When is the Kentucky Derby?

The first Saturday in May, every year, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. The 1¼-mile dirt race opens the Triple Crown — see /horse-racing/kentucky-derby for the full deep-dive profile with post-position heatmap, prep race ladder, and back-tested betting model.

What's the difference between an exacta and a trifecta?

An exacta requires you to pick the 1st and 2nd finishers in exact order. A trifecta requires the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in order — significantly harder, but pays exponentially more. See /horse-racing/bet-types for the full guide to all 8 bet types.

Where can I bet on horse racing online?

TVG (FanDuel-owned), TwinSpires (Churchill Downs-owned), and Caesars Sportsbook all offer pari-mutuel horse racing wagering in licensed states. Check /sportsbooks for state-by-state legality.

Do you offer model picks for horse racing?

Live race odds + model picks need a paid data provider (Equibase, TVG, Racing Post). The reference content here is live; live race ingest is on the roadmap. /horse-racing/picks renders an honest empty state until then.

Horse Racing · Triple Crown, Breeders' Cup, every major stakes · The One Analytics

The Sport
of Kings.

27 major races profiled in depth. The Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup, the Grade 1 stakes that move the year-end handle — each with race history, recent winners, and the patterns that decide the result. The bet-type guide covers everything from a $2 win ticket to a Pick 6 syndicate.

Major races

G1 ladder · profiled

Triple Crown

Derby · Preakness · Belmont

Major tracks

US Thoroughbred

Bet types

Win → Pick 6

Stakes coverage

Every Grade 1 stakes that moves the handle

3 Triple Crown · 6 Breeders' Cup · 6 Derby preps · 4 summer stakes · 5 international

All races →Calendar →

The Triple Crown

Three races, five weeks, one sweep

First Saturday in May

Kentucky Derby

1¼ miles · Dirt

Churchill Downs · Louisville, KY

Open →

Third Saturday in May

Preakness Stakes

1 3/16 miles · Dirt

Pimlico Race Course · Baltimore, MD

Open →

Early June

Belmont Stakes

1½ miles · Dirt

Belmont Park · Elmont, NY

Open →

Major US tracks

Where the racing happens

All tracks →

Churchill Downs

Louisville, KY

Kentucky Derby (1st Sat May)

Saratoga Race Course

Saratoga Springs, NY

Travers Stakes (late Aug)

Del Mar

Del Mar, CA

Pacific Classic (early Sep)

Belmont Park

Elmont, NY

Belmont Stakes (early Jun)

Bet types

Every legal way to play

Full guide →

Win / Place / Show

The basics. Pick a horse to finish 1st, top 2, or top 3.

Min $2

Exacta

Pick the 1st and 2nd finishers in exact order.

Min $1 (often $2)

Trifecta

Pick the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd finishers in order.

Min $0.50 (sometimes $1)

Superfecta

Pick the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th finishers in order.

Min $0.10 (most tracks)

Sportsbooks by state →·Bet responsibly·Live odds (rolling out)

Bet responsibly · 21+ · 1-800-GAMBLER · Pari-mutuel wagering laws vary by state — verify before betting.

The Sportof Kings.

Every Grade 1 stakes that moves the handle

Three races, five weeks, one sweep

Where the racing happens

Every legal way to play

The Sport
of Kings.