Kentucky Derby Picks, Tips, Expert Betting Predictions

War Story Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/10/2015

War Story is hoping to prove that you don’t have to win a stakes race in order to win the Kentucky Derby. Horses have, I’m sure, done it before — though they certainly don’t jump to mind in bulk. The most extreme I can think of was Sir Barton. In 1919 he was a maiden (meaning he had never won a race) heading into the Derby, but went on to become the first Triple Crown winner.

International Star Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/10/2015

You don’t win anything for having the most Kentucky Derby qualifying points, and it does nothing for you once you are in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May. It does provide a few bragging rights, though — so International Star has at least one thing going for him. Now he and his connections just need to accomplish one more thing — getting this year’s Kentucky Derby moved from Churchill Downs to Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Upstart Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/10/2015

The bad news is that Upstart has only one win in five graded stakes races and three wins in seven career starts. The good news, though, is that he has never run a bad race and has never finished worse than third while running in tough races against good horses. At the very least, then, this is a horse worth paying attention to when looking to bet exotics on the first Saturday in May.

Materiality Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/10/2015

Materiality is the kind of horse that gives me major headaches heading into the Kentucky Derby. In fact, just thinking about him gives me the chills. Or makes me want to have a drink. Or three. On one hand, he won the Florida Derby. That commands respect — in the last nine years Barbaro, Big Brown and Orb have all won that race and the Kentucky Derby, and Union Rags and Shackleford both finished Top 3 in the Florida Derby before winning a Triple Crown race.

Stanford Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/10/2015

How do you feel about using your money to take a leap of faith when betting on the Kentucky Derby? You’ll have to if you want to bet on Stanford. He might draw you in with dreams of a big payoff — he’s at 40/1 in early futures betting. There are good reasons for that price, though.

Carpe Diem Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/9/2015

The early Kentucky Derby futures odds would suggest that there are three elite contenders in this year’s Run for the Roses. That would be the two Bob Baffert stars — Dortmund and American Pharoah — and Todd Pletcher’s Carpe Diem (11/2 odds). It’s hardly surprising that those two trainers — perhaps more obsessed with the Triple Crown than any other trainers active today — are atop the rankings.

Dortmund Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2015

Fans of German soccer will recognize that this horse, like his stablemate and last year’s controversial Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, is named after a team in the Bundesliga. Owner Kaleem Shah is a fan — and given the success his German-flavored horses have had, you can be sure these won’t be the only ones.

One Lucky Dane Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2015

Bob Baffert has been given, deservedly, a ton of attention on the Triple Crown Trail this year. In Dortmund and American Pharoah he has, arguably, the two best three year olds in the country right now. And they are on a collision course on the first Saturday in May. There are plenty of potential spoilers out there in this strong class of three year olds, though, including one from their own stable.

Firing Line Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2015

There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to top three year olds in California this year. So much so that horses like Firing Line and American Pharoah have left the state to avoid the crowds as they prep. With these two along with Dortmund, One Lucky Dane and others, bettors will have no choice but to factor that state heavily into their betting decisions.

Frosted Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2015

Man, is this ever a ridiculously deep and talented Kentucky Derby field this year. This is the fifth horse already that I have written about that would be a top pick in most recent years, and I haven’t even gotten to American Pharoah or Carpe Diem yet. Every time you turn around there is another very professional winner of an important prep race. Frosted certainly qualifies on that front after his last outing. And, at +1800 to win the Kentucky Derby at Sportsbook.ag,

Mubtaahij Odds to Win the 2015 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/7/2015

I have been torn about Mubtaahij since we first heard a few months ago that he could be a legitimate contender. One on hand, the more the merrier when it comes to top-level horses in the Kentucky Derby. On the other hand, since I struggle to spell the name, and have no idea at all how to say it, I was kind of hoping he’d get upset in his last race — maybe by a horse with a much more straightforward name.

2014 Kentucky Derby Recap
by Trevor Whenham - 5/6/2014

I’m not taking anything away from California Chrome — he ran a very professional race in which he was clearly the best, and he really has the chance to do something special in his next two races. That being said, you can’t talk about his victory without discussing how perfect his trip was.

2014 Kentucky Derby Contenders with Predictions and Handicapping
by Robert Ferringo - 5/2/2014

Well, it certainly appears that the Racing Gods are setting things up for California Chrome. The California colt is a massive favorite to win this year’s Kentucky Derby and has caught several breaks in the lead-up to the race that are helping to clear his path in the Run For The Roses.

2014 Kentucky Derby Pace Scenarios
by Trevor Whenham - 5/1/2014

When it comes to handicapping the Kentucky Derby, looking at the way the pace of the race is likely to set up is second in importance only to the pedigrees of the horses in my eyes. The race is so long and the field is so crowded that what separates the contenders from pretenders on race day is almost always their ability to stay out of trouble and get the trip they need. Handicappers, then, are smart to spend the time to look at how they think the race will play out and whether that gives each horse an advantage or a disadvantage.

2014 Kentucky Derby Post Positions: Handicapping and Analysis
by Robert Ferringo - 5/1/2014

There are generally very few winners in the Kentucky Derby post draw – only losers. However, Derby favorite California Chrome had a stellar day on Wednesday and has tightened his grip on the Horse To Beat title heading into this weekend’s big race.

Vinceremos Odds to Win the 2014 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/30/2014

I have previewed every horse in the Kentucky Derby field — and a couple that were supposed to run but were scratched. It is no coincidence at all that I left Vinceremos until last. I felt sure that the connections would realize what a total waste of time it was to run this horse here, and that they would move aside for a more fitting horse to enter. Here we are, though, and it doesn’t look like he is going anywhere.

2014 Kentucky Oaks Picks with Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/30/2014

The Kentucky Derby is obviously the race that everyone is talking about this weekend in Louisville. As has been the case with surprising frequency in recent years, though, the race with more top-end talent seems to be happening the day before. The Kentucky Oaks this year features a feared favorite and a pile of worthy contenders. If you aren’t familiar with the Oaks, you can basically think about it as the Derby for fillies. It isn’t a part of a filly Triple Crown like the Derby is, but it’s the biggest race of the year for three-year-old fillies.

2014 Kentucky Derby Live Long Shots
by Trevor Whenham - 4/29/2014

In a normal year I always am on the lookout for some value from a long shot or two to spice up my Kentucky Derby betting. This is far from a normal year. There is only one horse being viewed as a superstar this year, and I am far from convinced of the wisdom of jumping on the California Chrome bandwagon. On the other hand, there are whole lot of horses that leave us with plenty of questions but which seem capable of being a factor if they run their best race.

2014 Kentucky Derby Prop Bets and Futures Odds
by Dave Schwab - 4/29/2014

This Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville is the running of the 140th Kentucky Derby, which signals the start of the Triple Crown horse racing season for the country’s best three-year-old Thoroughbreds. This Grade I stakes race is on a dirt track over a distance of 1 ј miles with a total prize purse of $2 million. The “Run for the Roses” is often referred to as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.

Commanding Curve Odds to Win the 2014 Kentucky Derby with Picks and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/28/2014

It’s took a while, but Commanding Curve has finally secured a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. He spent weeks sitting just outside of the Top 20 spot in the points standings required to enter the starting gate. With the defection of Ring Weekend on the Sunday before the race due to illness, though, Commanding Curve finally has the spot his connections have coveted.