Racing legend Bob Baffert began a 90-day suspension at the start of April. Having trained two of the last four winners, his contenders Messier and Taiba were well-fancied for this year’s “Run for the Roses”. What effect has the ban had on the latest Kentucky Derby odds?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the latest odds for Kentucky Derby hopefuls like these two. Not to mention other leading contenders like Epicenter, White Abarrio and Zandon. We’ll also explain exactly how the betting lines work, reveal the best sites at which to bet and share a few expert picks.
Kentucky Derby Odds 2022
Before we get into the details of how the Kentucky Derby lines work, let’s compare the odds of the various runners.
You can bet on this famous race for 3-year-old horses at most online sportsbooks. But here are the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds today from a selection of our top-rated betting sites.
Horse
BetOnline
XBet
MyBookie
BetUS
Bovada
BUSR
Epicenter
+500
+500
+500
+450
+300
+500
Zandon
+500
+550
+550
+500
+500
+550
Taiba
+700
+550
+550
+750
+600
+550
Messier
+800
+600
+600
+900
+700
+600
White Abarrio
+1000
+1025
+1025
+1150
+1200
+1025
Mo Donegal
+1200
+1230
+1230
+900
+1100
+1230
Smile Happy
+1600
+1635
+1635
+1700
+1600
+1635
Charge It
+1600
+1415
+1415
+1350
+1200
+1415
Crown Pride
+2500
+1500
+1500
+2800
+2000
+1500
Cyberknife
+2200
+1840
+1840
+2000
+1600
+1840
Simplification
+2500
+2600
+2600
+2100
+2200
+2600
Zozos
+2500
+3120
+3120
+2200
+3300
+3120
Tiz The Bomb
+3300
+3120
+3120
+2700
+2800
+3120
Pioneer Of Medina
+4000
+4050
+4050
+3100
+3300
+4050
Barber Road
+3300
+3700
+3700
+3600
+4000
+3700
Classic Causeway
+3300
+3300
+3300
+3300
+4000
+3300
Tawny Port
+3300
+5500
+5500
+3500
+5000
+5500
Happy Jack
+6600
+7500
+7500
+6000
+6600
+7500
Summer Is Tomorrow
+6600
+9000
+9000
+6500
+6600
+9000
Ethereal Road
+6600
+5500
+5500
+6100
+6600
+5500
Alternative Racebooks for Top Kentucky Derby Odds
Now that we’ve seen the current Kentucky Derby odds, it’s time to learn where to place our bets. The following bookmakers are the ten best horse racing betting sites according to our expert researchers.
Not only do they have the biggest prices but they also provide excellent customer support and a selection of convenient payment methods. These brands also offer Kentucky Derby live odds, meaning that you can bet even when the race has already started.
- XBet – The best horse racing betting site in the US
- MyBookie – Competitive odds on top races at Churchill Downs
- Sportsbetting.ag – High quality US sportsbook and casino
- BetUS – Particularly good site for betting in-running
- BetOnline – Horse racing bettors will appreciate the intuitive app
- BUSR – Fantastic US horse racing product
- Bovada – International betting site and casino with horse racing odds
- GT Bets – Top-class loyalty program
- Everygame – Generous Kentucky Derby odds among other races
- Betanysports – Good selection of bonuses and cashback offers
How do the Odds Work in the Kentucky Derby?
Let’s talk a little more about how the odds work. First of all, the best bookies will allow you to switch between price formats.
You can always stick with the more familiar American or “Vegas odds” style display for the Kentucky Derby 2022 market. But if you prefer, you may choose to show the prices as fractions, decimals and even in certain Asian styles.
Kentucky Derby Odds Explained
Once you’re happy with the display settings, there are several different types of Kentucky Derby odds available. If you’re betting ahead of the big race day, you’ll need to find the “Futures” section of the betting site. These prices tend to be bigger, as it’s a gamble whether or not the horse will line up at Churchill Downs.
If you’re betting on race day, you’ll see a confirmed Kentucky Derby field and odds alongside the name of each selection. If you take the race favorite Epicenter as an example, you’ll find odds of +700 with the Bovada sportsbook. This means for every $100 you place on the Steve Asmussen trained runner, you’ll receive $700 in profit if it wins.
On the rare occasions a horse has a minus sign in front of the odds, it means you’ll need to bet that amount in order to make $100 in profit. So odds of -150 requires a bet of $150 in order to return a $100 profit ($250 total).
