American racing, worked out

What a ticket costs, what it pays, and when the big races run.

Calculators for every bet at the window, the Kentucky Derby's record year by year, and plain guides to reading a race. No picks, no tips: the arithmetic and the sources.

Price a bet 2027 race dates

Calculators

Horse racing calculators

Work out a ticket before you stand at the window: the combinations, the cost, and what the odds pay back on $2.

Horse racing bet calculator

Exacta, trifecta, superfecta and Super High-5 boxes, keys and part wheels, plus the daily double and pick 3 to pick 6.

$1 trifecta box, 4 horses = 24 × $1 = $24 Price a ticket → Horse racing payout calculator

Turn odds like 5-2 or 9-5 into what a win, place or show bet returns, and the chance the odds imply.

$2 win at 5-2 returns $7.00 Work out a payout → Furlongs to miles converter

Furlongs to miles, yards and meters, with the distance of every Triple Crown race and a time-to-speed check.

10 furlongs = 1 1/4 miles = 2,012 m Convert a distance →

The 2027 season

Big race dates for 2027

Each date as its organiser confirmed it. The full 2027 horse racing calendar has every race we track and the ones not dated yet.

May 1
Saturday
Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs · 1 1/4 mi
Apr 30
Friday
Kentucky Oaks
Churchill Downs · 1 1/8 mi
May 23
Sunday
Preakness Stakes
Pimlico · 1 3/16 mi
Jun 5
Saturday
Belmont Stakes
Belmont Park
Oct 29-30
Fri-Sat
Breeders' Cup
Belmont Park · 14 races

Reference

The record, sourced row by row

Winners, payouts, post positions and track takeout, each table checked against the charts and the tracks' own pages.

Kentucky Derby Winners List, 1875 to 2026 Kentucky Derby Payouts by Year Triple Crown Winners in Horse Racing, All 13 Kentucky Derby Post Position Stats Since 1930 Horse Racing Takeout Rates by Track Horse Racing Tracks in the US by State Horse Racing Glossary, Terms Every Bettor Meets How Often the Kentucky Derby Favorite Wins

Start here

Learn to bet a race, then to read one

Two short reading orders. Each step links to the next, and every bet comes with its arithmetic.

Betting, from the first $2

What each bet asks for, what it costs and how the pool pays it.

  1. How to Bet on the Kentucky Derby, a Beginner's Guide
  2. Horse Racing Bet Types Explained
  3. Win, Place and Show Bets Explained
  4. Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta Bets Explained
  5. Daily Double, Pick 4 and Pick 6 Bets Explained
  6. How to Read Horse Racing Odds and What They Pay
  7. How Pari-Mutuel Betting Works and What Takeout Costs You
  8. How to Set a Horse Racing Betting Budget
Where you can bet depends on your state: Where to Bet on the Kentucky Derby · Is It Legal to Bet on the Kentucky Derby Online in Your State.

Handicapping, one line at a time

How to read past performances and turn them into your own odds.

  1. How to Handicap Horse Racing, a Beginner's Guide
  2. How to Read Horse Racing Past Performances
  3. What Is a Beyer Speed Figure
  4. What Is Pace Handicapping
  5. How to Handicap Class in a Horse Race
  6. What Is Trip Handicapping
  7. How to Spot Speed Bias and Track Bias in Horse Racing
  8. Trainer and Jockey Combinations and How to Read the Stats

Kentucky Derby

Road to the 2027 Derby

The Future Wager pools are open over the winter; the points races decide the field. Everything on the Derby.

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2 Dates and How Every Pool WorksWhen Do the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools OpenRoad to the Kentucky Derby Points, How a Horse Gets InHow Long Is the Kentucky DerbyKentucky Derby Purse and Prize MoneyWhat Is the Kentucky Oaks

New on Derby Insider

Just published

Best Horse Racing Betting Books for Beginners Wagering Best Horse Racing Betting Books for Beginners What Is Pace Handicapping Handicapping What Is Pace Handicapping What Is a Beyer Speed Figure Handicapping What Is a Beyer Speed Figure What Happens When a Kentucky Derby Horse Is Scratched Wagering What Happens When a Kentucky Derby Horse Is Scratched When Do the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools Open Kentucky Derby When Do the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools Open Horse Racing Takeout Rates by Track Reference Horse Racing Takeout Rates by Track

Every post →

Derby Insider explains how racing and pari-mutuel wagering work; it is not betting advice, and no bet is a sure thing. Wager only where it is legal for you and you are of age, and if gambling stops being fun call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.