Kentucky Derby betting in the UK isn’t quite as big as betting on the Grand National or Cheltenham, but it’s still very popular. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to bet on this prestigious American flat race, what kind of betting offers you might expect, which horses the bookies favour to win, and more.
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One of the great things about making a Kentucky Derby bet online is that you can choose to place your wager with the bookie offering the best odds. Simply sign up with several bookies, see what odds they are each offering, and go with the most generous. Betting odds change all the time, but here are the 2024 race day Kentucky Derby online bet odds at Paddy Power. We will update these with the odds for the Kentucky Derby in 2025 as soon as they are available.
Kentucky Derby Odds at Paddy Power | |
Runner | Odds |
Sierra Leone | 5/1 |
Timberlake | 12/1 |
Forever Young | 12/1 |
Fierceness | 14/1 |
Track Phantom | 14/1 |
Henry Adams | 16/1 |
Conquest Warrior | 20/1 |
Hades | 20/1 |
Knightsbridge | 25/1 |
Air Of Defiance | 25/1 |
Coach Prime | 25/1 |
Hall Of Fame | 25/1 |
Rhyme Schemes | 33/1 |
West Omaha | 33/1 |
Ramjet | 33/1 |
Pilot Commander | 40/1 |
El Capi | 40/1 |
First run in 1875, the Kentucky Derby is the best-loved horse race in America. It’s run on a dirt track at Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky, over a distance of 1¼ miles. This is a race that is known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports”, and we’re proud to note that it was inspired by the Epsom Derby right here in the UK.
The Kentucky Derby 2025 will be the 151st running of the race, so this year’s event promises to be particularly special. It will take place on Saturday 3rd May.
As we outlined in our introduction, making a Kentucky Derby bet online is easy. However, we also know that this world-famous horse race will see many people betting on it for the first time. So, for those of you who are brand new to online betting Kentucky Derby style, here’s our step-by-step guide:
This American race is such a huge event that Kentucky Derby betting markets will be available at all of the best online horse racing sites in the UK. You’ll enjoy a safe and secure experience with any of our recommended bookmakers, so read through what we have to say about them and take your pick.
When you’ve decided where to bet on the Kentucky Derby online, visit the site and sign up for an account. You can do this by tapping the Join, Register or Sign Up button displayed on its home page. For example, if you choose to use Paddy Power, you’ll find a Join Now button in the top right corner.
When you hit the Join Now button it will take you to a registration page. Here you will need to provide your name, date of birth, your mobile number and other details. These are all required for the bookmaker to verify your age and identity and comply with UK gambling law.
Complete the registration form as instructed and submit it. Most Kentucky Derby betting sites will then set up your account so that it’s ready for immediate use.
You now need to log into your new account, visit the Account or Banking area and make a deposit. The best online betting sites will give you several different ways of depositing funds, with debit cards being the most popular. Choose one that you’d like to use, then enter the corresponding details (such as your debit card number, expiry date, etc.) and the amount of money that you’d like to put into your betting account. Press to submit the request, and the deposit will be processed automatically.
You’ll find the Kentucky Derby online betting markets in the horse racing section of your chosen bookmaker, so head there and take a look at what’s on offer. At the very least, there should be a market that lets you bet on which horse you think will win the race. Some bookmakers will go further by offering markets on race-related outcomes, such as the winning distance.
To actually make your bet, click on the odds of the horse that you want to back. That will add it to a bet slip that will either pop up or slide into view from the right. Below you can see that we’ve added Sierra Leone to our slip.
All that remains is for you to type in the amount of money that you want to stake and then submit the bet. It’s always a good idea to check the selection and stake before submitting the bet because you won’t be able to rectify any mistakes afterwards.
The Kentucky Derby doesn’t usually get quite as much attention from UK bookmakers as the Grand National or the Gold Cup. But there will still be various offers that you can take advantage of when you want to place a Kentucky Derby online bet. Here are some of the most common offers that we expect to be available:
The notion that you can bet on the Kentucky Derby online for free might sound like a dream come true, but there are enough free bet offers available from UK bookmakers to make it a reality. Some might offer you a bet specifically for the race, while others will let you use their generic free bet offers for the Kentucky Derby. Either way, a free bet online at Kentucky Derby time is a gift horse, so don’t look it in the mouth!
You will usually have to qualify for a free bet by making a bet with your own money. You may also be required to use the free bet only on a selection at certain minimum odds or bigger. Be sure to look into the terms and conditions so that you know what’s expected.
BoyleSports is a betting site that loves offering free bets for big events, so keep an eye on it as the Kentucky Derby approaches, and you might be able to pick one up.
Ante-post betting markets allow you to bet on the Kentucky Derby weeks or even months before the race is scheduled to take place. These are popular because betting ahead of time can often give you better odds than you might get on the day of the race itself. However, ante-post betting isn’t without its potential drawbacks because if your horse doesn’t run, you won’t normally get your stake back unless there’s a Non-Runner No Bet offer in place (see next section).