Reading the Kentucky Derby Odds
If you prefer not to work with US style odds, you can switch to the British fractional method or the more European decimal system. The table below displays how the Kentucky Derby morning line odds would look for the market leaders, in different formats.
Runner
US Odds
Fractional Odds
Decimal Odds
Epicenter
+700
7/1
8.0
Messier
+800
8/1
9.0
White Albarrio
+1000
10/1
11.0
With fractional odds, the bottom number represents the stake and the top number your theoretical profit. So a $1 stake returns a profit of $7, making an overall return of $8.
European odds are even easier to follow. You simply multiply your stake by the odds to get your total return. Thus a $10 bet on Epicenter would return $80.
Guide to Signing Up and Finding the Top Kentucky Derby Odds
If you’re going to place a bet on this year’s big race, you’ll need to understand exactly how to create a betting account. Allow us to walk you through the process now, using our number one rated Kentucky Derby bookmaker.
Don’t forget that if you join using the XBet promo code XB100, you stand to gain up to $500 in free bets!
Step 1: Visit a betting site
First up, you’ll need to visit a sportsbook. There are plenty of betting apps and websites that offer Kentucky Derby betting and we have recommended 10 already on this page.
Step 2: Fill out the form
Hit the “Join Now” button and open up the registration form. You’ll need to add some personal information here. Don’t worry though, it’s a perfectly normal requirement. All legal sportsbooks need to confirm that you are who you say you are for regulatory reasons.
Step 3: Choose a payment option
Once your account is open, the next step is to add some funds for betting. One of the many reasons we recommend XBet is the range of deposit methods. Along with traditional banking options, it’s also one of the best crypto betting sites around today.
Step 4: Enter the bonus code
When making your initial deposit, don’t forget to add a promo code if necessary. Without the right code, you won’t be able to claim your welcome bonus. In the case of XBet, use XB100 to collect up to $500.
Step 5: Navigate to the racebook
Now that you have a fully loaded account, you’ll want to know how to bet on the Kentucky Derby. Head off to the racebook by hitting the “Racing” tab at the top or by using the left-hand navigation menu.
Step 6: Pick out your selections
Browse through the different options, choose your horse and click its name to add it to the betslip. Once you’re happy with your picks, select the bet type, enter your stake and confirm the bet. That’s all there is to it!
Latest Horse Racing News and Rumors
Available Types of Odds For the Kentucky Derby
There are lots of different ways to bet on America’s favorite horse racing event. Let’s now discuss some of the most popular bet types.
Standard Wagers
When most people talk about the Kentucky Derby betting odds, they’re likely to be referring to one of the following bet types. These standard bets are the easiest wagers to understand, as you only need to pick out a single horse in the race.
Win Bet
As the name implies, all you need to do here is identify the one horse you think will win the race. If your pick crosses the line first, your returns will be determined by a combination of the odds and your stake. You can bet as much or as little as you like.
Example: Epicenter to win the Kentucky Derby @ +600
Place Bet
A place refers to a front two finish. So if your pick either wins the race or finishes in second position, your bet will be a winner. This type of bet is useful if you think your pick will run a big race, but it’s not one of the most fancied runners. It increases your chances of winning, so the returns are slightly diminished as a trade-off.
Example: Cyberknife to place @ +550
Show Bet
When betting on a horse to show, you’ll want it to finish in the front three. It’s similar to a place bet, only the odds will be slightly smaller as you get three chances instead of two.
Example: Morello to place @ +650
Double Bet
A double requires you to pick the winner of two consecutive races. For instance, race 4 and 5 on the card, or 7 and 8. This is obviously a difficult feat to accomplish, so the payouts tend to be much higher. It is also a pari-mutuel bet, so there are no fixed odds. Your winnings will depend entirely on the volume of money bet into the pool. A dividend will be declared after the second race.
Example: Messier and American Pharaoh to win
Exotic Wagers
In addition to the basic wager types, there are all kinds of exotic bets available too. Let’s now go through the most popular of these.
Exacta Bet
This is often known as a forecast in the UK. The aim of the bet is to identify both the first and second placed horses, in the exact positions. As this is a pari-mutuel bet, you won’t know the payout until after the race. But dividends regularly hit three figure amounts. To place the bet, you’ll need to use the horse’s numbers rather than their names. The minimum bet amount is $2.
Example: 5-2 (5 to beat 2)
Quinella Bet
This is basically the same as an Exacta, only your picks can also finish in the reverse order. Because it’s effectively two bets, it’s a little easier to achieve, so the dividend is smaller. The minimum stake for the Quinella is $1.
