The Kentucky Derby is run as Race 12 on the card at Churchill Downs in recent years, and that’s the race number people usually mean when they ask this.

Quick Scoop

  • On Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs, there are multiple undercard races before the main event.
  • The Derby itself is scheduled late in the afternoon and is listed as Race 12 on the official program in current schedules and race-day condition books.
  • You’ll see it labeled something like “12th Race – Kentucky Derby” on Churchill Downs’ official racing documents and Derby-day information.

So if you’re filling out a betting slip or looking for it on a program, you’re looking for Race 12, the Kentucky Derby.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.