Mystik Dan Wins, Records Set
The 150th Kentucky Derby saw underdog Mystik Dan emerge victorious, marking the third consecutive year a horse with 15-to-1 or worse odds has taken the title. The event also set several records, including viewership and betting handle.
An average of 16.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the Kentucky Derby, with a peak of 20.1 million during the race itself. This represents a 13% increase from last year's viewership and marks the largest audience for an NBC Sports presentation of the Derby. The event was also the most streamed Kentucky Derby in history thanks to strong viewership on Peacock.
Churchill Downs reported a new record of $320.5 million wagered on the Kentucky Derby Day program of races, surpassing the previous record of $288.7 million set in 2023. The Kentucky Derby race itself saw $210.7 million in betting handle, also breaking the record of $188.7 million set in 2023. Derby Week betting hit a new record of $446.6 million, surpassing the previous total of $412.0 million.
TwinSpires, an online horse race betting platform owned by Churchill Downs, had a record of $92.1 million in wagers on Churchill Downs races Saturday, beating the prior record of $75.5 million set last year. TwinSpires also had a record-breaking $60.9 million in bets on the Kentucky Derby itself, surpassing the previous record of $48.9 million set in 2023.
While Churchill Downs doesn't own the next two legs of the Triple Crown, the company can benefit from an increased betting handle on horse racing. Its TwinSpires online horse racing betting brand is one of the largest in the sector. Churchill Downs also has partnerships with sports betting companies such as Flutter Entertainment and DraftKings Inc.
The photo finish that saw Mystik Dan win, the first three-horse photo finish since 1947, could bring renewed excitement to horse racing. Churchill Downs is well-positioned to capitalize on this potential growth with its strong online betting platform and partnerships with major sports betting companies.