Sovereignty Wins the 151^st Running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve

New All-Time Handle Record Set for the Kentucky Derby Race, Kentucky Derby Day Program, and Kentucky Derby Week Races 

Louisville, KY., (May 3, 2025) – Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) (the “Company”, “CDI”, “we”) announced today that Sovereignty claimed the Garland of Roses at the 151^st running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve under steady rain and the watchful eyes of over 147,000 eager racing fans. 

Sovereignty, owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC, trained by William (“Bill”) Mott, and ridden by Junior Alvarado, thundered to the finish to win by a length and a half at 7-1 odds. Sovereigntycovered the mile and a quarter in 2:02.31 over a sloppy track. Sired by Into Mischief, Sovereignty now has lifetime earnings of $3.7 million. 

Wagering from all sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program set a new record of $349.0million, beating last year’s record of $320.5 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race was a new record of $234.4 million, beating last year’s record of $210.7 million. All-sources handle for Derby Week rose to a new record of $473.9 million, beating last year’s record of $446.6 million.

TwinSpires, the official betting partner of the Kentucky Derby, handled a new record of $108.0million in wagering on Churchill Downs races for the Kentucky Derby Day program, compared to last year’s record of $92.1 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering.TwinSpires’ handle on the Kentucky Derby race was a new record of $73.0 million, beating last year’s record of $60.9 million, including all settled future wagers and affiliate wagering.

The 151^st Kentucky Derby follows an all-time record 150^th Kentucky Derby last year. The Company expects Adjusted EBITDA for Derby Week to be one of the top two results in the company’s history, albeit $2 to $4 million lower than last year’s marquee 150^th running of the Kentucky Derby. 

“We congratulate the connections of Sovereignty on an impressive win over a very talented field of horses,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “We are thrilled with our performance following the 150^th milestone year in 2024 and we will grow the Kentucky Derby in the years to come.”