Kentucky Derby Online Betting
When getting ready to handicap and bet the Kentucky Derby online, it matters to pick the sportsbook that best suits your needs. Many sportsbooks are offering incentives like rebates, bonus bets, and deposit bonuses for 2022 Kentucky Derby bettors, so make sure to learn about those opportunities and choose the sportsbook that fits your wagering style!
Kentucky Derby 2022 Field
This is the official field for the 2022 Kentucky Derby including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:
- Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 10-1
- Happy Jack (Doug O’Neill/Rafael Bejarano) - 30-1
- Epicenter (Steve Asmussen/Joel Rosario) - 7-2
- Summer Is Tomorrow (Bhupat Seemar/Mickael Barzalona) - 30-1
- Smile Happy (Ken McPeek/Corey Lanerie) - 20-1
- Messier (John Velazquez/Tim Yakteen) - 8-1
- Crown Pride (Koichi Shintani/Christophe Lemaire) - 20-1
- Charge It (Todd Pletcher/Luis Saez) - 20-1
- Tiz the Bomb (Ken McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 30-1
- Zandon (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) - 3-1
- Pioneer of Medina (Todd Plecher/Joe Bravo) - 30-1
- Taiba (Tim Yakteen/Mike Smith) - 12-1
- Simplification (Antonio Sano/Jose Ortiz) - 20-1
- Barber Road (John Ortiz/Reylu Gutierrez) - 30-1
- White Abarrio (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Tyler Gaffalione) - 10-1
- Cyberknife (Brad Cox/Florent Geroux) - 20-1
- Classic Causeway (Brian Lynch/Julien Leparoux) - 30-1
- Tawny Port (Brad Cox/Ricardo Santana, Jr.) - 30-1
- Zozos (Brad Cox/Manuel Franco) - 20-1
- Ethereal Road (D. Wayne Lukas/Luis Contreras) - 30-1
- Rich Strike (Eric Reed/Sonny Leon) - 30-1 - ALSO ELIGIBLE
- Rattle N Roll (Ken McPeek/James Graham) - 30-1 - ALSO ELIGIBLE
Both Rich Strike and Rattle N Roll are on the Also Eligible list. Rich Strike runs if one horse scratches from the main field before 9:00 a.m. EDT on Friday; Rattle N Roll runs if there are two scratches ahead of him before that time. Should a horse scratch after American racetrack betting begins at 9:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, no horse from the AE list draws in.
These are the odds for the top Kentucky Derby contenders:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epicenter | +400 | +350 | +450 |
| Zandon | +400 | +400 | +500 |
| Messier | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Taiba | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Mo Donegal | +1000 | +1000 | +1200 |
| Charge It | +1200 | +1200 | +1600 |
| White Abarrio | +1200 | +1000 | +1000 |
Best Picks for the Kentucky Derby
When handicapping the Kentucky Derby, it makes sense to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the contenders. In general, good things to keep in mind include the horse’s record coming into the race, the trainer and jockey records in the Kentucky Derby, and the odds on the tote board.
Remember that favorites often run well: they won the first six years that the Kentucky Derby used the qualification points system, and even in the last three years, favorites have finished in the top four. But, there is always a longshot or two who hits the trifecta.
Kentucky Derby Best Bet
Cyberknife is the best bet in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Though it took him a bit longer than some others to come into his own, he proved his class when he won the Arkansas Derby (G1) with authority. He has the tactical speed that often wins the Kentucky Derby, and he has as good a distance pedigree as any American horse. Furthermore, trainer Brad Cox and rider Florent Geroux often shine on the biggest race days.
Kentucky Derby Favorites
Given how well favourites tend to do in the Kentucky Derby, it is worth discussing them. The most likely betting favourite according to Vegas markets is Epicenter, who impressed in every race of the Louisiana prep series. He proved in the Louisiana Derby (G2) that he can rate off the speed, giving him good options in a pace-laden race. He could run to the money.
Zandon was named the morning line favourite off of his decisive score in the Blue Grass (G1). Though he is coming into the race well, there are reasons to wonder, especially on the win end. The Blue Grass has not been a productive prep in recent years, and his closing style tends to capture more underneath shares than Derby wins.
Taiba won the Santa Anita Derby (G1), one of the most fruitful preps in recent years. Though he has raced just twice, both of his starts have come back very fast and he has proven to have tactical speed. He also gets excellent big-race rider Mike Smith in the irons, and he has enough Kentucky Derby experience to give him the trip if his Santa Anita talent translates.
Kentucky Derby Price Horses
Japan has come on strong at all the major world racing meets in the last year, making Crown Pride dangerous. He has already proven he can ship, winning the UAE Derby (G2) with confidence. His pedigree has as much stamina as anyone else in the field, meaning the extra sixteenth of a mile should only help. And, Crown Pride’s tactical speed helops as well.
Barber Road has been as consistent as anyone on the Derby trail. Though he has yet to win a stakes race, he has placed in his last five including all four on the Oaklawn spur of the Derby trail. Though he is not a major win candidate, with his pace versatility and his ability to keep showing up, he is an excellent candidate to be that longshot who spoils the intra-race exotics.
Kentucky Derby 2022 Picks
Free Kentucky Derby picks are here:
With best bet Cyberknife likely to be an excellent price, go ahead and bet him to win, or even win-place-show since he will be a long enough price that those other wagers should be profitable as well.
- $20 Win/Place/Show on #16 Cyberknife
Kentucky Derby 2022 Exotic Bets
Since the longshots often do find the exotics, this is a great place to start playing around with them and try to cash a life-changing ticket in the Kentucky Derby!
The exacta is an easy bet to make. Though a straight exacta requires the horses to finish in order, you can box it and cash a ticket if they finish in any order:
- $1 Exacta Box: #16 Cyberknife, #3 Epicenter, #12 Taiba
You can also key the bet, playing a few horses around the one you really like:
- $1 Exacta Key: #16 Cyberknife with #3 Epicenter, #7 Crown Pride, #10 Zandon, #12 Taiba
The trifecta and superfecta in the Kentucky Derby can also pay huge! It is a good idea to play these using a key horse and playing a group of other horses around them to finish in the top three or four.
- $1 Trifecta Key: #16 Cyberknife with #3 Epicenter, #7 Crown Pride, #10 Zandon, #12 Taiba
- $1 Superfecta Key: #16 Cyberknife with #3 Epicenter, #7 Crown Pride, #10 Zandon, #12 Taiba, #14 Barber Road
Kentucky Derby Exotic Wagering Opportunities
In addition to the Kentucky Derby, it is worth looking at the races at Churchill Downs all week long. On Derby Day specifically, there will be a Kentucky Derby Pick 6. The bet, which requires you to pick six winners in a row, is traditionally an all-stakes Pick 6 that features the Kentucky Derby and five other stakes races on Kentucky Derby Day, with a $0.20 minimum.
The Kentucky Derby Day card at Churchill Downs will feature seven stakes races other than the Derby: the $160,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes, the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), the $500,000 Derby City Distaff (G1), the $500,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2), the $500,000 American Turf (G2), the $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2), and the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1).
In addition to the Pick 6 wagers, Kentucky Derby Day also features four Pick 5 wagers, four Pick 4 wagers, and rolling Daily Double and Pick 3 wagers throughout the day. There will also be a Super High Five (pick the first five finishers) in the Kentucky Derby and win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta wagering all day long.
You can also play the Oaks-Derby Double on Friday. That wager, which you place on Friday, pays out if you pick the winners of both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks.
