A record crowd of 165,307 was on hand at the track for the race.[4]
Contenders
Prior to the race, the field was considered "unusually strong"; four time Derby winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas called it the "best bunch I've seen in a long time".[5] The major contenders were Bodemeister [6](Arkansas Derby), Union Rags[7] (Champagne, Fountain of Youth Stakes), Gemologist[8] (Wood Memorial), Creative Cause[9] (Norfolk, San Felipe Stakes), Take Charge Indy[10] (Florida Derby), Dullahan[11] (Blue Grass Stakes) and Hansen[12] (Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Gotham Stakes). I'll Have Another went off as a relative longshot at 15:1 despite winning both the Robert B. Lewis and Santa Anita Derby.[13]
Race
Thunderstorms the night before led to the cancellation of morning training for the riders, and, at 8:00 am EST, the track was labeled "sloppy".[14] However, closer to the race, conditions were upgraded to "fast", the best condition for a dirt track.[15] My Adonis was drawn into the race as an also eligible entry. If there were any entries that scratched, My Adonis would have been able to start in the race.[16]
Bodemeister, ridden by Mike E. Smith, was leading at the quarter-mile mark with a time of 22.32 seconds. Bodemeister maintained his lead at the half-mile mark, at 45.39 seconds.[4] During the final furlong, I'll Have Another overtook Bodemeister to win by one and a half lengths.[17] I'll Have Another was the first Kentucky Derby winner to win from post barrier 19, while Mario Gutierrez won on his first attempt in the Kentucky Derby.[4] Union Rags, the second-favorite to win at 9:2 odds, finished seventh.[17]
All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race was also record setting, up 18.8% from 112.0-million to $133.1-million. The previous record for all-sources wagering on the Kentucky Derby race was $118.4-million and was established in 2006.[18]