It is a fantastic site if you are just getting into horse betting. Make sure you bet on the best race of all: the Kentucky Derby which is typically held in May. Before you start a new adventure of betting horse racing online remember that finding a site or app is incredibly easy but finding the right one can take you a little bit of time. Betting on the KY Derby has never been easier. More than half the states in the US have legal, online pari-mutuel horse wagering options available. One absolute when selecting your Kentucky Derby wagering provider is to make sure it operates on a pari-mutuel construct, like TVG.
America’s biggest race, the Kentucky Derby, typically draws an enormous amount of fans to Louisville and Churchill Downs with more than 150,000 in attendance on Derby Day. But there are millions of other race fans who bet on the Kentucky Derby across the country, and many don’t even realize that they can do it from their mobile device or web browser in 33 states.
Fans looking to wager on the race can turn to TVG, TwinSpires and BetAmerica for free and legal US horse race betting. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to sign up for these sites and receive free money to place your bets on the race.
Best legal horse betting sites and apps for the Kentucky Derby
| App / Site | iOS | Android | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| TVG | Yes | Yes | $300 Risk-Free Bet |
| Twinspires | Yes | Yes | 100% up to $100 |
| BetAmerica | Yes | Yes | $100 bonus on $500 wager |
When betting the Kentucky Derby, the casual fan doesn’t want a race dissertation on pace and breakdown or all details and past performances of horses. Most fans and recreational bettors want to know a select few horses that they can bet on to win the race and add to their exotic picks and bets.
One of the premier places to watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby and other live races is TVG, a digital, cable and television network owned by the FanDuel Group. TVG offers a one-stop shop for all horse racing fans with online wagering, a betting app and live streaming and race results. No waiting in lines, delays or errors by race tellers.
BetAmerica is another top choice for horse racing. Owned by Churchill Downs, BetAmerica is also fully licensed, regulated and U.S. based website with options to bet on races from more than 400 tracks online or a mobile device. BetAmerica has free live horse race video streaming and handicapping information and tools along with contests and rewards programs not available when betting at a casino or race and sportsbook.
How to watch and wager on the Kentucky Derby
Betting on the Kentucky Derby online is easy once you’ve set up an account. When you bet on a horse to win, simply locate the track listing at Churchill Downs and the race number of the Kentucky Derby and select the horse number. Add it to your bet slip and confirm the amount of the win wager. The odds can change right up to post time of the Kentucky Derby. For added or multiple bets like exacta and trifecta, add all the selections to your betting slip and confirm the amount you want to wager and all combinations.
For more details on the different types of Kentucky Derby bets, check out our complete betting guide.
How to sign up and create an account
Signing up for a wagering account to bet the Kentucky Derby is easy. You must be 18 years of age or older, 21 in the state of Washington and TVG users in Arizona, Indiana, Iowa and North Dakota must also be at least 21 years old.
- Create an account: In just a few minutes you’ll be set up after providing your name, address, email, phone number, date of birth, last four of your social security number and creating a user name and password for your account.
- Deposit funds and get free money: Use the links on this page for each site to take advantage of the free money bonuses. Deposit options vary but may include credit or debit card, PayPal, PayNearMe, MoneyGram, EZMoney, MoneyPack, Neteller, TeleCheck or prepaid card. Withdrawing funds is easy and efficient and each site has selected options similar to deposit. Once your deposit clears, bonus money will appear in your account within minutes.
States where you can bet the Kentucky Derby online
Kentucky Derby Betting Online Nj
All three online sites at TVG, TwinSpires and BetAmerica allow online horse betting in these states:
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Maryland
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wyoming
In addition, TVG offers online horse betting in these states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Virginia and Washington.
TwinSpires offers online horse betting in Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.
BetAmerica offers online horse betting in Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and New Mexico.
While there are a number of exciting events on the horse racing calendar throughout the year, one race just stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Kentucky Derby attracts attention like no other, and the betting volume for the race is always through the roof.
For diehard racing fans, it’s the biggest highlight of the season as the top runners in the sport go toe-to-toe. Even those who don’t pay much attention to horse racing get involved, as Derby Day is the sport’s equivalent of the Super Bowl.
