Current 2019 Kentucky Derby Odds
The Kentucky Derby is less than a week away, and the Run for the Roses is shaping up to be a more wide-open race in 2019. While fans and recreational race bettors focus on the favorites, the professional players and bettors interested in a better payoff believe this will be the year that a favorite does not win the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby post positions and odds
Post positions and opening odds were released on Tuesday morning. The original 20-horse field of 3-year-olds was made up from the Top 20 points earners during the 35 Derby prep races from September through April leading up to the Kentucky Derby on May 4.
The 2019 Kentucky Derby will begin at 6:50 p.m. On Saturday, May 4th, on NBC. Here are the post positions and odds to win for the full field as of Saturday afternoon.
April 24: Roadster has made big strides in our latest odds update, going from +2000 on April 1st to +617 on April 24th. April 2: Game Winner is still the betting favorite after opening with the shortest odds on November 15th. The Bob Baffert-trained colt has had four first place finishes in his last five races. 2019 Kentucky Derby Closing Odds. Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby 2020 Odds: Latest Field Betting Lines After Post Positions Draw Alex Ballentine @ BallentineAlex. Although one of them was 2019 winner Country House, who broke. Get to know the 2019 Kentucky Derby contenders April 16, 2019 Brisnet Staff Kentucky Derby, Racing News 2 UPDATED after Tuesday’s draw with post positions, morning-line odds, and final PPs.
Two horses — Omaha Beach and Haikal — were scratched this week. Bodexpress replaced Omaha Beach in the field.
Betting Odds Provided by TVG (Click here to get $300 risk-free bet, just for signing up!)
| Post Position | Horse | Current Odds (5/4) | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | War of Will | 15-1 | 20-1 |
| 2 | Tax | 20-1 | 20-1 |
| 3 | By My Standards | 15-1 | 20-1 |
| 4 | Gray Magician | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| 5 | Improbable | 5-1 | 6-1 |
| 6 | Vekoma | 15-1 | 20-1 |
| 7 | Maximum Security | 8-1 | 10-1 |
| 8 | Tacitus | 8-1 | 10-1 |
| 9 | Plus Que Parfait | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| 10 | Cutting Humor | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| Haikal | SCRATCHED | 30-1 | |
| Omaha Beach | SCRATCHED | 4-1 | |
| 13 | Code of Honor | 12-1 | 15-1 |
| 14 | Win Win Win | 12-1 | 15-1 |
| 15 | Master Fencer | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| 16 | Game Winner | 9-2 | 5-1 |
| 17 | Roadster | 5-1 | 6-1 |
| 18 | Long Range Toddy | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| 19 | Spinoff | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| 20 | Country House | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| 21 | Bodexpress | 30-1 | 30-1 |
Betting the Kentucky Derby
Why is the Kentucky Derby such a great wagering opportunity? Beyond being a major event and the biggest 3-year-old race in the world, the Derby is stacked with a 20-horse field. So a big betting pool with a lot of uniform money is bet on the Kentucky Derby.
Now while the favorites have won the last six runnings of the Run for the Roses, those favorites have paid out pretty well between $6.60 and $12.80 on a $2 win wager. But it’s the chance for a big exacta, trifecta or superfecta score that brings out more bettors for the Derby.
When favorite Always Dreaming won in 2017, a $2 exacta with Lookin’ At Lee (33-1) returned $336.20. A $1 trifecta with Battle of Midway (40-1) in 3rd returned $8,297.20. And a $1 superfecta with Classic Empire (6-1) in 4th paid $75,974.50.
So, a big score is possible in the Derby, and most recreational bettors will miss the potential midrange or long shots with some value and potential to hit the board.
