2023 Kentucky Derby
The 2023 Kentucky Derby (officially the 2023 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 6, 2023, the first Saturday in May, in Louisville, Kentucky. The race was open to 20 horses, who qualified for the race by earning points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875. The purse for 2023 was US$3 million. The race was won by Mage.
| Kentucky Derby | |
| Grade I stakes race | |
2023 Kentucky Derby | |
| Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Date | May 6, 2023 |
| Distance | 1+1⁄4 mi (10 furlongs; 2,012 m) |
| Winning horse | Mage |
| Winning time | 2:01.57 |
| Final odds | 15–1 |
| Jockey | Javier Castellano |
| Trainer | Gustavo Delgado |
| Owner | OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds |
| Conditions | Fast |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Attendance | 150,335 |
The race was broadcast by NBC, with coverage of undercard races beginning at 10:30 am EDT on USA Network and main network coverage of pre-race activities starting at 12:30 pm EDT. It was also livestreamed on NBCSports.com. According to The Blood-Horse, NBC's broadcast "averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 14.8 million viewers—making it the most-watched sporting event and second most watched show (behind only the Academy Awards) since Super Bowl LVII in February."
During the week of the 2023 Derby, seven horses died at Churchill Downs, including two who were euthanized prior to the signature race on Saturday.