Derby Home Rental LLC and this website are not in anyway affiliated with or endorsed by the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, or any of its affiliates.
The Kentucky Derby is the most famous horse race in the world and the first leg of the Triple Crown. It has been run annually, on the first Saturday in May, for well over a century. The race is run by three-year-old thoroughbreds and preceded by the Kentucky Oaks which features fillies exclusively.
Tickets
If you don’t have tickets for Derby or Oaks, check these websites:
Handicapping tips
Hire Ellis Starr, a.k.a. “Ubercapper”— the national racing analyst for Equibase—to meet with your group during Derby week for insights on how to bet the Run for the Roses and other races at the track. A racing fan for 50 years, Ellis understands all aspects of handicapping as well as betting. More than 20 years ago, Ellis was one of the first handicappers to publish his selections on the Internet and to share his knowledge on a daily basis. Contact Ellis at estarr@twc.com.
Hats (sponsored)
Background
From Wikipedia:
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival.
The race is one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.2 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (54.9 kg).
The race is known in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” for its approximate duration, and is also called “The Run for the Roses” for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is the first leg of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and is followed by the Preakness Stakes then the Belmont Stakes.