ALSO READ: Exacta? Trifecta? How To Get Exotic At The Kentucky Derby
2019 Kentucky Derby runners and contenders
These three horses will take the most wagering action and one of them will go off as the Kentucky Derby favorite:
- Roadster: First place in Santa Anita Derby
- Game Winner: Second place in Santa Anita Derby, Champion in 2-year-old and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion
- Improbable: Second Arkansas Derby
The next wave of contenders includes the other four major prep winners:
- Tacitus: First Wood Memorial
- Maximum Security: First Florida Derby
- Vekoma: First Blue Grass
- By My Standards: First Louisiana Derby
The remaining two-thirds of the Derby field will provide some potential for a big score. Recall in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Always Dreaming won with a clean trip and good post over a sloppy track, but super longshots at 33-1 and 40-1 finished second and third to trigger big exotic payouts.
- Plus Que Parfait: First UAE Derby
- Code of Honor: Third Florida Derby
- War of Will: Ninth Louisiana Derby
- Cutting Humor: First Sunland Derby
- Tax: Second Wood Memorial
- Win Win Win: Second Blue Grass
- Country House: Third Arkansas Derby
- Long Range Toddy: Sixth Arkansas Derby
- Spinoff: Second Louisiana Derby
- Gray Magician: Second UAE Derby
- Master Fencer: Second Fukuryu Stakes (Japan)
Kentucky Derby recent history
The 2019 Kentucky Derby will have the biggest purse in the Derby’s 145-year history of $3 million. The race-day favorite at post time has won the Kentucky Derby six years in a row, including in 2018 when Justifywon the Run for the Roses on his way to Triple Crown glory. American Pharoah (2015) was also a Triple Crown winner, snapping the long 37-year drought without a Triple Crown winner.
| Year | Winner | Odds | Payout | Time | Track | Favorite |
| 2018 | Justify | 3-1 | $7.80 | 2:04.20 | Sloppy | 1st |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | 9-2 | $11.40 | 2:03.59 | Wet | 1st |
| 2016 | Nyquist | 5-2 | $6.60 | 2:01.31 | Fast | 1st |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 3-1 | $7.80 | 2:03.02 | Fast | 1st |
| 2014 | California Chrome | 5-2 | $7.00 | 2:03.66 | Fast | 1st |
| 2013 | Orb | 5-1 | $12.80 | 2:02.89 | Sloppy | 1st |
| 2012 | I’ll Have Another | 15-1 | $32.60 | 2:01.83 | Fast | 2nd |
| 2011 | Animal Kingdom | 21-1 | $43.80 | 2:02.04 | Fast | 8th |
| 2010 | Super Saver | 8-1 | $18.00 | 2:04.45 | Sloppy | 6th |
| 2009 | Mine That Bird | 51-1 | $103.20 | 2:02.66 | Sloppy | 18th |
Kentucky Derby tips
Beyond having a few places to bet on the Kentucky Derby like top online sites TVG, TwinSpires and BetAmerica, look for sportsbooks that offer more Derby betting options like head-to-head matchup wagering. As more legal sports books enter the market in the US, like FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook and PointsBet, you’ll also see these sportsbooks get more creativeand offer special offers and promotions on big events like the Kentucky Derby.
In handicapping and preparing for the Kentucky Derby, you can be more informed and have a better chance to win if you follow some simple tips from experts like Mike Shutty; author of Super Screener and founder of Horse Racing Nation.
- Learn to project the pace of the race
- Form cycle analysis – look at contenders form cycle
- Workout analysis – last workouts before Derby
Current Kentucky Derby Odds 2019
While we wait for the Derby draw, final workouts and track condition, some early indications are that a horse at midrange odds like Tacitus is clearly capable of winning the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
Longshots like Spinoff or Maximum Security can’t be ruled out on the win or Top 3 finish, while By My Standards is another potential underneath type horse that would provide a big payoff even if the projected favorite Roadster were to continue improvement and run well to win.
2019 Kentucky Derby Odds
Mike Smith, who road Justify to a Kentucky Derby victory and Triple Crown achievement, has elected to ride Omaha Beach instead of Roadster.
Bettors beware.