2025 Kentucky Derby Odds & Betting Favorites
The 151st Kentucky Derby is taking place Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. Post time is 6:57 p.m. ET on NBC. Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism was a 3-1 favorite on the morning line odds. See the 2025 Kentucky Derby field and odds below.
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Kentucky Derby Odds
Below we will look at updated Kentucky Derby odds and betting information. Morning line odds are available below.
| Post Position | Horse | Morning-Line Odds | Updated Kentucky Derby odds | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1. | Citizen Bull | 20-1 | 14-1 | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia |
| 2. | Neoequos | 30-1 | 49-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Flavien Prat |
| 3. | Final Gambit | 30-1 | 15-1 | Brad Cox | Luan Machado |
| 4. | Rodriguez | 12-1 | Scratched | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith |
| 5. | American Promise | 30-1 | 12-1 | Wayne Lukas | Nik Juarez |
| 6. | Admire Daytona (JPN) | 30-1 | 39-1 | Yukihioro Kato | Christophe Lemaire |
| 7. | Luxor Cafe | 15-1 | 12-1 | Noriyuki Hori | Joao Moreira |
| 8. | Journalism | 3-1 | 7-2 | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli |
| 9. | Burnham Square | 12-1 | 16-1 | Ian Wilkes | Brian Hernandez, Jr. |
| 10. | Grande | 20-1 | Scratched | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 11. | Flying Mohawk | 30-1 | 33-1 | Whit Beckman | Joe Ramos |
| 12. | East Avenue | 20-1 | 34-1 | Brendan P. Walsh | Manny Franco |
| 13. | Publisher | 20-1 | 28-1 | Steve Asmussen | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
| 14. | Tiztastic | 20-1 | 18-1 | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 15. | Render Judgment | 30-1 | 13-1 | Kenny McPeek | Julien Leparoux |
| 16. | Coal Battle | 30-1 | 27-1 | Lonnie Briley | Juan Vargas |
| 17. | Sandman | 6-1 | 5-1 | Mark Casse | Jose Ortiz |
| 18. | Sovereignty | 5-1 | 9-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| 19. | Chunk of Gold | 30-1 | 29-1 | Ethan West | Jareth Loveberry |
| 20. | Owen Almighty | 30-1 | 39-1 | Brian Lynch | Javier Castellano |
| 21. | AE Baeza | N/A | 22-1 | John Shirreffs | Flavien Prat |
Kentucky Derby betting pools
Kentucky Derby futures pools give bettors a chance to bet early on the horses they like to claim victory at Churchill Downs. There were six futures pools leading up to this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Betting on horse racing futures pools has great risk but also great reward. If you bet on a horse to win the Derby last fall and the horse does not even enter the field come Derby week, your bet will not be refunded. Of course, betting early rewards bettors with longer odds and heftier payouts should they win. You can now even bet on exacta combinations in futures pools.
The first Kentucky Derby futures pool in this cycle, which was released on Nov. 2, 2023, had Kentucky Derby favorite Fierceness at 29/1. By mid-April, Fierceness had odds to win of 7/2, which goes to show how high his stock has risen.
Derby qualifying
The Derby’s unique qualifying method, chronicled throughout the winter and spring in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, will deliver suspense right up until post time.
Prep races with point values as high as 100 points to a winner decide which 20 horses gain first invitations to the Derby. But the field does not automatically cut off at the 20th spot. Some owners at the bottom of the list believe their horse can’t win and will opt not to run. Others are not satisfied with how their horses are training.
When a horse is not entered, the next horse below the cutoff line is brought up. It’s not uncommon, therefore, for the bar to go down a few places and grab the final starters. That was never more important than two years ago.
After a winter and spring campaign, the final horse on the list was Ethereal Road. But one day before the Derby, and literally five minutes before he was to be entered, Ethereal Road was scratched. Officials went to the next horse on that list.
His name? Rich Strike. And you know the rest. Rich Strike came from nowhere to upset the field at a shocking 80-1, one of the most monumental longshot victories in Derby history.
It hardly mattered that Rich Strike has seldom run well since. On that day, he authored horse racing’s version of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team.
It was a victory that underscored the majesty of the thoroughbreds. Bettors will keep their eye on late scratches and who gets into the Kentucky Derby at the last minute. Anything can happen. And last year, it did.
How to bet on the Kentucky Derby
Fans can wager on the Derby legally at racetracks, simulcast centers such as Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers, and on advanced deposit wagering platforms such as FanDuel Racing. Bettors in over 30 states can legally bet on the race from their mobile devices and web browsers. You can also see Kentucky Derby betting odds and wager on horse racing legally in the state of Nevada at the hundreds of casinos with race and top sportsbooks.
Types of wagers and bets
The three following wager types are the simplest and most common bets placed on the Kentucky Derby, in order of highest to lowest payout:
- Win: Bet on the horse you think will win.
- Place: Win a place bet if your horse wins or comes in second.
- Show: Win a bet if your horse wins or comes in second or third.
Fans can also attempt to cash big in the various exotic pools:
- Exacta: Predict the first two horses in the correct order.
- Trifecta: Predict the first three horses in the correct order.
- Superfecta: Predict the first four horses in the correct order.
- Super High Five: Predict the first five horses in the correct order.
From 2013-18, six consecutive favorites won the Kentucky Derby. But since then, it's been upset central, with three major upsets occurring. The latest of the group was Rich Strike, who was a late entry and a rare 21st horse in the field.
