There is no better betting horse race than the Kentucky Derby, and it is coming up Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs! The $5 million race features 20 of the best three-year-olds in the world, and they will all go a testing and thrilling 1 ¼ miles on the dirt at Churchill Downs. The winner gets the lion’s share of the purse, the iconic blanket of roses, and a place in horse racing history!
You’ve found the best place to get to know the best bets in the race, as well as find out the best sites for getting real Las Vegas odds for the Kentucky Derby online!
Betting the Kentucky Derby Online
Even before you know a single horse in the field, your first decision when you look at the Kentucky Derby odds is choosing the right online sportsbook. Picking the right site now can ensure the best betting experience, and make sure you maximize your winnings on Derby day and all year long!
Choosing the right sportsbook can seem difficult at first, but our expert Las Vegas sportsbook reviews will help you make a confident and informed decision quickly. Every recommended site has real Vegas odds, a good user interface, and trusted payouts. Each site also offers bonuses like deposit and sign-up boosts and even horse racing rebates that pay you to bet!
These are the best online betting sites sites for betting the Kentucky Derby online:
This is the official field for the 2025 Kentucky Derby including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds:
Baeza will only draw in if at least one horse scratches from the main field before 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, when Kentucky Derby betting begins.
The post draw is significant in the Kentucky Derby because of the huge field size. Inside posts are liable to get the horse stuck in traffic early, while an outside post can lead to major ground loss into the first turn. The best posts are the somewhat-inside to middle gates: between 4 and 10 is ideal
Here are the Vegas odds on Kentucky Derby horses at the top of the market, at some of the best online sportsbooks:
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Journalism | +300 | +285 | +280 |
| Sovereignty | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Sandman | +800 | +1000 | +800 |
| Luxor Cafe | +1200 | +1100 | +1100 |
| American Promise | +1200 | +1800 | +1400 |
| Burnham Square | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Rodriguez | +1400 | +1400 | +1200 |
Journalism is the leader in every major Kentucky Derby market. It’s no surprise: the West Coast preps were consistently competitive and classy, and Journalism just kept getting the job done. He also proved in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) that he’s not a favorite who needs perfect trips; his trip was awful and yet he still got the job done over the promising Baeza.
Others near the top of the market are Sovereignty and Sandman. With a ton of one-way speed entered in the Kentucky Derby, both of them will get a nice setup for their closing styles. Sovereignty is a bit more preferred given his Churchill Downs win and the fact that Sandman still has some growing up to do mentally, but both could make good account in Kentucky.
The best bet in the 2025 Kentucky Derby is Burnham Square. He comes out of a late-running win in the Blue Grass (G1), a prep with an improving profile in recent years. Though he got a fast pace in front of him that day – he was chasing a fast lone leader, and in the Kentucky Derby he will likely get a fast and contested pace to close into, all the better for him.
He consistently shows up with good efforts, and he doesn’t have to sit as far back as some of the deepest closers, if it turns out to be advantageous not to be very far from the pace. And, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. has won a Derby before – last year, in fact, with Mystik Dan.
Two long shots to consider for the Kentucky Derby are Chunk of Gold and Grande.
Chunk of Gold did not win any preps, but his only two dirt races resulted in good late-running second-place finishes in points races at Fair Grounds. He gets a good setup this time, too, and the price should be excellent given his under-the-radar trainer (Ethan West) and jockey (Jareth Loveberry).
Grande is relatively inexperienced, but comes out for proven Kentucky Derby connections: Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez. His stakes debut was a rallying third behind lone leader Rodriguez in the Wood Memorial (G2). With that experience as well as a much better pace setup this time, he should be ready with his best.
Most modern Kentucky Derby winners at least hit the board in their final prep. That holds even for long shots: Rich Strike was third in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) in his final prep, and both Mystik Dan and Country House came in off of thirds in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
The most important final preps include the Florida Derby (G1), Arkansas Derby (G1), and Santa Anita Derby (G1), though the Louisiana Derby (G1) and Blue Grass (G1) have been great recent sources of board-hitting horses.
The betting favorite hasn’t won since Justify in 2018, but in every year of the points system except for 2024, the favorite has finished in the superfecta. Leaning on an in-form price horse like Burnham Square makes sense, though, but so does playing them around a favorite as consistent and tactical as Journalism.
To hit the Kentucky Derby trifecta, you select the top three horses. You can play it straight, or you can box them in order to win if they finish in any order.
In this instance, the Kentucky Derby handicapper is betting that longer-priced Burnham Square will hit the board. They include a few of the more likely favorites, as well as a pace-advantaged long shot in Chunk of Gold.
The Kentucky Derby superfecta is difficult to hit in a 20-horse field, but can be worth a significant investment because it frequently results in a life-changing score. As far as ticket structure, the extremes are a box and a straight bet. A straight bet is almost impossible to hit since it leaves you completely at the mercy of one order; a box gets expensive because it covers a lot of combinations.
A balanced and cost-effective option is a key. Choose a horse you really like to hit the board, and wheel them in each spot with a group of other live horses in the other positions. Don’t be afraid to use a long shot who ran well in but did not win their final prep race; many longshots have recently moved forward to finish in the money.
