(Paradise and the Twin Spires…both aptly named / Photos by Coady Media)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

NEW WAGERS, BIG POOLS HIGHLIGHT

2026 KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS WEEK AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Monday, April 20, 2026) – Kentucky Derby Week kicks off Saturday as Churchill Downs opens its 44-day Spring Meet, offering massive pools, new wagers and the chance at huge paydays.

Annually, Kentucky Derby Day produces some of the largest betting pools in the sport. Last year’s Derby race win, place and show pool totaled $122.4 million, while the exacta pool reached $30.1 million, the trifecta pool handled $35.5 million and the superfecta pool totaled $15.5 million.

New on Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks Days in 2026 will be a 50-cent All Turf Pick 4, while opening day of the Spring Meet will introduce the Jackpot 8, Odd vs. Even wagering and Matchup wagering.

The $1 Jackpot 8 challenges bettors to select the first eight finishers, in exact order, in the daily designated race and will typically be offered on the final race each day when there are at least 10 separate betting interests.

Odd vs. Even allows fans to wager on whether the winning horse’s number will be odd or even and will be offered on all races with at least three horses on each side.

Matchups, or head-to-head betting, let horseplayers select which of two horses or groups of horses will produce the highest finisher in a race and will be offered on select days throughout Kentucky Derby Week and the Spring Meet.

The Jackpot 8 carries a 22% takeout, while Odd vs. Even and Matchups each feature a 17.5% takeout.

There will be a $54,964 carryover in the Jackpot 8 from the conclusion of Turfway Park starting with Saturday’s opening day card.

Kentucky Derby Day features 14 races, including seven stakes contests, with a betting menu that consists of six Pick 5s, five Pick 4s, a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot and the debut of the 50-cent All Turf Pick 4.

Below are some of the bets offered on Kentucky Derby Day with last year’s pool sizes and payouts:

Wager Type Sequence 2025 Pool 2025 Payout
Pick 5 Race 1-5 $2,014,529 $500
Pick 4 Races 2-5 $873,060 $2,317
Pick 5 Races 3-7 $1,001,161 $6,793
Pick 4 Races 4-7 $524,901 $2,317
Pick 5 Races 5-9 $1,160,155 $23,928
Pick 4 Races 6-9 $1,083,465 $687
Pick 5* Races 8-12 $5,247,124 $1,504
Pick 4* Races 9-12 $2,543,826 $236
Pick 5 Races 10-14 $2,080,558 $555
Pick 4 Races 11-14 $1,085,072 $117
Pick 5* All Dirt Sequence $522,848 $6,594
Pick 6* 2-Day Oaks/Derby $465,509 $3,575
Derby City 6* Races 7-12 $2,009,222 $2,062
Oaks/Derby Double* Kentucky Oaks + Kentucky Derby $3,312,583 $15.78
Oaks/Old Forester/Derby Pick 3* Kentucky Oaks + Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic + Kentucky Derby $647,562 $43.38
3-Year-Old Pick 3* Pat Day Mile + American Turf + Kentucky Derby $377,888 $1,698

* = ends on the Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Oaks Day also delivers a full lineup of wagering action with five Pick 5s, four Pick 4s and the start of the two-day wagers, including the Oaks/Derby Double, Oaks/Old Forester Turf Classic/Kentucky Derby Pick 3 and the $1 two-day Pick 6.

Superfectas will be offered at a $1 minimum on Oaks and Derby Days and 10 cents on all other days.

For the full wagering menu and post times, visit www.churchilldowns.com/come-to-the-track/visiting-information/event-information.

 

ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK

Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world’s most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility. www.ChurchillDowns.com.