How the Kentucky Derby's horses and jockeys can be affected by the weather
Sloppy, muddy tracks can complicate matters for both the horses and the jockeys, but some horses can take advantage of less-than-ideal weather conditions.
How weather impacts betting for the Kentucky Derby
OutKick Sports Betting Analyst Geoff Clark explains how weather plays a role with betting and shares his favorite horse to win the 149th Kentucky Derby.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For nearly 150 years, the Kentucky Derby has shown how athleticism, luck and the weather can affect the outcome of the iconic race.
Rain, for example, can complicate matters on the track.
"When it rains, obviously, the tracks become sloppier and then the sloppier the tracks tend to be, slower race times," said Jeff Clark, sports betting analyst at Outkick.
An overcast day. Todd Pletcher, right, walks with Forte (15) from the backside at Churchill Downs in the early morning before the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 6, 2023, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
(Jeff Moreland / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
Clark noted that the slowest winning time in the last 11 Kentucky Derbys happened in 2018, which saw the most rain.
149TH KENTUCKY DERBY KICKS OFF SATURDAY
Rain can also affect the jockeys – even more so than the horses. Clark noted that if it were to rain, the jockeys would have to fight against mud fogging up and kicking up into their goggles. This is why jockeys tend to wear two different goggles if it rains.
While rain can complicate a race, for some horses, the muddy conditions can serve as an advantage.
Muddy conditions during the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
Horse race trainer Larry Rivelli compared it to running on a sandy beach. The dry, deep part of the beach can be tough for some people to run on, but the wet, packed down part near the water creates a flat, hard surface for running.
"Some people get through it better than others, and it's the same with horses," Rovelli said. "It's a little bit slippery or more slippery, but it takes a special horse to run in the mud."
Horses and jockeys will have nothing but dry, beautiful weather and mild temperatures reaching the mid- to high 70s in this year’s Kentucky Derby.