Example: 3-2 (3 to beat 2 or 2 to beat 3)
Trifecta Bet
A Trifecta is essentially an Exacta but for the first three instead of the first two. You’ll bet using the horse’s number and the idea is to predict the correct order. You can place a regular Trifecta, or you can “box” your picks to get all six combinations of those three selections.
Like other pari-mutuel bets, the Kentucky Derby trifecta odds will be declared after the race is complete. The minimum bet is $0.50.
Example: 6-2-3 (Box Trifecta: 6-2-3, 6-3-2, 3-2-6, 3-6-2, 2-6-3, 2-3-6)
Superfecta Bet
A Superfecta bet increases the difficulty even further, requiring you to pick the first four horses in the right order. The minimum bet for a Superfecta is $0.10 and the dividend will be declared once the race is over. Like the Trifecta, you can box your picks.
Example: 6-4-2-1
Super Hi-Five Bet
You might be detecting a pattern by now. So perhaps you can already guess that the Super Hi-Five requires you to pick the first five horses to cross the line in the exact finishing order. Boxing your selections on a Super Hi-Five bet means a total of 120 different bets.
Dividends can be enormous, since the difficulty level is so high. In 2021 for instance, the Super Hi-Five bet paid almost $300,000 for a $1 wager.
Example: 2-8-3-1-7
What Are Our Expert Kentucky Derby Odds Picks?
Okay, now is the time to reveal our expert Kentucky Derby picks! Let’s start with the horse we fancy the most to actually land the big prize.
Messier to win the Kentucky Derby
Tim Yakteen may be associated with both Messier and Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba, but in reality, he’s a program trainer. These two were previously under the care of Bob Baffert, who will miss this year’s race due to a ban. Yakteen even used to work for Baffert, who has an incredible record in this race, winning 3 of the last 7 renewals.
Although Taiba did beat Messier in the Santa Anita Derby, the latter will improve for that outing. And with the vastly experienced John Velazquez in the plate, we’re hoping for a big run on Derby day.
Messier to Beat Epicenter (Exacta)
Steve Asmussen’s colt Epicenter is a strong favorite for the race, and not without good reason. Having won three major prep races, including the Gun Runner in which he cruised home comfortably, he’s barely put a foot wrong.
As one of the leading contenders, we’ll be surprised to see him finish outside of the front two. As such he makes a lot of appeal as a candidate in an Exacta bet.
Smile Happy to win the Kentucky Derby
The last of our Kentucky Derby betting picks is something of a longshot. Smile Happy may not be among the short-priced favorites, but he’s already proven at the track. When he won the Kentucky Jockey Club back in November, legendary punter Mattress Mack immediately placed a $10,000 bet on him for the Derby!
If this is your first time betting on the big race, we recommend you sign up with one of our top-rated bookmakers. That way, you’ll earn some free bets as part of your welcome bonus and you can use these to place your Kentucky Derby wagers.
Odds of Previous Kentucky Derby Winners’
The Kentucky Derby is the showpiece event of Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
In addition, it is the final leg of the world famous Triple Crown, which also features the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Few horses manage to win all three contests, though American Pharoah and Justify both achieved the impressive feat in recent years
Here are the last ten winners of the Kentucky Derby.
Year
Winning Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Betting Odds
2021
Mandaloun
Florent Geroux
Brad Cox
26.90
2020
Authentic
John Velazquez
Bob Baffert
8.40
2019
Country House
Flavien Prat
William I. Mott
65.20
2018
Justify
Mike Smith
Bob Baffert
2.90
2017
Always Dreaming
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
4.70
2016
Nyquist
Mario Gutierrez
Doug O’Neill
2.30
2015
American Pharoah
Victor Espinoza
Bob Baffert
2.90
2014
California Chrome
Victor Espinoza
Art Sherman
2.50
2013
Orb
Joel Rosario
Claude McGaughey III
5.40
2012
I’ll Have Another
Mario Gutierrez
Doug O’Neill
15.30
What is the Top Site for Kentucky Derby Odds?
Although we have named ten high quality betting sites with Kentucky Derby odds, XBet has to be our number one overall pick. There are many reasons why, not least the wide selection of deposit and withdrawal methods, bonuses and promotions.
But as a racebook, XBet really stands out. You can bet in-running, with live Kentucky Derby odds, or enjoy competitive prices on futures markets. Both the mobile and desktop sites are really intuitive, with a simple interface that’s quick to load. Sign up today and enjoy a $500 welcome bonus using the promo code XB100.
