The Triple Crown gets started Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs with the $5 million Kentucky Derby. If you are looking forward to betting the Belmont Stakes in your home state five weeks later, betting the Kentucky Derby not only gives you a look at the horses but can be a great way to boost your bankroll for the Belmont and beyond!
The Kentucky Derby, which will be run for the 150th time this year, is the most famous American race for a reason. The 1 ¼-mile distance is a true test of stamina, and the 20-horse field is the biggest in American horse racing. The unique conditions mean that long shots will often have a say, and the payoffs are some of the most lucrative you’ll see all year long!
Read on to see the best horses to play in the Kentucky Derby, and the best places to bet the Kentucky Derby online in New York.
The best way to be part of the Kentucky Derby action from New York is to bet at an online racebook. There are many options available, but our experts are here to make a confident and profitable decision easy. They know the best horse betting sites for players in New York. Every site our experts recommend has the basics: trusted money management, smooth user interfaces, and market-leading odds on races all year long.
Our recommended betting sites also offer lucrative racebook bonus offers like sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even horse racing rebates that pay you back for every bet you make. Choosing the right bonus for your betting style and preferred stakes can help you build a bankroll faster than ever, so taking a few minutes now to see your options can boost your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
These are the odds on leading Kentucky Derby contenders at top New York racebooks.
These are the official entrants for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
Epic Ride and Mugatu will only draw in, in that order of priority, if horses scratch from the main field before 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, when Kentucky Derby betting begins.
Don’t forget that, even though the morning line can be a good guide as to which horses are expected to be heavily bet or not, it is not a guaranteed price on track. Odds on track are not final until the gates open. Assure yourself the best odds by betting at an online racebook. Since online racebooks offer fixed-odds betting on big races like the Kentucky Derby, you can lock in an overlay on your pick just by placing a bet, and then watch the race confident in your payout!
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fierceness | +250 | +275 | +250 |
| Sierra Leone | +400 | +330 | +300 |
| Forever Young | +850 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Just a Touch | +1100 | +1200 | +1000 |
| Honor Marie | +1600 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Encino | +1600 | +2200 | +2000 |
| Stronghold | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
The best bet in the Kentucky Derby is Honor Marie. The pace should be crackling in the Kentucky Derby with Dornoch, Track Phantom, and Fierceness at the very least contesting it. Honor Marie’s late-running style gets the right setup. Even though he couldn’t quite catch Catching Freedom in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Honor Marie was on his best in the third start of his form cycle last year and that’s where he’ll be in the Derby.
Honor Marie is also proven at Churchill Downs, with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) over the course last year. A good recent work is more evidence he likes it in Louisville. Finally, his distance pedigree is appealing: he is by stoutly bred A.P. Indy son Honor Code out of Dame Marie, a Smart Strike half-sister to a Group 1 winner at 1 ¾ miles.
Two of the horses near the top of the market have a strong chance of running to that money. Sierra Leone won the Blue Grass (G1) impressively with a menacing run on the far turn that just kept going all the way to the wire. The near-inside post may be a challenge, but it is less of a problem for a horse like Sierra Leone who does his best running late.
Catching Freedom can also get the right run in the Derby. The Louisiana Derby winner rallied well to win that race, and is another who has both good form and the right pace setup in the Derby. Furthermore, his jockey Flavien Prat is fast becoming an ace in the Kentucky Derby: in six tries, he has hit the board five times.
The two favorites to avoid are Fierceness and Forever Young. Even though Fierceness drew fairly well to press outside, he got a similarly good draw in the much easier Holy Bull (G3) and faltered. He is too inconsistent to take chalk in a 20-horse race. Forever Young has stamina and is undefeated in five starts, but has not faced top Derby prospects and comes out of the UAE Derby, which has never produced a horse who even hit the board in the Kentucky Derby.
Encino has strong longshot appeal in the Kentucky Derby. Though he did an unconventional prep series, wins in the John Battaglia Memorial and then the Lexington (G3) got him into the Derby. The Lexington proved he could handle dirt. His nice middle gate should give him room to show his pace versatility. And, his pedigree is all classic dirt stamina: he is by Nyquist out of a Bernardini half-sister to Street Sense.
Just Steel has only won twice in 11 starts, though one of those wins happened in a stakes race at Churchill last year so the footing should be great for him. He would be a surprise to win the Derby, but had the consistency to finish second in three of the four points races at Oaklawn including the Arkansas Derby (G1). With tactical speed, he can stay out of the pace battle and chase on for a share.
Kentucky Derby Day features the same wagers you can play all year long. The most basic are straight wagers on single horses such as win, place, and show. These pay off if your horse runs first, second, or third, and they are great if you have a strong opinion on a single horse.
You can also get ambitious and go for exotic wagers: they pay more, but they are harder to get correct. The exacta, trifecta, and superfecta require you to pick the first two, three, or four horses in the correct order. Some bettors like to box them: it costs more, but covers all the combinations. Especially if there are particular horses you like more, playing a key or part-wheel can be just the ticket, since they build around the horses you think have better chances.
You can also play multi-race bets. A Daily Double requires you to pick the winners of two races in a row. A Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6 require you to pick winners of 3, 4, 5, or 6. races in a row. Kentucky Derby Day also features special wagers as well like the Oaks/Derby double, the three-year-old Pick 3, and an all-dirt-stakes Pick 5.
You are signed up at a great New York betting site, you know the wagers, and you know the horses. Now, it’s time to place your bets!
Here are the best bets for the 2024 Kentucky Derby:
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