• Kentucky Derby Betting Information Template
• Kentucky Derby Betting Tips
• Kentucky Derby Betting Online

Learning how to bet horses successfully and make money on events like the Kentucky Derby is more than just win-place-show or exacta betting. And there are many ways to handicap a race beyond looking at just the past performance charts. Several angles can be useful and successful, and some angles are better than others. Betting on the Kentucky Derby is similar to any other horse race, but the stakes are much higher. This article will provide important background information and everything you need to know for how to bet on Kentucky Derby races. Before placing your wager, you want to be as prepared as possible.

Our 147th Kentucky Derby betting guide includes some crucial information about one of the most famous horse races in the world, the Kentucky Derby, which will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

Keep reading our article and discover all about Kentucky Derby online betting sites, Kentucky Derby odds, and learn how to bet on the Derby.

Kentucky Derby Betting Rankings

VegasInsider.com Horse Racing expert Anthony Stabile provides his 'Stabile's Seven' rankings throughout the Kentucky Derby prep trail.

Stabile's Seven - Power Rankings

1. Essential Quality
2. Risk Taking
3. Greatest Honour
4. Mandaloun
5. Rombauer
6. Life is Good
7. Collaborate

(Updated 3.4.21)

The Stabile Seven Rankings are your source for anything and everything leading up to Kentucky Derby 147 on Saturday May 1 at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

In the coming weeks, Stabile, best known for picking 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide at odds of over 12/1, will break down the top contenders for this years’ Run for the Roses on VegasInsider.com, culminating on Friday, April 30 with an extensive analysis of every runner that steps into the gate for the most exciting two minutes in sports.

Stabile's Seven Betting Analysis

(Number of points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard)

1) Essential Quality (40)

• Trainer: Brad Cox
• Jockey: Luis Saez

The undefeated, Eclipse Award winning two-year-old returned with a nice win in the twice-postponed Southwest at Oaklawn Park on 2/27, his first start since taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November. He handled an inside draw and the slop with ease while posting a 96 Beyer. Seems like everything is on the table for his next and final Derby prep but my money is on Blue Grass at Keeneland, a course he’s won twice over, on 4/3.

2) Risk Taking (10)

• Trainer: Chad Brown
• Jockey: Eric Cancel

Has turned into a different horse in his two starts going nine furlongs. An impressive maiden win was followed by a powerful tally in the Withers, both at Aqueduct and his late kick and the way he is finishing up in his races leads you to believe there is a big engine under that hood. He needs to get a little faster but I have little doubt he’ll handle more distance. He’ll get nine furlongs for his third consecutive start in the Wood Memorial on 4/3 at the Big A.

3) Greatest Honour (60)

• Trainer: Shug McGaughey
• Jockey: Jose Ortiz

A pair of defeats at seven furlongs to start his career helped build a foundation that has led him to three consecutive wins, all at Gulfstream, with two coming in the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth. In the Fountain of Youth, he looked like he was getting NOTHING going to the far turn but once he was able to get to the outside it was over. He’s by Tapit and closely related to a pair of Belmont Stakes winners so distance is the least of his worries. Final prep set to come in the Florida Derby on 3/27.

4) Mandaloun (52)

• Trainer: Brad Cox
• Jockey: Florent Geroux

When the Eclipse winner is in the same barn as you, you will more likely than not be referred to as the “other” horse but I wouldn’t be so quick to put that moniker on him. With two sprints wins under his belt to start his career, he raced evenly in the Lecomte around two turns before getting a pair of blinkers for the Risen Star. He seemed to respond nicely to the equipment change and finished off the nine furlongs with vigor. He’ll get another sixteenth of a mile in the Louisiana Derby on 3/20 at the Fair Grounds, the site of his last two starts.

5) Rombauer (14)

• Trainer: Mike McCarthy
• Jockey: TBD

My “wiseguy” horse on the trail this year. He’s handled every surface, winning on turf and synthetic. His two starts on dirt have been sneaky good. He ran on for a half-mile when second in the American Pharoah last fall then made up plenty of ground when fifth in the B.C. Juvenile. He returned a few weeks ago with a win in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate over their synthetic course. Looking like he’ll try the Santa Anita Derby on 4/3.

6) Life is Good (10)

• Trainer: Bob Baffert
• Jockey: Mike Smith

I know he’s the talk of the town, and we’ll get to see him soon, in the San Felipe at Santa Anita on 3/6, but I have to say I have not been impressed. Maiden win was nice but that effort in the Sham was workmanlike for me. He’s one of the shortest prices on the Trail right now and while he’s talented, I truly wonder how much of the buzz is for his connections.

