2018 Kentucky Derby
The 2018 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2018 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, with a purse of US$2 million. The Derby is held annually in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, at the end of the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. It is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km), and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875.
| Kentucky Derby | |
| Grade I stakes race | |
Logo for the 2018 Kentucky Derby | |
| Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Date | May 5, 2018 |
| Winning horse | Justify |
| Winning time | 2:04.20 |
| Starting price | 2.90/1 |
| Jockey | Mike Smith |
| Trainer | Bob Baffert |
| Owner | China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, WinStar Farm |
| Conditions | Sloppy (sealed) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Attendance | 157,813 |
The race was broadcast by NBC, with coverage by NBCSN of undercard races beginning at 12:30pm EDT and main network coverage of pre-race activities starting at 2:30pm EDT. Post time was 6:52pm EDT. The race was won by Justify, who was the post-time favorite, in a time of 2:04.20 over a sloppy track. It is the first time since 1882 that the race was won by a horse that did not race at the age of two.