Kentucky Derby: What are the current track, weather conditions at Churchill Downs?

Other than a slight breeze, conditions for the 148th Kentucky Derby should be nice.

The track condition ahead of the ninth race was listed as “fast,” which means the surface is “completely dry and at optimal efficiency,” according to Equibase. Earlier races on the Saturday card were listed as “good,” which means the track is in the midst of drying but approaching a “fast” state.

The temperature in Louisville at post time for the ninth race was 62 degrees with cloudy conditions and wins of 10 mph. Those conditions were anticipated to be no different at 6:57 p.m., the post time of the Kentucky Derby.

Light rain was in the area until about 9 a.m. The wind made it feel a little cool, but Saturday was much warmer than the coldest Derby days on record; the race twice has run on days where the low temperature hit 36 degrees.

This story was originally published May 7, 2022 at 3:48 PM.

Josh Moore

Lexington Herald-Leader

Josh Moore covers the University of Kentucky football team for the Lexington Herald-Leader, where he’s been employed since 2009. Moore, a Martin County native, graduated from UK with a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication and English in 2013. He’s a fan of the NBA, Power Rangers and Pokémon. Support my work with a digital subscription