How to Bet on The Kentucky Derby – For First-Time Bettors

Anyone, who is interested in sports betting in the United States, probably know the Kentucky Derby very well. After all, it is like the Super Bowl of horse racing! However, for those who are willing to bet on the race for the first time, it can get a little bit confusing. But it does not have to! We show you how to bet on the Kentucky Derby – even if you are a beginner.

We can confidently say: the Kentucky Derby is the most popular race to bet on in the United States. All the online sportsbook sites in the US, bookmakers, and sports bettors are all about it, around this time of the year. And we can understand it! Those two minutes are so tense and exciting, that no gambler would miss it for the world. Unless, of course, if they do not really know how to bet on the Kentucky Derby. If you are one of them, but you would like to learn it, we are here to give you a hand. It is not just that we propose you some odds from Bovada, but we also show you a guide to place bets on the “Run for the Roses”. Believe us: it is going to be beginner-friendly!

The Kentucky Derby

First, here is a little introduction to the derby itself. This is the horse race event of the year! It is held in Louisville, Kentucky and it dates back to 1875! It is usually on the first Saturday of May, capping the Kentucky Derby Festival. This year, it is on May 1st. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The distance is one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds and fillies 121 pounds. The duration of the race is usually around two minutes, so they usually refer to the race as “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports”. So, it is a widely popular event: it is also the most wagered-on horse race in the US. You can see it on online sportsbooks in the US: their bookmakers have the most different odds on it! And now, get ready to bet on the Kentucky Derby!

How to bet on the Kentucky Derby? – For beginners

At first glance, betting on the Run for the Roses can seem difficult. But if you know how to do that, it is really not. Let us start with the basics. Every year, up to 20 horses are invited to the race – based on their performance during the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Most bettors place very easy bets on the race, called straight bets before it starts. And you can do the same, and still, feel the excitement!

To do so, first, you have to choose one of the forms of straight wagers: win, place, or show. The most popular bet is the one concerning the winner. You place your money on one of the horses – 2 dollars is the standards –, and then you wait ‘til the end of the race. If you got the one right, you win. For the odds on each horse to win, see Bovada! A less risky wager brings less money, but you can also pick a place bet. It means that you can bet on a horse finishing either at the 1st or 2nd place. Even less risky is the show bet: with this, you bet on a horse finishing at any of the top 3 places. Now, you see how to bet on Kentucky Derby, if you are a beginner.

What other bets are out there?

Besides the ones listed above, there are several other ways to bet on the Kentucky Derby. These are trickier ones for more advanced race-gamblers, but these are also flattering with much more massive wins. These so-called exotic bets are for example the exacta bets, trifecta bets, superfecta bets, and quinella bets. You can find all about them at Bovada, However, if this is your first time betting on the race, we advise you to leave these to next year!

You can discover more about Bovada Sportsbook here.