There are always plenty of ante-post betting markets available at Paddy Power. You’ll be pleased to hear that this popular Irish bookie already has Kentucky Derby betting odds available, so be sure to check them out if you want to bet in advance.
A Non-Runner No Bet offer means that if you bet on a horse that doesn’t participate in the race, it will be treated as a “no bet”, and your stake will be refunded. This type of offer is particularly useful to those who bet in ante-post betting markets, as described in the previous section.
When available, these Non-Runner No Bet offers are easier to find the closer you get to the scheduled date of the race. LiveScore Bet loves this kind of deal almost as much as punters do, so check there to see if it becomes available when you want to make a Kentucky Derby bet online.
All online bookmakers worth your time will reward you in some way for becoming a new customer. These welcome offers might give you one or more free bets for signing up and making a deposit. Or they could promise to refund a percentage of your first-day losses if you are unlucky enough to get off to a bad start.
Whatever the case, you can put these offers to very good use when the Kentucky Derby comes along. Simply join a betting site with a decent welcome offer just before the day of the race, and you should be able to use it for a Kentucky Derby bet online. Again, always check the terms of the offer so that you know exactly what the offer is and how it works.
For example, the welcome offer at Spreadex right now will give you up to £50 in bonuses when you bet £25. You could therefore bet £25 on the Kentucky Derby and get another £50 to bet with no matter how your selection fares.
You can make a Kentucky Derby bet online in several different ways. Here we’ll take a look at some of the most popular betting markets you’ll find at UK bookmakers.
This is the main betting market for the Kentucky Derby, and it requires you to select the horse that you think will win the race. If your chosen horse wins, so will your bet. Your profit will be your stake multiplied by the odds you took when striking your bet.
Another way of betting on a horse in the Kentucky Derby is each way. This is actually two bets. One bet is a wager on your selection to win, and the other is a wager on your selection to get a place. If your horse wins, both parts of the each-way bet will win. Only the place part will win if your horse doesn’t win but finishes second or third. You can use our free Each Way Bet Calculator to work out your returns.
A Straight Forecast is a single bet that allows you to choose two horses – one to win and the other to finish in second place. Your selections must finish in the stated order for the bet to win. A Reverse Forecast will pay if your horses finish first and second in any order, but it will cost you two bets.
This is similar to a Forecast, but here you have to choose three horses to finish in first, second and third place. If your selections finish in those places – and in the right order – your bet will win. An alternative to a Tricast is a Combination Tricast. This will pay out if our three horses finish in first, second and third place in any order, but it will cost you six bets.
The Kentucky Derby isn’t the only race that will be taking place at the Kentucky Derby Festival. If you want to bet on several races, you could put them into an accumulator bet. This will pay out only if all of your selections succeed, but the potential returns can be considerable. Use our Accumulator Bet Calculator to work them out.
A multiple bet is so-called because it lets you cover multiple selections (each one in a different race) for a combination of accumulators and sometimes singles, too. For example, a Lucky 15 bet will cover four selections for all possible singles, doubles and trebles, plus one fourfold accumulator. We have a Lucky 15 Bet Calculator available to help you figure out your winnings.
We’ve already said that this is one of the most competitive flat races around, so what’s the best way to bet online for Kentucky Derby success? The following Kentucky Derby tips should put you on the right track:
The Kentucky Derby is only open to three-year-olds, so it isn’t a race that a horse will participate in more than once. That said, you should consider each runner’s previous form in other races leading up to the Derby. Look at the times achieved by winners and frame-makers, but also consider the track conditions on which those times were achieved. A fast time on a sloppy track might be better than a faster time on a good track.
Horses can’t participate in the Kentucky Derby more than once, but trainers and jockeys both can and do. For that reason, it can’t hurt to look at how trainers and jockeys have fared in this race in the past. If your form pick is trained by a trainer and/or ridden by a jockey who has made the frame in the past, so much the better.
Professional horse racing tipsters (such as those featured in the Racing Post) are people who are paid to study racing form on a far deeper level than most bettors ever will. It therefore makes sense to take a look at their picks for the race and see if there is any kind of consensus among them. We’re not saying that you should follow tips blindly, of course. But you might want to think twice about betting on a horse that nobody has tipped unless you have an extremely good reason for doing so.
Bookmakers are another group of professionals whose job is to assess form on a deeper level than the rest of us mortals. Their chief task is to offer odds according to how they assess the chances of each runner winning, so look at the odds they quote about Kentucky Derby horses and focus on those at the front end of the betting market. Also, take a look at our Betting Odds Explained guide to see how to determine implied probabilities from the odds available.
