One of the most important horse racing events on the racing calendar is the Kentucky Derby and the 2012 race is now only four days away on May 5. For many sporting enthusiasts apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are now a great way of following some of the major events and the Kentucky Derby 2012 is no exception. We have found two iOS apps that we hope will add to your enjoyment of the race.

The main app that will be a useful and enjoyable addition to your viewing is the official Kentucky Derby app from Churchill Downs. This is a free app compatible with iPhones, iPod touches and iPads running iOS 4.0 or later. You can download it here. Updated in April for this year’s race it’s hugely comprehensive and you should find just about everything you need here. The 39-day Spring Meet began on April 28 and runs to July 1, although of course the main event is Derby Day itself on May 5 and the app also enables you to purchase tickets for the events in case you’re fortunate enough to be able to go in person.

The app has a host of features including an event lineup, all the news, Facebook and Twitter, betting information, videos and photos, TV and radio schedule, games to test yourself on Derby trivia, how to plan your visit to Churchill Downs and even a 3-day weather forecast. There’s even info on how to plan the perfect Kentucky Derby party with recipes and more and so you can see this app offers just about everything, including one thing we almost forgot and that’s all about the horses. This is a highly rated app and one we feel we can heartily recommend to our readers.

If you have a deep interest in the Kentucky Derby then you may also be interested in another Derby app. This is an app for iPads running iOS 3.2 or later and is priced at $1.99. It’s called History of the Kentucky Derby and as you would imagine it focuses on the history of this great event. It covers the first 45 years of the Thoroughbred race with analysis, full results and betting stats. You can download this from iTunes here.

Features include an interactive chapter list, ability to add bookmarks, simple navigation and autorotation lock feature and you can turn pages by flicking or tapping the left of right hand side of your iPad screen. When you open up the app it automatically resumes from the last page you viewed.

For more on the Kentucky Derby check out the official website here. Hopefully the above apps will provide all you need to get full enjoyment out of the big day. If you decide to try out one of these apps, do let us know what you think of it by sending your comments. Would you recommend either of these to other readers?