7) Collaborate (0)

• Trainer: Saffie Joseph, Jr.
• Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

He is undoubtedly playing catch up, as he just broke his maiden in his second start on 2/28 but he looked GOOD. It’ll be all-or-nothing as far as prepping him and getting points goes and I would assume his connections will look for what they deem to be the easiest of the three spots on 4/3 to try and get their points.

Anthony “the Big A” Stabile can be heard regularly on the Horse Racing Radio Network from 3-6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday and 3-7:00 p.m. ET Thursday and Friday. Tune in on Sirius 219, XM 201 or streaming live at horseracingradio.net. He also is a contributor on NYRA-TV as the co-host of Talking Horses and a backup racetrack announcer.

Follow him on Twitter @TheBigAStabile

2021 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds

The 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools began in November and will continue through the end of March.

After Pool 4, the Kentucky Derby Contenders are listed below:

• Life Is Good 2/1
• Essential Quality 5/1
• Greatest Honour 6/1

Top Kentucky Derby Betting Bonuses

Kentucky Derby Betting Leaderboard

We’d like to start our Kentucky Derby online betting guide by presenting the current top 10 on the leaderboard. Here you can find the horse racing results from the Road to Kentucky Derby prep races, as well as a list of their trainers and jockeys. As far as online racebooks go, our favorite is definitely TVG, so visit them from the leaderboard below to sign up and bet on the Kentucky Derby.

The 2021 Kentucky Derby Prep schedule features all of the upcoming races and the winners of the previous major events that already took place.

*Leaderboard and odds subject to change

Kentucky Derby Online Betting 2021

Betting on the Kentucky Derby is something that hundreds of thousands of fans are looking forward to because of all the excitement the race brings. The thrill isn’t just in guessing the next Kentucky Derby winner-- there are many other betting options for those who know where and how to look for them.

The odds and predictions will change as the 147th Kentucky Derby draws nearer. Some prefer early Kentucky Derby online betting, while others wait for the day of the Run for the Roses to place their bets. Both these practices have their pros and cons. Ultimately, everything depends on your personal preference.

Also, before you decide who to bet on, you should take into consideration some of the important factors such as the weight, age and form of every horse. Don’t forget to find out more information about their past performances, their jockeys and trainers.

These are the details that can help you make your own horse racing betting strategy. Not only will this knowledge be helpful for the first leg of the American Triple Crown, but will also apply for the Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes.

However, choosing the right operator is one of the most important things when it comes to Kentucky Derby online betting. We choose some of the best Kentucky Derby online betting websites where you can also stream the race, so make sure to visit them and see what they have to offer:

• TVG (4NJBets + PABets)
• AmWager
• BetAmerica
• TwinSpires
• NYRA Bets
• DRF Bets
• Xpressbet
• Betfair Exchange

Morning-Line Odds for the Kentucky Derby aren't available until the week of the race and those are created by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. The official morning-line odds are announced after the post positions for the field have been set, which is normally announced on Wednesday before Saturday's race. Prior to the draw, gamblers can check out fixed odds at various betting shops.

TVG Welcome Offer: Get up to a $300 risk-free bet with a new TVG account

In order to qualify for this offer, as soon as you open a new account, you should place a single horse win-bet. If you lose, the operator will put up to $300 right back into your account as a wagering credit.

As you may know, TVG is one of the most popular sites for horse racing betting in the USA. But what makes it so great? Apart from the quality of welcome offers and current Kentucky Derby betting promotions, the operator comes with a bunch of other great stuff.

First of all, we want to say that the operator is exclusively focused on horse racing. It doesn’t feature any other sport, but if you are on the lookout for great horse racing action, then you’ll be in the right place.

TVG is the go-to place for online horse racing betting, including Kentucky Derby online betting. You can also find betting on the Breeders Cup or Kentucky Oaks. The operator offers some of the best horse racing odds, live streaming and betting services.

In the horse racing schedule on the website, you can easily find all upcoming events. For your convenience, TVG has also created a dedicated mobile application that you can easily download and use to place your bets or keep an eye on existing ones.

AmWager Welcome Bonus: $500 signup bonus

AmWager has prepared a special welcome offer for all new users who register for the very first time. It is one of the best US online horse betting platforms. Fully dedicated to its users, the brand always strives to provide you with the best possible quality of services.

