Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby race card totaled $184.6 million, a decrease of 1% from 2012's all-time record, which totaled $187 million, Churchill Downs reported on the night of May 4.
Fortunately for Churchill Downs, the overnight storms that dropped 1 1/4 inches of rain on Louisville, Ky., had moved out of the area in time for the Kentucky Derby, and the result was a record crowd of 165,307.
Amid sunny, hot, humid wearther, the second-largest crowd in Kentucky Derby history was on hand at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The track reported attendance of 154,210, which susrpassed last year's 153,204. The largest crowd for the Derby was the 163,628 for the 100th renewal in 1974. While on-track betting declined, Churchill reported overall handle on the day rose to a record $107.3 million.
