Derby Day card climbed to a record $320.5 million, breaking previous year’s record of $288.7 million. Additionally, TwinSpires, an online racebook and official betting partner of the Kentucky Derby, received a record $92.1 million in wagering on Saturday’s races at Churchill Downs.
The 20-horse field included two Japanese entries: Forever Young, who finished third, and T.O. Password, who finished fifth. Churchill Downs claimed that $10.1 million was wagered on the Kentucky Derby from Japan, breaking the previous record of $8.3 million in 2022.