$156 Million Bet on Kentucky Derby

A total of $155,969,770 was placed on the 13-race card at this year's Kentucky Derby, according to horse racing Web site Bloodhorse.com.

Not surprisingly given the global financial crisis, those numbers were more than five percent down on the $164,668,175 placed on the previous year's 12-race card.

Some $104,563,501 was placed on the Kentucky Derby itself, which was won by Mine That Bird in a stunning upset. Those figures, which include on- and off-track bets, were 8.7 percent down on the 2008 numbers, according to Bloodhorse.

The 50-1 outsider beat out a field of 19, most of them more highly rated, by a huge margin of 6 ¾ lengths in front of a crowd of more than 150,000 at the Churchill Downs track in Louisville.

Saturday's race was the 135th in the history of what is the most prestigious event in the US horse racing calendar.

Churchill Downs returned more than $127 million to betters, amounting to 82% of total wagers, the track reported. The state of Kentucky also benefited from almost $1 million in revenues.

Open to thoroughbreds, the Kentucky Derby is known in the US as "the most exciting two minutes in sports." It is the first leg in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.