Sports betting

Horse Bet, Horse Racing Bets, Bet on Horses, Kentucky Derby Betting

by Mike Gratton | April 29 2009

Excitement is in the air as horse racing fans await the first leg of the Triple Crown that begins this weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Considered by many as the unofficial start to the season, the 135th running of The Kentucky Derby sets the stage for the best of the best in three-year old thoroughbred racing. Two weeks later The Preakness will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland and three weeks after that The Belmont Stakes wraps up the third leg of the crown.

Kentucky Derby betting action has been hot as the date approaches. Kentucky Derby odds have been set for a while now.

Early favorites to win the Derby include I Want Revenge (5-to-2) and Dunkirk (5-to-1), with Friesan Fire and Pioneer of the Nile nipping tightly behind with odds set at 6-to-1 each.

Oddsmakers were a little apprehensive listing Revenge as the favorite when numbers were posted for the race in early April on concerns that the horse's three wins earned earlier this year were against mid-caliber competition. The final practice sessions that I Want Revenge and jockey Joe Talamo burned through on Monday, however, have all but silenced the skeptics.

Conditions were good and the colt ran a half-mile in 47.20 seconds, which was the top speed out of 49 total workouts at that distance. Payouts from online sportsbooks that were offering up to +500 have all but vanished since Monday but regardless of how well Revenge practiced, it could be a different story at the post on Saturday when it's the real thing.

Handicappers that specialize in betting the ponies have always liked the chances for Pioneer of the Nile based on two points: A 5-0-1 record in 2009 and a trainer named Bob Baffert that has already coached his way to three Derby wins. Sweetening what was already an excellent deal, top jockey Garrett Gomez has announced that Nile would be his ride for the Derby over Dunkirk, who analysts thought had the edge.

The deciding factor for Gomez, who won the Eclipse Award in 2008 as North America's No. 1 jockey, is that Dunkirk did not race as a two-year old. No horse has won the Kentucky Derby after taking a year off since 1882.

Sports bettors with a mild interest in horse racing can always get a little more into the action with few dollars at stake and the races that make up Triple Crown will offer the most online options to place your bets. Post positions will be announced Wednesday and that is the last piece of information that books are waiting on before making additional props and matchups available.

Kentucky Derby Prop Bets

For anyone willing to risk a really big chunk of change there is one early prop listed on whether or not there will be a Triple Crown winner this year. The bet is asking handicappers to lay 10-to-1 on the 'No' side and pays back +700 if it actually happens.

While a 7-to-1 payout can seem enticing it's worth noting that the feat has only been accomplished 11 times and the most recent was in 1978 when Affirmed crossed the line first at all three events.

It might be a better strategy to do a little research, make a few plays on the Derby and then watch the race live. It's actually pretty exciting and it will also allow you to make some mental notes for the next two jewels in the Crown that are on-deck.

There is a chance of thundershowers Saturday and soggy conditions can have a big affect on the race's outcome so be sure to keep tabs on the forecast closer to race day. Post time is scheduled for 9 pm EST so place your bets!

You can catch up on your handicapping by reading the Kentucky Derby Betting Guide.

Check out all the Kentucky Derby odds and see about a 100% Derby bonus offer.

Enjoy betting on the Kentucky Derby.

Author: Mike Gratton placed his first wager on a horse race in the mid-80s. It was a 2-1 horse to show… and it came in fourth. Mike has progressed to be a successful horse racing handicapper and sports betting mind over the years. He loves to impart the knowledge he has garnered over the years in his articles focused on helping others with their sports betting and horse handicapping.