The Kentucky Derby is dubbed “the most exciting two minutes in sports” for good reason.  Betting on the Kentucky Derby is almost expected if you watch the race and although betting on horse racing is slowing down in popularity the Kentucky Derby bets keep rolling in.  The Kentucky Derby is the second biggest sporting event of the year for wagering, only after betting on the Super Bowl.  Online sportsbooks do some great Kentucky Derby promotions, which makes it one of the best times to set up your online betting account.

Best Sportsbooks For Betting On Kentucky Derby

Sportsbook
Features
Bonus
Rating
Bet Now
1
  • Built for American bettors
  • Wide variety of competitive betting lines
  • Easy to navigate betting platform
50% up to $250
2
  • Accepts players worldwide
  • Competitive betting lines
  • Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
50% up to $1000
3
  • Accepts players worldwide (including US)
  • Frequently offers value-added contests and promotions
  • Wide variety of betting lines and props
50% up to $1000

How To Bet On The Kentucky Derby Online

Setting up a sports betting account online to bet on the Kentucky Derby is quick and easy.  But to make it that much simpler I have created a step by step sign guide that you can check out below:

Bet On Kentucky Derby – Step By Step Guide

  1. Sign Up at an Online Racebook – We have recommended 3 top online racebooks above, each of which are trustworthy and have a great reputation within the industry.  Visit any of these racebooks by clicking on their link above and signing up an account.  I suggest checking their Kentucky Derby promotions to see where the best value is.
  2. Make a Deposit – Once you’re signed up you need some funds in order to bet on the Kentucky Derby.  Credit card deposits are generally the easiest, but each of the racebooks listed above offers a wide variety of methods to get funds online.  If you have any trouble just contact support and they will help you out.
  3. Place Your Bets! – It’s that easy.  Now you just head to the racebook and place your bets on the Kentucky Derby!

Kentucky Derby Betting Tips

Here are a couple basic tips to help you turn a profit betting on the Kentucky Derby this year.

  • Don’t Necessarily Bet the Favorite – The general betting public always likes to win and for this reason the favorite will likely have shorter odds than may be realistic.  You can generally get better value betting on some other top horses that aren’t the #1 favorite.
  • Do Your Research – Seeing as the Kentucky Derby is the first race of the Triple Crown you don’t have as much information to go on.  But neither do the oddsmakers.  The more research you do on each of the horses the better your chances are of picking winners.

Kentucky Derby History

The Derby began way back in 1875 when 15 three-year old horses ran the Derby in front of approximately 10,000 people.  Since then the distance changed to one and a quarter miles, which it remains to this day.

As I’m sure you know the Kentucky Derby is the first race of the US Triple Crown, with the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes following.  There is always a big hype over the horse who wins the Kentucky Derby because they have a chance at winning the Triple Crown. There have been two Triple Crown winners in recent years with Justify accomplishing the feat in 2018 and American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown in 2015. Prior to American Pharoah there was a dought of 36 years, dating way back took 1978 when Affirmed took the honors.

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.  To learn more check out the Kentucky Derby wiki page.