Kentucky Derby odds 2019: Picks, predictions and how to bet on horse racing

Steve Petrella

Kentucky Derby odds 2019: Picks, predictions and how to bet on horse racing image

Horse racing only crosses the American sports radar a few times a year, so you may need a refresher on how to bet it — the Kentucky Derby specifically.

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A parimutuel system is used in betting on horse racing, which is different from betting on a basketball or football game against a point spread in Las Vegas. Bettors aren't wagering against the bookie or house, but against each other, and the house takes a cut. So these numbers could change plenty between now and post time (6:38 p.m. ET) on Saturday. It also means odds aren't fixed at the time of the bet. 

But here are the odds to win the 2019 Kentucky Derby, along with some key terms to remember to make sure you know what you're doing when you walk up to the betting window or place a bet at your Kentucky Derby party.

MORE: Fast facts before you pick a horse in the 2019 Kentucky Derby

2019 Kentucky Derby odds, post positions

Omaha Beach and Roadster opened as early co-favorites to win the 2019 Kentucky Derby, according to most Vegas sportsbooks. Improbable has since been installed as a co-favorite along with Roadster after Omaha Beach's sudden scratch.

Could we see another longshot winner at the Derby? The odds will be updated several times leading up to the race, but here are the results as of May 2: 

(Morning line odds as of May 4, per KentuckyDerby.com)

Horse (Post pos.) Odds Line
Omaha Beach (scratched)
Roadster (17) 10/1 +700
Improbable (5) 5/1 +600
Game Winner (16) 6/1 +600
Tacitus (8) 5/1 +900
Maximum Security (7) 9/2 +900
Code of Honor (13) 12/1 +800
Win Win Win (14) 15/1 +1800
War of Will (1) 17/1 +1600
Vekoma (6) 22/1 +1400
By My Standards (3) 16/1 +1600
Tax (2) 37/1 +1800
Cutting Humor (10) 24/1 +2800
Haikal (scratched)
Spinoff (19) 51/1 +3300
Country House (20) 64/1 +3300
Long Range Toddy (18) 48/1 +3300
Plus Que Parfait (9) 54/1 +3300
Gray Magician (4) 31/1 +5000
Master Fencer (15) 51/1 +5000
Bodexpress (20) 99/1 +2500

How to bet on the Kentucky Derby

If you're betting at a window, whether it be at Churchill Downs or your local track which is simulcasting the Kentucky Derby, say the name of the track, the number race you're betting, how much you want to wager, the type of wager and the numbers (post positions) of the horses you're including in your bet. Twinspires.com is the official betting site of the Kentucky Derby.

MORE: Top contenders, horses in the 2019 Kentucky Derby

Horse racing wager types

There are tons of different ways to bet on a horse race, but here are some of the most common and ones you'll likely hear about come Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

— Win, place, show, or first, second and third. When you bet on the winner, you simply get the horse at its odds and if it wins, you cash that amount. So $10 on a horse at 12-to-1 nets you $120. If you bet on a horse to "place", or come in second, the payout is less, and same goes for "show."

You can make an "across the board" wager on a horse — a bet on that horse to win, place and show. If the horse wins, you collect all three; if second, two ways; and if third, one way, losing the win and place bets.

— Exacta, trifecta, superfecta. These wagers force a player to pick the exact finishing order of the top two, three or four horses, respectively. The payouts are multiplied the more horses you put in these bets.

You can also "box" an exacta, trifecta or superfecta, which means you bet on all the possible combinations. So if I bet a trifecta box on Omaha Beach, Roadster and Improbable in the Kentucky Derby, I'd actually be making six bets because I'm taking all six possible combinations.

— Pick three (or four, or five, or six). This involves picking the winners of several different races at a track on a given day. It often pays out the entire pool.

MORE: How to watch the 2019 Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby picks

This section will be updated once post location is determined April 30.

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Steve Petrella