Derby Day Bettors Wager Early, Wager Late

Just settling into Kentucky Derby day or winding down from the classic, fans will wager in eight figures on the Churchill Downs non-stakes races.

Like last year, the 2018 Derby day card will offer 14 races, with the first post at 10:30 a.m. ET and the final two races coming after the Derby, at 7:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. And while it can make for a long day, wagering interest certainly is there.

Whether fans are filing into Churchill, another racetrack or simulcast outlet, or firing up their favorite advance-deposit wagering site, they're betting early and betting late. If you added up wagering totals made only on the first five races of Derby day—a collection of maiden and allowance races offered from 10:30 a.m. to 12:38 p.m., and the final two races of the day, an allowance and maiden contested at 7:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., it would be one of the most successful days of the meet.

BloodHorse examined the handle numbers on these seven races, the non-stakes half of the card. For ease of comparison, the study was limited to win, place, and show wagering. Total wagering on the races involved would be much higher.

The 10:30 a.m. first race of Derby day last year saw $544,197 in win, place, and show wagering. That is more handle in those pools than any race on the track's 2018 opening day April 28. The $771,491 wagered in those pools on the day's second race was higher than the $765,506 wagered on the 2017 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 17 at Churchill.

If you had any doubt about the colossus that is Derby day wagering, let that sink in—an optional-claiming allowance race at 11:02 a.m. did more win, place, and show handle than the Stephen Foster.

And things are just heating up at that point in the day. Those two early races on last year's Derby day card were the only two that had less than $1 million wagered in the win, place, and show pools. After the Derby plenty of people continue to bet—the final two races of Derby day 2017 each drew more than $1.5 million in the three pools.

Win, place, and show wagering on races 1-5 and 13-14 on last year's Derby day card totaled $8,203,704, an average of $1.17 million. Total win, place, and show wagering on the 10 opening-day races this season was $2,286,375, an average of $228,637—or about a fifth of what's wagered on the seven non-stakes races offered Derby day.

The early and late races on Derby day pale in comparison to the $58.1 million in win, place, and show wagers on the Derby itself, but compared with any normal race day at Churchill, they would be making wagering headlines.

It's all about timing, and any time Derby day seems to work.