Best Kentucky Derby Betting Sites

The Kentucky Derby is the biggest horse racing event in the world. Part of a two-week long event held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, this Grade I race forms part of the famous American Triple Crown—the other two are the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. With a top prize of more than $1 million, the Kentucky Derby is always a hotly contested affair and that means a ton of horse racing betting action.

Before the May showdown, it’s worth getting your ducks (or horses) in a row. Below are our top tips to help you get the most out of your Kentucky Derby betting venture. Before giving you advice on how to pick a winner, we’ll start with the basics and tell you how to bet on Kentucky Derby odds.

How to Bet on the Kentucky Derby Online

When you scroll through the best Kentucky Derby betting sites, the list of odds and options will be extensive. To help you navigate the markets like a pro, here’s an overview of the most popular Kentucky Derby betting odds you’ll find online:

Outright Win – If you want to bet on a single horse to win, this is the option for you.

Each-way Bet – If you want to hedge your bets, you can bet on a horse to finish first, second, third and, in some instances, fourth. Each-way bets typically pay out at 1/5 odds if your horse finishes outside the top spot but within the top three/four.

Exacta Bet – If you like two horses, you can place a straight exacta bet. This means you’re betting on horse X to finish first and horse Y to finish second. Alternatively, you can place an exacta box bet and speculate on two or more horses to finish first and second, in any order.

Trifecta Bet – Like an exacta, trifecta bets require you to select three horses to finish in a certain order (straight trifecta) or in any order within the top three finishers (trifecta box).

Superfecta – Kentucky Derby betting online often throws up some interesting options and the superfecta is one of them. Although it’s not as common as the above, this wager allows you to bet on the finishing order of the first four horses. Like exactas, these can be straight or boxed.

How to Pick a Winner at the Kentucky Derby

Now you know how to bet on Kentucky Derby horses, so the final thing we need to show you is how to pick a winner. Although we can’t guarantee the following tips will improve your picking skills, they should give you a solid foundation to work from.

Is there a dead cert and a live longshot? Betting on a heavy favorite is always a good way to make a profit in the horse racing world. However, Kentucky Derby odds on a highly rated horse will often be low, which means your returns will be relatively low. For better payouts, it’s worth finding a longshot that’s underrated. Even better, you can make exacta bets combining heavy favorites with live outsiders. Doing this can increase the odds and, therefore, your potential returns.

How’s the weather and the track? Churchill Downs is a dirt track. If it rains, the consistency of the dirt will change and that can impact the outcome of the race. Some horses prefer a heavy surface and won’t mind a wet track while others do better when it’s dry. Similarly, if it’s too hot some runners won’t perform at their best. Before you bet on the Kentucky Derby, it’s worth knowing how each horse performs under certain conditions.

Who’s offering the best odds? The final Kentucky Derby betting tip: some research. The internet is filled with options, so compare sportsbooks to find your best fit. By looking through a variety of the best Kentucky Derby betting sites, you can find the best odds possible.