We’ll detail how to bet on the Kentucky Derby and contains information for bettors across the whole racing spectrum, from newbies all the way up to experienced handicappers. We’ll cover in full detail the best bets you can make and how the runners make the cut and qualify for the biggest racing event of the year.
We’ll also cover the best racing sites to bet online or via a mobile Michigan betting app, and run through the contenders and odds for this year’s edition of the Kentucky Derby. Let’s kick things off by taking a look at the best ways for you to get in on the action.
Where to bet on the Kentucky Derby in Michigan
When it’s time to get your bets in on the Kentucky Derby, you have two main options to consider. Here’s the scoop on each of them.
2011 Kentucky Derby Betting Online
- Mobile or online: Kentucky Derby betting online or via your mobile device are hands down the most convenient options. TVG Racing, an industry leader in horse racing betting, is the place to go on both fronts. Setting up an account is a piece of cake, and you can place your bets whenever you’re ready in quick and painless fashion.
- Betting at teller: If you’re near Michigan’s one operating race track, Northville Downs, then you can place your bets right onsite with a betting kiosk or live teller. Many tracks also provide simulcasting of races from across the nation.
Kentucky Derby bet types explained
When betting on the Kentucky Derby, you can simply pick on the winner and move on to enjoy the race. However, there’s a lot more to see on the horse wagering menu. Let’s start with the basics.
- Win: This is a bet on a horse to win the race.
- Place: A bet on a horse to finish in second or better.
- Show: A wager on a horse to finish in third or better.
These are the simplest wagers to understand. You can place any of these bets for as little as $1 at some tracks, but others require a minimum of $2. If your selection proves to be correct, then your ticket will be graded a winner.
Payouts will vary based on the odds for the winning runner and the amount in the wagering pool. At online operators such as TVG, you can get a peek at the amount of win, place, and show money that has been placed on each of the runners before the race goes off.
You can also combine these wagers onto a single slip, such as picking a runner to win/place/show or one to place/show. The bet amount will rise based on what you select, but it’s a good option for enhanced returns on a horse you are confident about.
Next, let’s take a look at a group of wagers known as exotics.
- Exacta or quinella: A bet on the top two finishers.
- Trifecta: A wager on the top three runners.
- Superfecta: Pick the top four finishers in the race.
- Super high five: Pick the top five finishers in a row.
Exotic bets aren’t easy to hit, but they can provide some serious bang for the buck. They’re quite popular as a result, and the bets can be placed for nominal amounts for straight selections. If you box your choices, then the cost of the ticket rises accordingly.
To demonstrate the potential, here’s what the returns looked like for some of these bets at the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
- $2 Exacta: $3,009.60
- $1 Trifecta: $11,745.30
- $1 Superfecta: $51,400.10
Those returns are phenomenal, but there are two important points to keep in mind. First, the race was won by longshot Country House. Second, the Derby attracts a ton of betting action, so the pools are much larger than they would have been for an average race.
Last but not least, remember that there’s a lot more to Derby Day than just the main event. There will be lots of other races on the card, so you can expand your horizons and use all of the above bet types for them, as well.
Additionally, there are bets you can place on the winners of multiple races in a row, ranging from the Pick 3 to the Pick 6. Once again, these bets are hard to hit, but they can provide awesome returns on really small wager amounts.
Latest odds for Kentucky Derby 2020
We still have a ways to go before the morning line odds are released for this year’s running of the Kentucky Derby. As we saw last time out, there’s a good deal of movement in the numbers once the money starts flowing in. Here’s a look back at how the field shook out in 2019.
| Post # | Horse | Morning Line | Final Odds | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | War of Will | 20-1 | 16-1 | 7 |
| 2 | Tax | 20-1 | 35-1 | 14 |
| 3 | By My Standards | 20-1 | 18-1 | 11 |
| 4 | Gray Magician | 50-1 | 33-1 | 19 |
| 5 | Improbable | 6-1 | 3-1 | 4 |
| 6 | Vekoma | 20-1 | 16-1 | 12 |
| 7 | Maximum Security | 10-1 | 3-1 | 17-DQ |
| 8 | Tacitus | 10-1 | 5-1 | 3 |
| 9 | Plus Que Parfait | 30-1 | 56-1 | 8 |
| 10 | Cutting Humor | 30-1 | 23-1 | 10 |
| 11 | Haikal | 30-1 | NA | Scratched |
| 12 | Omaha Beach | 4-1 | NA | Scratched |
| 13 | Code of Honor | 15-1 | 13-1 | 2 |
| 14 | Win Win Win | 15-1 | 16-1 | 9 |
| 15 | Master Fencer | 50-1 | 58-1 | 6 |
| 16 | Game Winner | 5-1 | 6-1 | 5 |
| 17 | Roadster | 6-1 | 11-1 | 15 |
| 18 | Long Range Toddy | 30-1 | 54-1 | 16 |
| 19 | Spinoff | 30-1 | 51-1 | 18 |
| 20 | Country House | 30-1 | 64-1 | 1 |
| 21 | Bodexpress | 30-1 | 70-1 | 13 |
Improbable, Maximum Security, Tacitus, and Game Winner were the clear favorites when the race took off, but it was Country House with the win after a stunning turn of events. We’ll walk through what happened in a bit. For now, let’s take a look at the payouts for the top three finishers.
| Horse | Win payout | Place payout | Show payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country House | $132..40 | $56.60 | $24.60 |
| Code of Honor | - | $15.20 | $9.80 |
| Tacitus | - | - | $5.60 |
Top picks for Kentucky Derby 2020
The field for the 2020 Kentucky Derby will completely come into focus as the race draws near. However, we can still take a sneak peek at which runners look to be in line to make some noise by taking a gander at the standings on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
In order to qualify for the Derby, horses need to perform well in the bigger races that precede the Derby, and they earn points as they do so. We’ll walk through the qualification process in full detail shortly.
For now, here are the current top five in the standings as of July / August 2020.
- Tiz the Law
- Authentic
- Honor A.P.
- Ny Traffic
- Art Collector
While there’s no guarantee that any of these runners will ultimately perform well in the Derby, they have all proved themselves to date. As a result, they are certainly names to keep on the shortlist as you prepare to handicap the race.
Record-setting wins at the Kentucky Derby
History is made at every edition of the Kentucky Derby, but some of the races have just been more special than others. We’ve seen a number of memorable performances through the years, including some of the record-breaking variety.
- Speed record at current length: Secretariat, 1973, 1:59:40
- Largest margin of victory: Eight lengths, four times, most recently by Assault in 1946
- Biggest longshot: Donerail at 91-1 in 1913
- Most wins by an owner: Calumet Farm, eight, last in 1968
- Trainer with most victories: Ben Jones, six, last in 1952
- Jockey with most wins: Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack tied with five
The Kentucky Derby is traditionally the first leg of the Triple Crown, which includes the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. To date, just 13 horses have managed to win all three. Here’s the list of winners with the winning time they recorded at the Derby.
- 2018: Justify, 2:04:20
- 2015: American Pharoah, 2:03:02
- 1978: Affirmed, Affirmed, 2:01:12
- 1977: Seattle Slew, 2:02:20
- 1973: Secretariat, 1:59:40
- 1948: Citation, 2:05:40
- 1946: Assault, 2:06:60
- 1943: Count Fleet, 2:04:00
- 1941: Whirlaway, 2:01:40
- 1937: War Admiral, 2:03:20
- 1935: Omaha, 2:05:00
- 1930: Gallant Fox, 2:07:60
- 1919: Sir Barton, 2:09:80
In recent years, we have seen a number of interesting developments. Included on that list is the 2018 win for Justify, whose Triple Crown season becomes even more historic when you consider that he never raced as a two-year-old.
The following year was one for the record books as well, but for vastly different reasons. We’ll go through the lowdown on what went down later on.
How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?
The runners in the field for the Kentucky Derby are at the head of the class for the racing season. These are the best two- and three-year-olds in the nation, and they all will have proved that on what’s known as the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
This is a qualifier that goes through two phases, and the horses earn points based on how well they perform. The points are awarded on a sliding scale to the top four finishers, and the amounts increase as the process moves along.
For example, the top finisher in the first series of races will earn 10 points, while the amount increases to 50 for a first place later on. By the time we get to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the number doubles.
