Equestrian Events Flat racing
Rank 06
Kentucky Derby
America's most famous race and its biggest raceday crowd. The 2026 running made history; the track's safety record still needs scrutiny.
Why it is here
Golden Tempo won the 152nd Derby on 2 May 2026, and Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner (BloodHorse, 2026-05-02; NBC Sports, 2026-05-02). BloodHorse reports 150,415 fans on track and about 20 million TV viewers for the $5 million race, and calls the Derby 'the most famous horse race in North American racing'. The 2025 Derby rated 120.75 and ranked 19th in the IFHA Top 100 (IFHA, 2026-01-20). Welfare context: HISA's 2025 figures list Churchill Downs at 11 racing fatalities from 6,778 starts (1.62 per 1,000), above the national HISA rate of 1.04 (HorseRacingNation with HISA release, 2026-03-24). Score drivers: social 9.4 from the crowd and TV audience; prestige 9.5 from BloodHorse's description; sporting level 8.6 from the 19th-place IFHA rating, since it is a race for three-year-olds. Exclusivity and experience are not scored.
Who it is for
Owners and racing fans who want America's defining raceday, and the start of the Triple Crown, in person.
Sources
- History in the Making: Golden Tempo Upsets Derby Field150,415 fans, about 20 million TV viewers; $5 million race; DeVaux's first Derby starter.
- Cherie DeVaux becomes first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby as Golden Tempo takes historic winFirst woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
- The LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races for 3yos and upwards - 2025Kentucky Derby 19th (120.75) in the 2025 Top 100.
- HISA annual report shows racing deaths tick up from record lowChurchill Downs: 11 racing fatalities from 6,778 starts (1.62 per 1,000) in 2025; national HISA rate 1.04.
- Golden Tempo Wins the 152nd Running of the Kentucky DerbyOver 150,000 fans; record $487 million all-sources Derby Week handle.
- 2027 Kentucky Derby & Oaks153rd Kentucky Derby on 1 May 2027; Kentucky Oaks on 30 April 2027.
