Everything to know about Kentucky Derby 2018

Posted on May 4, 2018

The $2 million Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 1/4-mile race for three-year-olds is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in North America and the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown series. Known as the “The Run for the Roses,” “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” and “America’s Race,” the Kentucky Derby is the most attended horserace in the nation, with more than 158,000 attendees in 2017. Here are some fun facts and trivia about the race:

The 2018 Kentucky Derby field, by the numbers:

$14,881,436 – Combined career earnings of this year’s entrants
$3,000,000 – The price paid at auction in 2016 for Mendelssohn, the most expensive horse in this year’s Derby
56 – Combined career wins among this year’s entrants
20 – Expected number of horses in race
6 – Hall of Fame jockeys who will ride
4 – Horses trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer, Todd Pletcher
4 – Horses that have already earned more than $1 million
2 – Undefeated horses – Justify and Magnum Moon

The official menu of the 144th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve and Churchill Downs’ Executive Chef David Danielson is something to behold. While more than 160,000 people attend the Derby each year, the official menu will be served to 22,000 guests in premium dining areas at each the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks today. The menu requires 5640 pounds of turkey, 4075 pounds of braised pork, 8200 pounds of pasta, 7600 pounds of potatoes, 3800 pounds of carrots and 3600 oysters.

The Official 144 Kentucky Derby Menu

Chef’s Appetizers

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (Charred pecans and maple-bourbon reduction)
Newsom’s Ham (Roasted beets, Capriole goat cheese and tarragon)
Peach and Tomato Caprese Salad (Goat cheese)
Chilled Oysters (Country ham-green apple mignonette, fennel, celery and caviar)
Cracklins’ with Pimento Cheese

Chef’s Sides

Cornbread (Bourbon honey butter)
Roasted Carrots (Bourbon butter and fine herbs)
Buttermilk and Chive Smashed Potatoes

Chef’s Entrees

Mushroom Braised Pork Medallions (Louismill grits and pickled asparagus)
Chef Carved Roasted Turkey Breast (Bourbon peach glaze)
Lamb Bolognaise Ziti Pasta (Ricotta and mint)

Chef’s Desserts

Apple Cranberry Crisp (Vanilla bean ice cream)
Bourbon Caramel Crème Brûlée

Must-Know Derby Facts:

– The post-time favorite has won the race each of the last five years, a streak that hasn’t been matched since 1895. This year, expected favorite Justify will try to emulate Orb (2013), California Chrome (2014), American Pharoah (2015), Nyquist (2016), and Always Dreaming (2017).

– The Kentucky Derby is one of the highest-attended sporting events in the world. Last year 158,070 horse racing fans packed the track, and the average over the last 10 years is 160,963.

– Horses whose first initial is “A” have won the race 11 times from 96 tries, including Always Dreaming’s win last year. The 11.5 percent success rate is higher than any other initial, good news for fans of Audible.

– No foreign-born horse has won the run for the roses since 1983, when Canadian-born Sunny’s Halo was victorious. Canadian-bred Flameaway will try this year.

– The red rose has been the official flower of the race since 1904, and the winner’s garland features more than 400 of them.

– Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered four or more horses in the Kentucky Derby on five occasions, more than any other trainer. This year he’s expected make that six occasions as he enters 20 percent of the field: Magnum Moon, Audible, Noble Indy, and Vino Rosso.

-The Florida Derby has produced three of the last five Kentucky Derby winners: Orb, Nyquist, and Always Dreaming. Audible, Hofburg, and Promises Fulfilled are the three 2018 Florida Derby runners expected for this year’s Derby.

– No horse has won the Kentucky Derby without racing as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882. Eight have tried in the last 10 years including Battle of Midway (third) and Patch (14th) last year. Both Magnum Moon and Justify will try to beat the “curse” this year.

– Though both are 3-year-olds, Kentucky Derby contender Mendelssohn is technically the uncle of fellow Kentucky Derby hopeful Audible. Mendelssohn’s dam (mother) is also the dam of Audible’s sire (father), Into Mischief.

– Last year fans bet a whopping $209,179,920 on Kentucky Derby day races, a record. More than $139 million of it was bet on the Derby alone.

The Odds:

Justify is the betting favorite at 3–1 odds, followed by Mendelssohn (5–1) and Magnum Moon at 6-1. Justify drew the No. 7 post for the race. Mendellshohn was assigned to No. 14. Since 1900, the No. 7 post has produced eight Kentucky Derby winners. A full list of odds at press time: