BetUS horse racing writers Daryl Curnow, Donald Norton and Mark Pukalo have each been given a mythical $50 bankroll for the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Our scribes will provide their expertise in an effort to help all your Kentucky Derby betting dreams come true. With 18 horses crammed into the starting gate, Kentucky Derby odds are generally more attractive – even for the top contenders. For example, Epicenter was the 4-1 favorite in 2022. So read on to see which way to go when wagering on the Run for the Roses.
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Daryl Curnow
Horse racing odds have framed an even Kentucky Derby betting market, so there is excellent value available. Given recent betting moves, we’re putting Tapit Trice on top for Todd Pletcher. Forte took most of the early money, but after some displeasing workout efforts, the stablemate moves ahead. We are happy to anchor around Tapit Trice, who gets all favors from post 5. We’re not completely leaving out Forte, who has the best pre-Derby form, so include the Pletcher runners in your Derby picks.
The bets: $10 to win, $8 to place on 5; $1 trifectas 5 with 3,4,14,15 with 3,4,14,15; $10 exacta box 5-15
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Donald Norton
The scratch of Forte forced me to completely switch gears, and develop another betting strategy. Speed is always dangerous at Churchill Downs, but after the first couple of races on Saturday, it looks more prevalent under the Twin Spires. With that said, the revamped tickets are heavily dependent on those who like to run on or near the lead.
The Bets: $10 win on 2,6; $2 exactas 2,6 with 1,2,6,8,21; $2 trifectas 2,6 with 2,6,8 with 2,6,8; $1 trifectas 2,6 with 2,6 with 1,7,21
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Mark Pukalo
Call me a spreader. I like to give myself a greater chance to win money when betting online. That means selecting potential scenarios and betting accordingly. With 18 horses leaving the gate and all the traffic involved, depending on one horse to get a viable trip is scary. There are probably about a dozen horses that could win, but I narrowed it down to six. My top pick is Tapit Trice (5), so I will throw $15 on him to win and use the gray on top of trifectas. I also give speed horses Kingsbarns and Derma Sotogake (17) a chance to use a slow pace to win on the front end. Hit Show (1), Disarm (11), Sun Thunder (13), and Mandarin Hero (22) can be used underneath.
The bets: $15 win 5; $8 win 17: $6 win 2,6; $2 exacta 5 with 1,2,8; $1 trifecta 6 with 5 with 1,3,8,14: $3 exacta 14-5; $1 exacta 17 with 1,5
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
