Kentucky Derby 2026: Betting Down, Viewership Up with Golden Tempo's Victory

The 2026 Kentucky Derby experienced a decline in betting but saw a significant increase in viewership. Total Derby Day betting dropped from $349 million in 2025 to $340 million in 2026. Betting on the Kentucky Derby race itself dropped to $225 million after an all-time high of $234.4 million last year.

Despite the decline in betting, the total handle for Derby Week saw a 3% increase, reaching a new record of $487 million. TwinSpires, the official Derby online betting partner, saw a new record handle of $129 million for Derby Week, up $7 million (6%) from the prior record set in 2025. The online handle on the Kentucky Derby race itself reached $57 million, about the same as last year’s record.

The race itself was quite exciting, with 23-to-1 longshot Golden Tempo coming from the back of the pack to win. Golden Tempo was trained by Cherie DeVaux, who became the first female trainer to win the race. The Kentucky Derby saw a new ratings record, averaging 19.6 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. Viewership increased by 11% over last year’s 17.7 million, with a record streaming audience of 1.3 million. In related news, Churchill Downs announced the purchase of the Preakness Stakes in April.