Welcome to our guide to betting on the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the American Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade 1 race for three-year-olds over one and a quarter mile and is staged at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May and has total prize money of $3 million with $1.8 million going to the winner.
The race is widely known as “The Run for the Roses” because of the blanket of roses that are draped over the winner afterwards. The Kentucky Derby attracts the highest attendance of any horse race in the United States including the Breeders’ Cup.
The Top Five Online Bookmakers for Kentucky Derby Betting:
- Bet365 – Top Sports Live Streaming
- William Hill – Several Kentucky Derby Markets
- Ladbrokes – Excelled Welcome Bonus
- Coral – Best Betting Offers
- Unibet – Ante-Post Betting
Kentucky Derby betting in the UK is led by Bet365 who will be covering the race on their Sports Live Streaming service. Bet365 has a fantastic sign-up offer of £50 in free bets when you stake just £10, putting it ahead of its rivals for new customers.
William Hill will also be live streaming the event and offer several Kentucky Derby markets. Their welcome bonus for new customers is £30 in free bets for a £10 bet while rivals Ladbrokes offer £20 for a £5 bet. Coral and Unibet also provide excellent coverage of the Kentucky Derby including ante-post betting.
Kentucky Derby Betting Offers
UK Kentucky Derby betting sites do not offer bettors the same wide range of betting opportunities as their American counterparts. However, there is plenty of interest in the race, especially if there is a European runner involved. Churchill Downs created a European road to the Derby in 2017 but all challenges to date have floundered on the dirt, most notably Aidan O’Brien’s Mendelssohn who finished last in 2018.
If you don’t yet have an online betting account there are some terrific offers for new customers including free bets and enhanced odds. Ante-post betting is available on the big race with full coverage of the event online. If you fancy a horse to win the Triple Crown in 2023 you can have odds of 66-1 and upwards about any horse with Ladbrokes.
Kentucky Derby Betting Odds
The leading UK bookmakers are already offering ante-post betting on the Kentucky Derby 2023. Betting on the race ante-post has the extra risk of losing your stake if your horse does not run but offers longer prices about the fancied runners. Extra Anejo and Loggins have already suffered minor injuries in their preparation, both priced at 20-1 with Coral in the Kentucky Derby betting. Kentucky Derby offers are advertised on bookmaker websites in the lead up to the race including price boosts on the fancied runners.
The most popular bet on the Kentucky Derby horses and odds is Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Forte who ended the season as champion two-year-old in the US. His odds vary from 7-1 with William Hill to 12-1 with Ladbrokes, two of the best Kentucky Derby sites. The Bob Baffert-trained Arabian Knight has been the subject of early support and is now priced at 14-1 generally and a top-priced 20-1 with Bet365. UK Bookmakers are paying 1/5 the odds 1,2,3 with the exception of Unibet who are offering 1/4 odds.
How to Bet on Kentucky Derby. Types of Bets
There are a wide range of Kentucky Derby betting options including win, each-way, forecast and tricast bets. The single win bet is simply your unit stake on your selection to win. For example; a £10 win bet at 2-1 odds will return £20 winnings plus your £10 stake returned = £30.
If you prefer to back your horse each-way your stake is divided between a win and a place (typically settled at 1/5th of the starting price return). For example; £5 each-way at 5-1. If your horse is second or third you will get 1/5th of the 5-1 odds multiplied by your place bet = 1 x 5 (£5) plus your £5 place bet returned = £10. If your horse wins at 5-1, you will also receive 5 x 5 (£25) plus your £5 win stake = £30 added to your £10 returns from the place bet total £40.
If you want to be more adventurous with your Kentucky Derby wagering, there are forecast and tricast bets. A Forecast bet is predicting the first and second horses in the correct order with the payout/dividend declared after the race. A reverse forecast is the first two horses in either order and a tricast (or trifecta) is predicting the first three horses in the correct order.
Historical Info and Interesting Facts about The Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a 1 1/4 mile race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. The race is known for its tradition and pageantry, with horses and their jockeys decked out in their finest silks. Together with the Grand National, they are both widely regarded as two of the most prestigious steeplechases in the world.
The Kentucky Derby was first run over the Epsom Derby distance of a mile and a half in 1875 with victory going to Aristides. The distance of the race was shortened to a mile and a quarter in 1896. In 1915, Regret became the first of only three fillies in history to win the Kentucky Derby. The others were Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988).
The Kentucky Derby winner would often go on to compete in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. The first to achieve the treble was Sir Barton in 1919. The American Triple Crown was not actually commissioned until 1950 but the term was coined after Gallant Fox won all three races in 1930.
