About the race
The Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May. It is a Grade I race over 1 1/4 miles on dirt for three-year-olds, first run in 1875, and the field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975. Places in the starting gate are earned through the Road to the Kentucky Derby points series, which includes Japanese and European-Middle East routes. The 153rd running is scheduled for Saturday 1 May 2027 with a guaranteed USD 5,000,000 purse.
The 151st running, on 3 May 2025, was won by Godolphin’s homebred Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, by 1 1/2 lengths from Journalism over a sloppy track. The IFHA rated the race at 120.75. The 152nd running, on 2 May 2026, went to Golden Tempo, owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, and made Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2025 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | Godolphin |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May 2026 | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Qualification
- Road to the Kentucky Derby points series; the top 18 point earners plus one invitation each from the Japan and European-Middle East series
- Field limit
- 20 starters since 1975
- Next running
- 153rd Kentucky Derby, Saturday 1 May 2027
- IFHA 2025 rating
- 120.75 (rank 19)
Questions readers ask
When is the Kentucky Derby run?
On the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. The 153rd running is scheduled for Saturday 1 May 2027.
What is the prize fund of the Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 and 2026 runnings were each worth USD 5,000,000, and Churchill Downs has announced a guaranteed USD 5,000,000 for 2027.
Who won the Kentucky Derby in 2025?
Sovereignty, owned and bred by Godolphin, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, won on 3 May 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- How it works, Road to the Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby.com
- Kentucky Derby past winners, KentuckyDerby.com
- Sovereignty outduels Journalism to win Grade I Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs
- Churchill Downs stakes recap and trainer quotes: Kentucky Derby 152
- Racing, Churchill Downs