It is available in the following states: AL, AK, CT, DE, FL, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MT, NH, NY, ND, OH, OR, RI, SD, TN, VT, WI. Only new users who are over the age of 21 or 18 in some states are eligible for the welcome offer and can open a new user account.

How to Bet with AmWager

AmWager horse betting is a straightforward and simple process. Once you register, you’ll be able to deposit funds to your account and then start placing bets on your favorite runners. It doesn’t matter if you are interested in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes betting options or something else-- the brand covers all the major horse racing events.

The brand offers a massive range of betting markets, referred to as “pools”. Depending on the race and event, you can find various pools. Also, some of them might be limited only to specific types of races, specific tracks or events.

The following types of bets can be found on the operator’s official website: bet to win, bet to place, bet to show, exacta bet, trifecta bet, superfecta bet, double bet, pick 3 bet, etc.

In one of the following sections of our Kentucky Derby online betting guide, we include a special glossary where all these types of bets are shortly explained. If you are not familiar with them, make sure to check it out before you start your betting adventure.

It is also important to know that you can access the AmWager platform from a browser of your desktop computer or mobile device, but you can also download and install the AmWager mobile app.

Kentucky Derby Betting Information Template

The AmWager app is available both for iOS and Android users. Furthermore, the download procedure is pretty straightforward. With the app on your mobile device, you can check out the status of your bets anytime, from the comfort of your smartphone.

History of the Kentucky Derby Race

Capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival, the race is also known as 'the most exciting two minutes in sports'.

Popularly called the Run for the Roses because of the blanket of roses draped over the Derby winner, the first Derby took place in 1875. Since then, it has been held annually in Louisville, Kentucky without interruption-- not even during the Great Depression and both World Wars.

The Kentucky Derby is usually the first leg of the American Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes. This year, however, Belmont is up first due to the new race season schedule.

Now, if a horse manages to win all three races, it’s the winner of the Triple Crown. However, only 13 horses have been able to do it so far.

The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Justify in 2018, who was the favorite for winning the Kentucky Derby right from the start. In the 2019 Derby, even though Maximum Security was the first one to cross the finish line, he was disqualified for interference, and Country House was declared the winner of the 145th edition of the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby Winners (Last 10)

2020 - Authentic
2019 - Country House
2018 - Justify
2017 - Always Dreaming
2016 - Nyquist
2015 - American Pharoah
2014 - California Chrome
2013 - Orb
2012 - I'll Have Another
2011 - Animal Kingdom

A Few Words about Kentucky Derby Online Betting

When it comes to the 2021 Kentucky Derby, it could be any horse’s race. Make sure to check the odds on one of the websites we’ve recommended you above and keep an eye on them.

Kentucky Derby online betting is a much-beloved tradition for many people, and therefore all these online betting operators try their best to provide users with an excellent betting experience.

Many of these operators even offer the possibility of live streaming so you can watch the race from the comfort of one device. However, in order to watch the Kentucky Derby online, you need to register with an operator of your choice.

The majority of Kentucky Derby online betting operators have adopted the “bet and watch” concept. Basically, you need to have placed a bet in the past 24 hours in order to watch a race’s livestream.

There’s nothing more exciting than watching a live stream of your favorite Kentucky Derby contenders and rooting for them to achieve Triple Crown glory. Without a doubt, the Kentucky Derby is one of the most important events in the American sporting calendar.

Whether you decide to watch the race directly from the racecourse, from the Kentucky Derby online betting mobile application or on the operator’s official website, exciting action is guaranteed. In order to be fully prepared to make bets, bettors look at the odds months in advance.

How to Bet on Kentucky Derby Lines

After going through some of the currently available predictions and analyzing the horses’ forms and past performances, the next logical step when it comes to Kentucky Derby online betting is to actually place a bet. In our guide, we’ll go through some of the basic steps that you usually need to follow when it comes to betting with different online bookmakers.

First of all, you need to visit an online sportsbook offering the possibility to bet on the Kentucky Derby. We have included a list of such operators at the beginning of our article. Feel free to take a look at them and choose the one that suits your style of betting.

Once you visit one of the websites, you’ll need to register in order to access the operator’s services. Keep in mind that the vast majority of these online sportsbooks offer certain welcome promotions for all new users who register for the very first time.

Importantly, don’t forget to go through the operator’s terms and conditions and see what requirements must be met in order to get the available bonus.