War Admiral won the Triple Crown in 1937 and was famously matched with Seabiscuit the following year in the Pimlico Special. War Admiral was beaten by Seabiscuit in a track record time. Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 1964, setting a race record time at Churchill Downs. He was beaten into third in the Belmont but became one of the most influential stallions in history.
Northern Dancer’s record time stood until 1973 when Secretariat was a brilliant Triple Crown winner. The chestnut known as “Big Red” was the first horse to break the two-minute barrier in the race. Secretariat’s most astonishing performance came in the Belmont where he won by 31 lengths.
1977 winner Seattle Slew remained undefeated all the way through to the Belmont Stakes when he became the tenth Triple Crown winner. The Triple Crown victories of Affirmed in 1978 are remembered for three famous duels with rival Alydar and elevated young jockey Steve Cauthen to superstar status. Cauthen, dubbed “The Kentucky Kid” rode brilliant tactical races. Affirmed won by a length and a half at Churchill Downs, a neck in the Preakness and a nose at Belmont.
Kentucky Derby winners Spectacular Bid (1979), Alysheba (1987), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008) and California Chrome (2012) all failed to land the elusive Triple Crown. It was 37 years before the long wait for another Triple Crown was ended by American Pharoah in 2015.
He was trained by Bob Baffert who would strike again three years’ later with Justify, the thirteenth and most recent Triple Crown winner in 2018. His achievement was also notable for being the first horse since Apollo (1882) to win the Kentucky Derby without having raced as a juvenile.
Glossary: Know Your Kentucky Derby Jargon
- Ante-post – A bet placed in advance of the race. You are offered higher odds but will lose your stake if your horse does not run. The Kentucky Derby runner odds are constantly changing in the weeks and months leading up to the race.
- Exacta – US bet for correctly forecasting the 1st and 2nd in the correct order
- Furlong – One eighth of a mile (220 yards or 660 feet)
- Homestretch – US phrase for the home straight
- Lasix – a diuretic that helps prevent horses from bleeding. It is banned in the UK but allowed in the US, providing it is declared
- Lead Pony – ridden by an out-rider to escort the racehorse onto the track and to the starting gate
- Non-runner No Bet – Bookmakers offer “non-runner – no bet” (NRNB) terms nearer the day of the race when the final runners are declared. If you place your bet under NRNB terms and your horse does not take part, your stake will be returned.
- Pari-Mutuel – US racetrack betting system equivalent to the UK Tote with odds reflecting money wagered and distributed to winning ticket holders, less a fixed percentage
- Quinella – US bet for selecting 1st and 2nd but in either order
- Show – US bet for your horse to finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd. It is equivalent to the “place” bet in UK so pays out at much reduced odds compared to the win
- Starting Gate – US equivalent of UK stalls
- Trifecta – Bet for correctly forecasting the 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, more typically called a tricast in UK betting
- Triple Crown – The US Triple Crown of racing is a series of races for three-year-olds: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes
FAQs
Where can I bet online on the Kentucky Derby?
Kentucky Derby betting online is offered by all major UK betting sites for one of the biggest events in the world of horse racing. Most will list the race under “International” or “American” racing on their websites.
Which is the best betting site for Kentucky Derby?
We rate Bet365 as the best Kentucky Derby betting site with ante-post odds available months before the big race and excellent coverage of the top American races.
How do I place a bet on the Kentucky Derby?
Go to your bookmaker site, login and search “Kentucky Derby” or find the race in the International horse racing section. If you are not yet registered, don’t forget to take advantage of the new customer offers which vary with each bookmaker but typically include free bets.
What is the shortest odds horse to win the Kentucky Derby?
The shortest priced winner of the Kentucky Derby was Count Fleet at 2-5 way back in 1943. 1977 winner Seattle Slew was also a very strong winning favourite at 1-2.
There have been several big priced winners in the Kentucky Derby betting odds. Giacomo (2005) and Mine That Bird (2009) were both 50-1 long shots while 2022 winner Rich Strike was an 80-1 outsider. The longest priced winner in the history of Kentucky derby horse odds was Donerail at 91-1 in 1913.
What is the minimum bet at Kentucky Derby?
The minimum bet at the Kentucky Derby varies from $1 to $2 depending on the type of bet. If betting on UK Kentucky Derby betting sites, the minimum stake is usually £1. The each-way terms are 1/5th of the odds a place 1st, 2nd or 3rd unless otherwise stated.