A crowd of 153,563 witnessed history on Saturday as Double Eagle Ranch and
Buena Suerte Equine’s MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) scored a stunning upset at odds
of 50-1 to capture the 135th Kentucky Derby (G1) by 6 3/4 lengths in a field of
19.
The attendance figure marks the ninth time that Kentucky Derby Day attendance
has topped 150,000. Combined attendance for the 2009 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky
Oaks (G1) was 258,430, exceeding the combined attendance of both events from one
year prior.
Excluding the Kentucky Derby race, total wagering from all sources on the
Kentucky Derby Day card was $51,406,269, up 2.6 percent from the 2008 figure of
$50,110,812. Total wagering from all sources on the 13-race Kentucky Derby Day
card at Churchill Downs was $155,969,770, a decline of 5.3 percent from the
$164,668,176 wagered a year earlier. Total wagering from all sources on the
Kentucky Derby race, which includes on-track and off-track wagers, was
$104,563,501, an 8.7-percent decrease from the $114,557,364 all-sources total in
2008.
“The Churchill Downs team would like to extend its congratulations to all
those involved with Mine That Bird on his historic victory in this year’s 135th
running of the Kentucky Derby,” Churchill Downs Inc. Chief Operating Officer
Bill Carstanjen said. “We welcomed an impressive and enthusiastic crowd under
the Twin Spires this year, and appreciate the support that the entire Louisville
community continues to deliver. Despite the very difficult economy, we were able
to offer a strong card of racing that produced solid overall handle figures.
Today was truly a Kentucky Derby to remember.”
Race fans generated a Super Hi-5 carryover pool of $251,865 and a Pick 6
carryover pool of $781,146. Churchill Downs will resume its 2009 Spring Meet on
Wednesday with post time at 12:45 p.m. (EDT).
Churchill Downs returned $127,825,423 to bettors on the Kentucky Derby Day
race card, which amounts to 82 percent of total wagering. The Commonwealth of
Kentucky benefited from $789,241 in revenues generated through the state’s
excise tax on pari-mutuel wagering.
Mine That Bird’s unlikely win gave his owners their first Kentucky Derby
victory. It was also the first Derby win for trainer Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr.,
who was making his first appearance in the race. The victory was the second in
the “Run for the Roses” for jockey Calvin Borel, who also captured the 2009
Oaks/Derby double by virtue of his win aboard favored Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia
d’Oro) in Kentucky Oaks 135 one day earlier. Mine That Bird, the ninth gelding
to win the “Run for the Roses,” returned $103.20 on a $2 wager and completed the
1 1/4-mile distance in 2:02.66 over a sloppy track.