Our final tip is to make life easier for yourself by betting each way. While you can bet on forecasts, tricasts, accumulators and multiples, your chances of winning with them are far less than if you simply pick a horse to win or get a place. In fact, you could make life even easier by betting on two or three Kentucky Derby horses so that you have several chances of winning.
The Kentucky Derby takes place on the last day of what’s become a more-than-week-long festival of entertainment and horse racing. There are 14 races on the Kentucky Derby Day itself, so here’s what to expect if you want to bet through the card (subject to change):
Kentucky Derby Day Schedule – Saturday 3rd May 2024 | |
1 | Allowance Optional Claimer |
2 | Maiden Special Weight |
3 | Allowance Optional Claimer |
4 | Derby City Distaff Stakes |
5 | Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes |
6 | Knicks Go Overnight Stakes |
7 | Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes |
8 | Pat Day Mile Stakes |
9 | American Turf Stakes |
10 | Churchill Downs Stakes |
11 | Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes |
12 | Kentucky Derby |
13 | Allowance Optional Claimer |
14 | Maiden Special Weight |
Like our own Grand National, the Kentucky Derby is a race that attracts plenty of TV viewers all around the world. The 2023 race was watched by almost 15 million viewers in the US alone, and there were many more millions watching elsewhere. Here in the UK, you will be able to watch the race live on Sky Sports.
Another way to watch the race is at online betting sites that offer live streaming. Not all sites offer streaming, and some make it available only to those who make a Kentucky Derby bet online with them. But if you’re planning to bet on the race anyway, this is a great option.
Kentucky Derby winners aren’t quite as famous in the UK as winners of our own races, such as the Epsom Derby, but there are still plenty of recognisable names among their number. Consider horses like War Admiral, Secretariat, American Pharaoh and Justify, all of which also won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to achieve Triple Crown victories. The winners of the Kentucky Derby since 2010 are presented below:
Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
2024 | Mystik Dan | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenneth G. McPeek |
2023 | Mage | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado |
2022 | Rich Strike | Sonny Leon | Eric Reed |
2021 | Mandaloun | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox |
2020 | Authentic | John Velazquez | Bob Baffert |
2019 | Country House | Flavien Prat | Bill Mott |
2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
2017 | Always Dreaming | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher |
2016 | Nyquist | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill |
2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
2014 | California Chrome | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman |
2013 | Orb | Joel Rosario | Claude McGaughey III |
2012 | I’ll Have Another | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill |
2011 | Animal Kingdom | John Velazquez | Graham Motion |
2010 | Super Saver | Calvin Borel | Todd Pletcher |
The Kentucky Derby is billed as being the most prestigious race in America, and it’s almost as popular with betting fans here as it is with our cousins across the pond. Now that you know how to make a Kentucky Derby bet online you can enjoy this year’s event along with the rest of us. Good luck with your picks, and enjoy the most exciting two minutes in sports!
Yes. Kentucky Derby betting online is something that you can do at most of the best betting sites in the UK. Simply place your bet as instructed in this guide and your wager will be settled just as soon as the Kentucky Derby results have been officially declared.
Ante-post betting markets – or futures markets in the US – allow you to bet on Kentucky Derby horses well ahead of the event taking place. You’ll find them at most betting sites, but if you want a couple of quick recommendations, we’d suggest heading to Paddy Power or bet365.
At the time of writing, the market favourite to win the race is Sierra Leone. However, bear in mind that the odds available for betting on Kentucky Derby runners will fluctuate, so check your chosen bookie for the latest.
The odds you get will depend on where you bet on the Kentucky Derby online. We’ve provided a rundown of the odds in the guide above, but you should check your own Kentucky Derby gambling site for the most up-to-date prices.
There is no easy answer to this question. Making a profit means landing a winning bet, so we would suggest that you keep it simple and go each way or make a pure place bet on the Kentucky Derby online. This will give you a return if your selected horse achieves a place, so you’ll have a greater chance of success than with a win-only or a more complicated bet. See our How to Bet on Horses guide for general advice on this topic.
Making a Kentucky Derby bet online is simple. In fact, we can summarise it like this: 1) Choose a Kentucky Derby Betting Site; 2) Sign up for an account; 3) Make a deposit; 4) Explore the Kentucky Derby betting markets; 5) Pick a horse and place your bet.
Ian Bruce joined Safest Betting Sites in 2024 as Senior Sports Editor to oversee the quality and usefulness of its gambling content. He originally developed an interest in betting after landing a winning Yankee on his first attempt. He then spent years figuring out how to replicate that success. Along the way, he became one of the UK’s leading writers on the topic of betting and gaming. Ian’s career has now spanned more than three decades, and his enthusiasm for systematic and responsible betting hasn’t waned one bit. However, his preferred approach to winning these days is Dutching, for the simple reason that “It’s a lot easier than landing Yankees.”
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