Kentucky Derby sets betting handle record, up 15% from 2021

A record $179 million was wagered in the pari-mutuel pool for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, according to Churchill Downs.

The betting handle was a 15% increase compared to 2021 and 8% more than the previous record of $166.5 million from 2019, said the track that hosts the Derby.

And, of course, a lot of that money was flushed down the drain after Rich Strike’s miraculous come-from-behind finish to win the race. Rich Strike, at 80-1 odds, dashed past Epicenter and Zandon, two of the race’s favorites, to accomplish the second-largest upset in the Kentucky Derby’s 148-year history...MORE