As soon as you register, you gain access to the available betting markets. Let’s go through some of the most popular Kentucky Derby online betting options and see what the possible choices are:

Different Types of Kentucky Derby Online Betting

After signing in to your online sportsbook account, you’ll need to select the track of the race of your choice, then pick one or more races you'd like to bet on. Next, select your runner and wager type. Finally, all you have to do is enter the amount you’d like to wager and submit your bet slip.

Before you start placing your first bets, we want to make sure that you are well aware of all the betting options available when it comes to Kentucky Derby online betting.

Therefore, let’s take a quick look at some of the popular types of bets:

Early betting

Kentucky Derby future wagering is a great option for all those who enjoy early betting. This type of bet is usually available during different runnings of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” prep races.

Win, Place & Show Bets

Win, place and show bets are types of wagers that new players usually stick to. Just like the name suggests, a win bet is a bet placed on the horse that you hope to win the Kentucky Derby.

With place bets, you can get a return if your selection finishes first, second, or sometimes even fourth or fifth depending on the bookie’s offer. It goes without saying that the odds are much lower, but this type of bet is more reassuring.

Show bet is the next in line. It’s quite simple - you win if your selection finishes in the top three. As you probably imagine, this bet comes with lower risk, but also a lower payoff.

Of course, it’s up to you to decide which one of these options is the best for you. There are also some other, maybe slightly more complicated types of wagers. But once you get familiar with them, you’ll see that they can be easily understood. So, let’s get started!

Exacta Bet

If you’ve already tried some of the previous types of bets and you’d like to try something new when it comes to Kentucky Derby online betting, exacta is the next one on our list we’d like to discuss.

In this type of bet, you have to choose two runners who you’ll think will finish first and second, but in exact order. That’s what makes this type of bet more complicated compared to those we discussed earlier. Of course, bigger risk means bigger potential payouts.

Trifecta Bet

Another type of bet that you can try is trifecta bet. It’s similar to an exacta, but just like the name suggests, this type of wager involves three horses. Choose three runners you think will finish in the top three, in the exact order, and wait for the outcome of the race.

If the “exact order” part of the bet is what bothers you, there’s another option called a boxed trifecta wager. With this modified trifecta bet, you also have to choose three horses, but the order is not important.

Kentucky Derby Betting Tips

Kentucky Derby Online Betting Odds

Kentucky Derby Betting Online

The good news is that thanks to the various Kentucky Derby online betting options, you don’t have to be at Churchill Downs to place your bets. You can place a bet online as long as you are in one of the states where Kentucky Derby online betting is available.

With our Kentucky Derby betting guide, we want to point out some of the most important aspects of this exciting betting adventure. However, it’s all up to you – you choose when to place a bet. You can rely on early Kentucky Derby online betting or you can place bets just a few minutes before the windows close.

There’s one thing to keep in mind: don’t forget to regularly check the Kentucky Derby online betting odds. Odds can change from one day to the next. Most of all, make sure to compare the odds offered by different bookmakers.

When it comes to odds, it won’t hurt to know how they are calculated. They are determined by a Pari-Mutuel System. In other words, the odds are dependent on the peoples’ wagers.

Once the specific amount bet on a horse is determined, that amount is compared to how much is bet on the other horses in the field and the bookies determine the odds. That’s why odds constantly change, and why the more money is bet on a particular horse, the lower odds he’ll get.

Ready for Kentucky Derby Betting?

There’s no easy way to create a successful Kentucky Derby online betting strategy. To sum up, we’d like to once again go through some of the most important things to remember when it comes to betting on the most exciting two minutes in sports.

First of all, make sure to know who you are betting on before you decide to place a bet. Because of this, it is important to do some research in advance. We don’t say that it's a guaranteed way to bet successfully-- luck also plays an important role. However, it’s good to do everything you can to try and prevent unpleasant surprises.

Make sure to consider all the important factors, including the horse’s past performance and jockeys’ and trainers’ histories. Don’t forget to find out what style of races your horse is good at, and what types of tracks they prefer. For example, when it comes to the Kentucky Derby, horses that had some success on a dirt track might be the promising ones.

Also, keep an eye on the favorites, but don’t forget to check the underdogs too. We never know what might happen. That’s where the whole excitement in the Kentucky Derby online betting comes from.

Last but not least, once you choose your horse(s), find an online sports betting platform that suits your style. If you are opening a new account for the first time, make sure to check the currently available promotions and let the fun begin!

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