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Kentucky Derby Picks, Tips, Expert Betting Predictions


Get our 2025 Kentucky Derby Picks and coverage including Guaranteed Expert Picks and Odds

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 5/2/2019

Pretty much the only people truly happy about the very unfortunate last scratch of likely Kentucky Derby favorite Omaha Beach are the connections of Bodexpress. For a few years now, the Derby has taken up to two more entries than there are spots in the race. If a horse is scratched before Friday morning, then the first also-eligible - or the only one this year - draws in.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Robert Ferringo - 4/30/2019

With little fanfare and even less drama, the post draw for this weekend's Kentucky Derby took place on Tuesday at the Churchill Downs clubhouse. And while no horse ever won the race with its post position, the draw certainly does help shape the contours of the weekend's race.

Mike Smith gets the chance to ride Mine That Bird in the Preakness.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/30/2019

The Kentucky Derby is always one of the toughest races to bet on every year, and this year it shapes up to be tougher than usual - potentially much tougher. There is no clear standout, and many runners in the field are legitimately in the mix. Just thinking about it gives me a headache, and there are still five days to go before the race. Narrowing it down to the best bets is going to be very tough, but to help you in that pursuit here are three free Kentucky Derby tips:

Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/30/2019

The horses are all in Louisville. The draw has been made, and the morning line is set. Now all we can do is wait until post time of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. In the meantime, we can start to think about how to bet on the race and how to make sense of what is a very deep and wide-open race.

Rachel Alexandra is one of only three fillys to race in the Preakness Stakes in modern times.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/29/2019

The field is set for the Kentucky Oaks, and it shapes up to be a very good race. The Oaks is not nearly as high-profile as the Kentucky Derby, but it is still a very significant event. It is the headline event of the Friday of Derby weekend and the most important race for three-year-old fillies outside of the Breeders' Cup. Great horses win this race, including Rags to Riches and Rachel Alexandra, who went on to win the Belmont and Preakness, respectively.

Justify in the Kentucky Derby


by Trevor Whenham - 4/29/2019

We have been really, really spoiled lately. We had a Triple Crown in 2015 with a wildly-impressive horse dominating the three races. And just three years later we had another horse, even more impressive by my eyes, doing it again. We had not seen a Triple Crown since 1978, and many very good horses had tried and come up short. Silver Charm. Smarty Jones. Ream Quiet. Big Brown. Sunday Silence. Alysheba. Afleet Alex. Point Given - the most heartbreaking of all in my opinion.

Garrett Gomez will be aboard Pioneerof the Nile in the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/25/2019

The Kentucky Derby is one of the very few days that casual sports fans acknowledge that horse racing exists. A lot of bettors only bet on the sport one or two days per year. Horse racing is a unique betting challenge and is different in many ways than betting on other sports. It's not so different that you have to be intimidated or avoid betting on the ponies.

Comma to the Top


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2019

The field is tentatively set for the Kentucky Derby. Entries aren't in, and things could still change with a defection, but at this point it feels like we have a strong sense of which 20 horses are going to get into the gate and dash for the roses. But there is a lot of ground to travel between now and when the gates open on the first Saturday in May.

Game on Dude


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2019

Some people like to bet the 'other' horse. When a trainer has two horses in a race, there is usually one who is getting most of the attention. Some people believe that the other horse is the one to bet on - he gets the attention of a strong trainer but is neglected by bettors and can offer real value. If you buy into that, then Country House could be your horse.

One Lucky Dane horse racing


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2019

The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is just a giant, almost out-of-control party that happens to have horses at it. I've been to the event twice, and both times there were multiple people around who didn't even make it to the race - or didn't remember it if they did. It's all about the party, and it is so much fun. Even if you can't make the trip to Churchill Downs, though, you can have your own party at home. And with a few good Kentucky Derby betting party ideas and tips your party will be one that people won't soon forget:

Wood Memorial


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2019

This is shaping up to be a good Kentucky Derby for bettors. It's going to be tough to figure out, but those who do will be rewarded by strong prices. There is no obvious superstar like Justify last year, but the field runs deep, and it feels like you can make a case for a lot of horses to be a part of things. Races like this are what makes betting on horse races so fun. Assuming you want to bet on the race - and who wouldn't? - the next challenge is to figure out where to bet on the Kentucky Derby. Luckily, you have several options:

American Pharoah, racehorse


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

Bob Baffert, the reigning Triple Crown winner, is likely to have three of the four favorites in the Kentucky Derby this year. But he very well might not have the overall favorite, as that honor could easily fall to Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach. In 2015 Arkansas Derby winner American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, and 2016 winner Creator won the Belmont.

Garrett Gomez riding Lookin At Lucky


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

Long Range Toddy has a lot of elements going for him - at least for people who like good stories. His trainer is the most successful ever but has never won a Derby. His jockey is an ageless veteran who has never had a breakthrough in the biggest races.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

Todd Pletcher usually has a horse or two among the top contenders in the Kentucky Derby - and a few more that have a chance. But this year the trainer has just two, and neither really moves the needle. Spinoff has some upside, and at his best he has been impressive, but it is tougher to imagine him wearing roses on the first Saturday in May than it is for most horses in the field. Can Spinoff give Pletcher another derby winner?

Some horses have a better chance than others to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

There are the horses in any Kentucky Derby field that are the obvious strength. And there are the ones that have no place in the field and are easy to toss out. But then there are horses in the middle, ones like Win Win Win this year, who fit somewhere between those two groups. They aren't good enough to be considered a major contender, but if things fall their way and they have a good day they could find themselves in the mix.

Garrett Gomez will be aboard Pioneerof the Nile in the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

Sooner or later we are going to see one of the massive racing operations owned by the ruling family of Dubai - Godolphin or Shadwell Stable - win the Kentucky Derby. It's a massive prize, and two stables that have won pretty much every race worth winning around the world have yet to claim this one.

Uncle Mo


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

Want a surefire test of whether a name for a horse is a good one or not? It's simple. If you are thinking of a simple, common one-word name for a horse and that name is available then it is a bad name. By that criteria, Tax is a bad name. And by a lot of other criteria as well. The name of this gelding actually kind of makes me angry. Probably much more than it should.

Kentucky Derby


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

The Sunland Derby is not exactly a major Kentucky Derby prep race, but it has had its moments. In 2015 Firing Line won the race and then led the Kentucky Derby in the stretch before being passed by American Pharoah, who was on his way to a Triple Crown. By far the most notable Sunland moment came from a horse that didn't even look good in the race, though.

Mario Gutierrez rides I'll Have Another


by Trevor Whenham - 4/17/2019

If you have ever doubted that Derby fever is a real thing, you just need to look at this horse. At best, the colt was a fringe Derby contender heading into his last race. He hadn't done much to prove he belonged before that race, and he really didn't do a ton in that race to make us think he could be a Derby winner, either. And right after the race, his trainer all but said he wasn't going to Kentucky. But then a couple of days passed, the fever grabbed hold, and suddenly the horse was training for the Derby.

Curlin, race horse


by Trevor Whenham - 4/16/2019

Bob Baffert had to find a way to follow up a Triple Crown win this year. That is very tough to do. When he followed up his first Triple Crown in 2015, he brought just one horse in 2016, and Mor Spirit was far from a serious contender. But this year Baffert is loaded, with three entrants - which could very well be among the top four favorites by post time.

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