Tracks also offer the ability to bet both the winner of the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, a major $1 million race the day before with a field comprised of three-year-old fillies (female horses).
Picking a Kentucky Derby winner
Betting on horse racing has never been easier, but selecting a winner and predicting the puzzle in the exotic pools in search of a big payoff takes a little more time, skill, and luck. The 20 horses running in the Kentucky Derby is the largest field of any American race and, while the payouts are larger, it can be more difficult to handicap the winner. Many factors play into the winner, including each horse running 1 ¼ miles for the first time in their racing careers. Novice bettors will want to know what time does the Kentucky Derby start this year?
20 horses qualify through 36 prep races in the United States, seven in Europe, and four in Japan.
Handicapping horses and the races takes a lot of time, research, and intuition. Beyond studying past performance charts and horse stats, consider some of the following:
- Speed figures
- Class ratings
- Tracks and bias
- Jockey and trainer stats
- Horse pedigree
- Post position (drawn May 2)
It’s important to distill information that can help you identify horses that may offer some value next time out or others in good form or improving that can provide value wagering opportunities.
Races and horses should be backed based on positive attributes and not as a result of who’s the best of the worst. As you study some of the betting guides and training tools, you’ll become better prepared and equipped to analyze races in a more meaningful way. That includes the Kentucky Derby and the prep races leading up. Understanding how a horse ran leading up to a race versus where the horse finishes and what time he/she completed their recent races will help you become more proficient.
Picking a Kentucky Derby winner is, of course, an inexact science. But it certainly helps to do some research instead of just “going with your gut.”
Betting on the favorite of the race to win does not always equal success at the Kentucky Derby.
Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire were the co-favorites at 9-2 odds last year. Tapit Trice finished seventh out of 18 horses that ran and Angel of Empire finished third.
The year prior was the ultimate example of Kentucky Derby unpredictably as the biggest long shot of the race, Rich Strike at 80-1, wound up winning.
Five biggest Kentucky Derby longshot winners ever
As we witnessed in 2022 when Rich Strike won at 80-1 odds, nothing is certain in horse racing. The winning horse is not always the best horse. In a field of 20, a bit of racing luck makes for a better chance to win. The five biggest longshots to ever win the Derby include:
- Donerail, 91-1 (1913)
- Rich Strike, 80-1 (2022)
- Country House, 65-1 (2019)
- Mine That Bird, 50-1 (2009)
- Giacomo, 50-1 (2005)
Kentucky Derby Betting history
Here is a look at Kentucky Derby betting history with past odds for winners.
| Year | Winner | Time | Odds | $2 Win | Track |
| 2024 | Mystik Dan | 2:03.34 | 18-1 | $39.22 | Good |
| 2023 | Mage | 2:01.57 | 16-1 | $32.42 | Fast |
| 2022 | Rich Strike | 2:02.61 | 80-1 | $163.60 | Fast |
| 2021 | Medina Spirit* | 2:01.36 | 12-1 | $26.20 | Fast |
| 2020 | Authentic | 2:00.61 | 8-1 | $18.80 | Fast |
| 2019 | Country House | 2:03.93 | 65-1 | $132.40 | Sloppy |
| 2018 | Justify | 2:04.20 | 3-1 | $7.80 | Sloppy |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | 2:03.59 | 9-2 | $11.40 | Wet |
| 2016 | Nyquist | 2:01.31 | 5-2 | $6.60 | Fast |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 2:03.02 | 3-1 | $7.80 | Fast |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 2:03.66 | 5-2 | $7.00 | Fast |
| 2013 | Orb | 2:02.89 | 5-1 | $12.80 | Sloppy |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | 2:01.83 | 15-1 | $32.60 | Fast |
| 2011 | Animal Kingdom | 2:02.04 | 21-1 | $43.80 | Fast |
| 2010 | Super Saver | 2:04.45 | 8-1 | $18.00 | Sloppy |
| 2009 | Mine That Bird | 2:02.66 | 51-1 | $103.20 | Sloppy |
| 2008 | Big Brown | 2:01.82 | 7-2 | $6.80 | Fast |
| 2007 | Street Sense | 2:02.17 | 9-2 | $11.80 | Fast |
| 2006 | Barbaro | 2:01.36 | 6-1 | $14.20 | Fast |
| 2005 | Giacomo | 2:02.75 | 50-1 | $102.60 | Fast |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | 2:04.06 | 4-1 | $10.20 | Sloppy |
| 2003 | Funny Cide | 2:01.19 | 12-1 | $27.60 | Fast |
| 2002 | War Emblem | 2:01.13 | 20-1 | $43.00 | Fast |
| 2001 | Monarchos | 1:59.97 | 10-1 | $23.00 | Fast |
| 2000 | Fusaichi Pegasus | 2:01.12 | 2-1 | $6.60 | Fast |
*Medina Spirit was later disqualified and first place of the 2021 Derby was awarded to Mandaloun. Mandaloun had 26-1 odds to win the Derby but bettors who had Mandaloun to win were not able to cash their tickets as the order of the finish was previously declared "official."
Compare Betting Sites & Apps For The Best Kentucky Derby Odds
When betting on the Kentucky Derby, staying current with the latest odds is essential, as they can change rapidly based on horses' form, jockey selections, and track conditions. To get the best value, compare various betting sites for the most competitive odds and a range of betting markets. Using top sports betting apps allows you to place bets on the go, monitor real-time line movements, and capitalize on emerging opportunities. With the right strategy and tools, you can enhance your betting approach and maximize your potential returns when wagering on the Kentucky Derby.
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