This series of races has come to be known as the Super Six, and the top finisher gets a whopping 100 points to add to the running tally. For those who regularly follow horse racing, these are some of the best events of the year.
Here are the six biggest qualifying events on the Road to the Kentucky Derby along with the track where the event is held and purse amount:
| Race | Track | Purse |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Derby | Oaklawn Park | $1 million |
| Blue Grass Stakes | Keeneland | $1 million |
| Florida Derby | Gulfstream Park | $1 million |
| Louisiana Derby | Fair Grounds | $1 million |
| Santa Anita Derby | Santa Anita Park | $400,000 |
| Wood Memorial Stakes | Aqueduct | $750,000 |
As you would expect, the runners that knock it out of the park in these races move on to become favorites for the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown season as a whole. When it’s time to break down this year’s Derby, be sure to examine how the runners have finished in previous races, especially the bigger ones.
What is the Kentucky Oaks?
As mentioned earlier, there’s a lot more to Derby Day than just the big race. The same applies to the rest of the weekend at Churchill Downs. It’s quite the event to experience in person, and it certainly deserves a spot on the bucket list as a result.
On the Friday before the Derby, the biggest highlight of another packed day of racing action is the Kentucky Oaks. This is a Grade 1 stakes race with a purse of $1.25 million and an eye-popping first-place prize of $750,000.
The race is contested over 1 1/8 miles with a field consisting of three-year-old fillies. For fillies, this is one of the signature races of the season, and it also attracts plenty of action at the betting window.
The Oaks can be a great way to get in some last-minute prep for the Derby as it affords another chance to break down a high stakes race. Here’s a look back at the last decade of winners and their winning times.
- 2019: Serengeti Express, 1:50:17
- 2018: Monomoy Girl, 1:49:13
- 2017: Abel Tasman, 1:51:62
- 2016: Cathryn Sophia, 1:50:53
- 2015: Lovely Maria, 1:50:45
- 2014: Untapable, 1:48:68
- 2013: Princess of Sylmar, 1:49:17
- 2012: Believe You Can, 1:49:50
- 2011: Plum Pretty, 1:49:50
- 2010: Blind Luck, 1:50:70
For the 2019 edition, here’s what the payouts looked like for the top three finishers and some of the exotic bets on the race.
- 1 – Serengeti Empress, Win — $28.00, Place — $14.80, Show — $9.60
- 2 – Liora, P — $32.60, S — $17.00
- 3 – Lady Apple, S — $7.00
- $2 Exacta — $878.40
- $0.50 Trifecta — $3,510.90
- $1 Superfecta — $67,087.40
Kentucky Derby betting history
The history of the Kentucky Derby goes all the way back to 1875. A horse by the name of Aristides won the inaugural race, which was contested over 1 1/2 miles, in a time of 2:37:75. The Derby remained at that length for several years before switching to 1 1/4 miles in 1896.
It’s still contested at that length to this day. The legendary Secretariat set the speed record with a time of 1:59:40 in his record-setting 1973 campaign. Interest has always been high for the biggest horse racing event of the year, but it seems to be continually climbing as well.
For some perspective on that, consider the betting handle for the entirety of Derby day back in 1985, which checked in at $26.8 million. By 1998, it was up to $88.9 million. For the 2019 edition, the all-sources handle was a staggering $250.9 million.
On the Derby alone, $165.5 million was bet on the race, besting the previous record from just one year prior by 10%. The Kentucky Derby is an incredibly special sporting event and one that attracts bettors in droves to boot.
What happened at the 2019 Kentucky Derby?
When the race was over, it looked like Maximum Security had won a thrilling race in front of a jam-packed crowd of over 150,000. However, objections were filed by jockeys for two of the other runners almost immediately.
After a rather unprecedented and lengthy review, Maximum Security was shockingly disqualified over the objections. The horse had made contact with another runner and interfered with two others prior to the stretch run.
The rulebook states that if a horse veers off course in a way that impacts another runner, then that can be grounds for disqualification. The team behind Maximum Security was stunned, as was just about everyone else, as this was the first disqualification for an infraction on the course in Derby history that impacted the top spot.
When all of the dust had settled, Country House was declared the winner, followed by Code of Honor and Tacitus. The Derby is always a history-making event, but the 2019 edition was really one for the record books.