Kentucky Derby 131 Shatters Wagering Records, Sets North American
Standard; Attendance Second Highest Ever
A Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs
that was already notable for one of the biggest upsets in the history of
the "Run for the Roses" also included the shattering of on-track and
off-track wagering records and saw the Kentucky Derby become the first
individual race in U.S. racing to attract total betting of more than
$100 million.
A crowd of 156,435 - the second largest attendance in Kentucky
Derby history - saw Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss' homebred Giacomo win
America's greatest race at odds of 50-1. On-track betting on the 131st
running of the Kentucky Derby totaled $10,055,508 and off-track wagering
soared to $93,270,002. The combined Kentucky Derby betting total of
$103,325,518 marked the first time that more than $100 million had been
wagered on a single race at a North American track.
Total betting from all sources on the track's 12-race Derby Day
program totaled $155,133,631, which established a North American record
for a single racing program. This year's total reflected an increase of
nearly nine percent from previous record of $142,848,289 recorded in
2004.
The Derby Day crowd in attendance at Churchill Downs wagered
$22,117,166 on the entire 12-race program, an increase of nearly 15
percent from last year's on-track total of $19,246,210. The previous
on-track record of $20,639,221 in Derby Day betting was established in
2003.
Off-track wagering on the complete Churchill Downs program rose
to a record $133,016,465, which was a gain of nearly eight percent from
the previous record total of $123,602,079 established in 2004.
The brisk business at the track on Kentucky Derby Day capped off
the most successful Derby Weekend in the track's history. One day
earlier, the track established new marks for attendance and on-track
wagering for the Kentucky Oaks. The renewals of Churchill Downs'
signature races were the first since the historic track completed its
$121 million renovation in April.
A crowd of 111,243 attended Friday's 11-race Kentucky Oaks Day card,
which topped the previous record of 106,156 established in 2000. The
Oaks Day attendance was an increase of 13 percent from last year's
attendance total of 98,445 and it marked the sixth time in seven years
that attendance for the event had topped 100,000.
On-track wagering for Oaks Day totaled $12,065,134, which
eclipsed the previous mark of $11,251,063 set in 2003. The total
betting for the day rose 9.4 percent over last year's total of
$11,015,102. Wagering from all-sources on Oaks Day was $31,159,328, a
slight decline of 1.3 percent from last year's total of $31,570,827.
Combined attendance for this year's Kentucky Derby and Oaks
programs was 267,678. The previous high for the two days of racing was
259,360 in 2000.
Kentucky Derby 131 Attendance And Wagering
|   | 2005 | 2004 | Change |
| Attendance | 156,435 | 140,054 | 11.7% |
| On-Track Wagering (Derby Race) | $ 10,055,508 | $ 9,488,539 | 6.0% |
| On-Track Wagering (Derby Day) | $ 22,117,166 | $19,246,210 | 14.9% |
| Off-Track Wagering (Derby Race) | $ 93,270,002 | $ 89,875,549 | 3.8% |
| Off-Track Wagering (Derby Day) | $133,016,465 | $123,602,079 | 7.6% |
| Total (All Sources - Derby Race) | $103,325,510 | $ 99,364,088 | 4.0% |
| Total (All Sources - Derby Day) | $155,133,631 | $142,848,289 | 8.6% |
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