It was the first Saturday in May, and it was time for the running of the 151st Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Derby draws a massive crowd to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., no matter the weather, but the 2025 edition tested just how ready more than 150,000 fans and horses were for a rainy day at the track. Showers fell consistently that Saturday, leading to the first sloppy Derby since 2019, as fans dressed in seersucker suits and elaborate hats, gathered under the Twin Spires with mint juleps in hand.
The Run for the Roses is hardly the only event on Derby Day, though, and Churchill Downs welcomed a throng of racing enthusiasts despite the rainy conditions. Fans made the most of it, donning their ponchos as they placed bets and knocked back a mint julep or two.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ATTEND THE KENTUCKY DERBY?
The cost of attending the Kentucky Derby ranges from blue-collar to blue-blood.
The Kentucky Derby is considered to be one of the greatest bucket-list sporting events in the United States. For those who missed this year’s race, there will be another opportunity to attend next May. Enthusiasts can sign up for the online sale of tickets through general admission; infield access tickets offer a tailgate-like atmosphere with a view of a 4K video board, but there is no seating or view of the racetrack. Guests are permitted to bring their own chair or picnic blanket for lounging, and Derby Day tickets can range between $100 to $150.
Infield final turn general admission tickets are similar to infield access tickets but offer a private, standing-only area in the final turn of the infield. These single-day tickets were about $220 in the week leading up to the 2025 Derby.
For the least expensive seating option, starting gate courtyard reserved seating tickets begin at $1,041 per guest and offer both covered and uncovered fold-down stadium-style seating options in an open-air setting overlooking the dirt and turf racetracks. Starting gate rail box tickets offer a “courtside” experience near the outer rail of the track, where guests can witness the horses break from the starting gate for $1,604 per guest. First turn reserved seating moves up to the second and third level for $1,396. Clubhouse box tickets include groups of six padded fold-down seats on the first, second, and third levels of the facility for $1,765 per guest. The Homestretch Club tickets offer indoor club access and uncovered stadium-style seating for $2,075 per guest. Millionaire’s Row tickets offer indoor dining and fourth-level viewing from a covered terrace for $5,411 per guest. Woodford Reserve Paddock Club & Enclosure tickets cost $10,950 per guest. These tickets offer access into the paddocks and views directly into the paddock stalls, along with the opportunity to watch the races railside near the finish line. For the most luxury experience, guests can purchase private suites that cost upwards of $300,000.
Results From The 2025 Kentucky Derby Purse Payouts
1. Sovereignty ($3.1 million)
2. Journalism ($1 million)
3. Baeza ($500,000)
4. Final Gambit ($250,000)
5. Owen Almighty ($150,000)
6. Burnham Square
7. Sandman
8. East Avenue
9. Chunk of Gold
10. Tiztastic
11. Coal Battle
12. Luxor Cafe
13. Neoequos
14. Publisher
15. Citizen Bull
16. American Promise
17. Render Judgement
18. Flying Mohawk
19. Admire Dayton
The Kentucky Derby payout figures include win, place, show, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta numbers:
• First Place: Sovereignty 7-1 odds (Win: $17.96; Place: $7.50; Show: $5.58)
• Second Place: Journalism 3-1 odds (Place: $4.94; Show: $3.70)
• Third Place: Baeza 13-1 odds (Show: $8.38)
Payouts for exotic bets:
• $2.00 Exacta (18-8, $48.32)
• $1.00 Trifecta (18-8-21, $231.12)
• $1.00 Superfecta (18-8-21-3, $1,682.27)
