Triple Crown Party Zone - Horse race betting software for your Kentucky Derby party, club or charity event! Real pari-mutuel wagering

Kentucky Derby Party Info
and other Triple Crown and Thoroughbred Racing Info

Kentucky Derby | Preakness | Belmont

Thoroughbred horse racing has been designated the "sport of kings". The classic event of this regal sport is the Kentucky Derby. Every year, over 100,000 people descend upon Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. to watch the "most exciting two minutes in sports".

But the Kentucky Derby is much more than a two-minute event. Besides the throngs of people at the race track, Derby day is famous for its parties that take place across the country. We've provided information here for you to host your own party and give it that "authentic" Kentucky Derby flavor.

And don't stop there! The second and third legs of the "Triple Crown", the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, offer two more opportunities to participate in the fun and excitement of thoroughbred horse racing.

No Kentucky Derby party is complete without some sort of "gambling" on the event. There is much that you can do without employing the services of a bookie, illegal in most states, and still capture the fun of betting on the horses. These ideas below have been used for years at Derby parties across the country, and, in many states, as long as no one makes a profit off of the wagering, they're not considered illegal gambling!

Put all of the names of the horses in a hat and mix them up. Everyone pays a designated amount, say $1, to pull a name out of the hat. When the race is complete, the person that has the winning horse collects the pot. Or, offer a percentage of the pot for the first place horse, a smaller percentage to the second place horse, and an even smaller percentage to the third place horse.
Create a sheet of paper or a poster board with a large block for each horse in the race. Have everyone at the party pay a designated amount to write their name in their favorite horse's box. They can do this for one or more horses and they can also enter their name under a horse more than once. More than one person is allowed to put their name under the same horse.
Have a "horse auction". List each of the horses in the race on a poster board with columns for first place, second place, and third place, next to each horse's name. Then have a live auction with the people at your party. Start out with the "third place" column. Offer each horse up for auction to come in third place. Any one can bid on that horse and the highest bidder "buy's" that horse at that to come in third place. If that horse finishes in third place, then the person who bought that horse gets the total of all of the third place money wagered on all horses. (The horse must finish exactly third -- it is not like a show bet, where there is a payoff if the horse finishes first, second, or third. Repeat the same procedure for second place and first place.
Click here to learn about Backyard Bookie - real pari-mutuel software that lets you bring the fun of the track to your own backyard Derby party. With this software product, your computer becomes a betting window where you can take bets of all sorts -- win, place, show, exacta, and more. The program calculates odds based on the bets that are placed at your party. Because the program computes its own odds, the "house" (that's you, the party host) is not at risk of losing any money. All of the money that is bet is redistributed to the winners according to the mathematical formula used for pari-mutuel betting at a typical race track.

	Race Day - first Saturday in May - May 1, 2021
	Churchill Downs, home of the twin spires, in Louisville, Kentucky hosts the race.
	2021 will be the 147th running of the Derby.
	The race is a mile and a quarter.
	The winning horse is blanketed with a garland of Roses.

Kentucky Derby Specialties	The Kentucky Derby evokes tradition, fine food, fast horses, and awesome parties. Click here for tantalizing Derby party recipes, fun party tips and hot links directly to Derby related sites. Join the crazy race fans across the nation as we celebrate the most exciting two minutes in sports!

	If you have a great Derby party recipe or tip, please contact us so we can consider including it in our site.


	Race Day - third Saturday in May - May 15, 2021
	Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland hosts the race.
	2021 will be the 145th running of the Preakness.
	The race is a mile and three-eighths.
Preakness Specialties	The winning horse is blanketed with a garland of Black-eyed Susan's. Enjoy specialties of Maryland style horse racing! Click here for crab cake and Black-eyed Susan drink recipes! If you have a great Preakness party recipe or tip, please contact us so we can consider including it in our site.


	Race Day - three weeks after the Preakness Stakes - June 5, 2021
	2021 will be the 151st running of the Belmont Stakes.
	Belmont Park in Elmont, New York hosts the race.
	The race is a mile and a half.
	The winning horse is blanketed with a garland of mums.
Belmont Specialties	Try old and new traditions at your next Belmont party! Click here for drink recipes. If you have a Belmont party tradition, recipe or tip, please contact us so we can consider including it in our site.

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