Kentucky Derby 2020 at Home: Many Horse Racing Fans Bet Money on Virtual Race

The 146th Kentucky Derby was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, marking only the second time [...]

By John Newby

The 146th Kentucky Derby was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, marking only the second time in the race's history that it would not be held in May. This left many horse racing fans sad on May 2 due to the lack of competition, but they were gifted a partial replacement. A virtual Kentucky Derby was held featuring the 13 previous Triple Crown winners. This didn't entirely replace the Kentucky Derby, but the fans still found ways to win and lose some money while watching.

One of the biggest traditions at the Kentucky Derby is placing bets on the outcome of the competition. Fans have won some large amounts of money by taking chances on horses that required "a miracle" to secure the victory. Next to big hats and mint juleps, betting could be viewed as a defining factor of the annual event. Although it became far more difficult on May 2.

Technically, betting on the virtual Kentucky Derby was illegal outside of some donations to coronavirus relief, but there were some Twitter users who boasted about finding a workaround. They used offshore options for placing their wagers while trying to secure a decent payday. Many picked poorly and lost their money, but others took the safe bet and won.

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