Kentucky Derby Odds

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most famous horse races in the world. Competing horses must be at least three years old to enter this iconic race, which first took place in 1875.

The 150th Kentucky Derby is set for May 4th 2024

View the latest Kentucky Derby betting odds to discover which horses Vegas odds-makers think are most likely to win the first leg of the American Triple Crown – offering the largest purse of any thoroughbred race at $2,000,000.

Kentucky Derby 2024 Odds

When Is the Kentucky Derby?

The 2024 Kentucky Derby meeting will begin on May 4th 2024.

How To Bet on the Kentucky Derby

In addition to the traditional “straight” wagers (Win, Place, Show), fans can also attempt to cash big in the various “exotic” pools.

Exacta (first two), Trifecta (first three), Superfecta (first four), and Super High Five (first five) wagering options offer very high returns.

Popular Kentucky Derby Bets

• Win: wager on the horse you predict will win the Kentucky Derby.
• Place: get a place price return if your horse finishes first or second.
• Show: if your horse finishes first, second, or third you can win the show price offered by your betting site.
• Exacta: this tricky bet lets you wager on which order the first two horses in the Kentucky Derby will finish.
• Trifecta: wager on the correct order of the first three horses.
• Superfecta: bet on the first four horses in the correct order.
• Super High Five: select the first five horses in the correct order.

Many online sportsbooks accept less than $2 bets on the exotic pools. For instance, once you’ve opened your account, you can place $1 exacta or 50-cent trifecta bets.

Kentucky Derby – Everything You Need to Know

TV Coverage and Betting

Since 2088, NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage has averaged more than 14 million viewers every year. The 2021 edition of the event attracted nearly 15 million viewers in the US – a significant rise compared to the 2020 broadcast (9.8 million), which took place in September because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The betting handle (amount of wagers) improved last year from $79.4 million in 2020 to $153.66 million. The handle record is $165.6 million, which was set in 2019.

How Do Horses Get into the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is limited to twenty horses who qualify for the competition on points earned in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” – a series of races that was first introduced in 2013.

Points are earned for horses finishing between first and fourth in these qualifying contests. This points system replaced the previous graded stakes earning system – explaining the lack of previous Derby winners that were unraced at two.

Best Kentucky Derby Prep Races

Providing seven of the last 19 Kentucky Derby winners, the Florida Derby is the best prep race for the “Run for the Roses”. The Arkansas Derby is second best, and the Blue Grass Stakes has served as the final prep race for 23 Derby winners – only one since 1995.

Kentucky Derby winners and their Best Key Trial Race

• Rich Strike – 2nd Blue Grass Stakes
• 2021 Mandaloun – 1st Risen Star Stakes
• 2020 Authentic – 2nd Santa Anita Derby
• 2019 Country House – 3rd Arkansas Derby
• 2018 Justify – Santa Anita Derby
• 2017 Always Dreaming – Florida Derby
• 2016 Nyquist – Breeders Cup Juvenile & Florida Derby
• 2015 American Pharoah – Arkansas Derby
• 2014 California Chrome – Santa Anita Derby
• 2013 Orb – Florida Derby
• 2012 I’ll Have Another – Florida Derby
• 2011 Animal Kingdom – Spiral Stakes (at Turfway)
• 2010 Super Saver – 2nd Arkansas Derby
• 2009 Mine That Bird – 4th Sunland Derby
• 2008 Big Brown – Florida Derby
• 2007 Street Sense – Breeders Cup Juvenile & Tampa Derby
• 2006 Barbaro – Florida Derby
• 2005 Giacomo – 4th Santa Anita Derby
• 2004 Smarty Jones – Arkansas Derby
• 2003 Funny Cide – 2nd Wood Memorial
• 2002 War Emblem – Illinois Derby (Hawthorne)
• 2001 Monarchos – Florida Derby
• 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus – Wood Memorial

Which Starting Gate Has Supplied the Most Kentucky Derby Winners?

The Kentucky Derby is open to 20 runners, and starting gates have been used in the race since 1930. The stats show that a low draw is a huge advantage, while gates 19 and 20 have supplied just one winner in the past 90 years. Also, there has been no winner from gate 17, but horses drawn 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10 have housed at least seven previous Derby winners.

Since 1986 only one horse has won from post 1, 2, or 3. Overall, gate 5 and gate 10 are the two most successful starting posts.

Almost 25% of the time, the horses starting in gate 5 finish in the top three and, despite providing very few winners in recent times, gate 2 is even more successful with a 27 percent success rate for win-place-show bettors (aka ‘in the frame’).

The explanation for these exceptional figures is that the Kentucky Derby’s turns account for 2,667 feet of the ten-furlong race – that’s more than 40 percent of the gallop. Consequently, few horses can be ‘hung wide’ throughout and win this contest.

Biggest Odds Winner

Donerail was 91/1 in the Kentucky Derby odds when taking the 1913 race, which is the overall record. Most recently, Mine That Bird was a 50/1 winner in 2009, and Country house was 65/1 in 2019.

Kentuck Derby Facts

• The first Kentucky Derby took place in 1875. Since then, there has never been a European-trained winner. Europe’s best performance came in 1986 when Bold Arrangement finished second for Newmarket trainer Clive Brittain.
• Medina Spirit initially won the 2021 race, but the horse failed a post-race drug test. As a result, Mandaloun, who finished second, was declared the official winner.
• 2018 winner Justify was the first unraced two-year-old since 1882 to win the Derby
• 2019 winner Country House won the race in the Stewards Room following the disqualification of Maximum Security.
• 2009 winner Mine That Bird was only the second gelding to win the Kentucky Derby since 1929.
• At $4 million Fusaichi Pegasus was the most expensive Kentucky Derby runner sold at public auction and he won the race in 2000. 18 other horses sold for $1 million+ have contested the Kentucky Derby – none were victorious.
• The last five Kentucky Derby winners which were sold at auction were: Authentic (2020) who fetched $350,000; Justify (2018) $500,000; Always Dreaming (2017) $350,000; Nyquist (2016) $400,000 and American Pharoah (2015) $300,000.