2018 Kentucky Derby Betting Preview: Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta

With the 2018 Kentucky Derby going down live from Churchill Downs in just over 48 hours, now is the perfect time to offer up some expert thoroughbred horse racing betting picks on this year’s Run for the Roses. Not only are you going to find out who I like for the win, but I’m going to reveal my top four finishers as part of my exacta, trifecta and superfecta picks. The post time for this year’s Kentucky Derby is set for 6:34 PM ET, but the race isn’t set to start until 12 minutes later at 6:46 PM ET. Once again, remember, it’s always better to tune in early since the race lasts just about two minutes. There will be 20 horses in this year’s field, with $2 million as the winning prize.

2018 Kentucky Derby Betting Preview: Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta

When: Saturday, May 5 at 6:46 PM ET Where: Churchill Downs Race Track, Louisville, Kentucky TV: NBC Live Stream: NBC Sports

Odds to Win the 2018 Kentucky Derby

• Justify (3-1)
• Magnum Moon (6-1)
• Bolt d’Oro (8-1)
• Mendelssohn (5-1)
• Good Magic (12-1)
• Audible (8-1)
• Vino Rosso (12-1)
• Enticed (30-1)
• Noble Indy (30-1)
• My Boy Jack (30-1)
• Solomini (30-1)
• Lone Sailor (50-1)
• Flameaway (30-1)
• Hofburg (20-1)
• Promises Fulfilled (30-1)
• Combatant (50-1)
• Bravazo (50-1)
• Free Drop Billy (30-1)
• Firenze Fire (50-1)
• Instilled Regard (50-1)

Exacta

1. Justify

Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Mike Smith I’m keeping it simple and going with Justify to get the win. Why? Because he’s unbeaten in three races as a 3-year-old, including his recent win at Santa Anita. he’ll have to overcome the ‘Curse of Apollo’ in which no horse that didn’t race as a 2-year-old has never managed to win the Derby. However, I think history will be made this year!

2. Good Magic

Trainer: Chad Brown Jockey: Jose Ortiz The 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner also won the Bluegrass Stakes (G2) in early April, even though it should be known that the Bluegrass winner hasn’t won the Derby since 1991. Good Magic also had a pair of second place finishes just prior to the Breeder’s Cup late last year.

Trifecta

1. Justify
2. Good Magic
3. My Boy Jack

Trainer: Keith Desormeaux Jockey: Ken Desormeaux My Boy Jack is the most experienced horse in the field with 10 starts and five of those being graded stakes. He’s won two of his last three races including the Lexington-G3 and Southwest Stakes G3 while finishing third in the only race he didn’t win among his last trio of efforts. My Boy jack also won at Zuma Beach in October after three consecutive second place finishes.

Superfecta

1. Justify
2. Good Magic
3. My Boy Jack
4. Mendelssohn

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Jockey: Ryan Moore Running out of the 14th post, Mendelssohn won the UAE Derby by a whopping 18 1/2 lengths. He also won the Patton Stakes and Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf G1 prior to that. While no Derby horse has finished in the money after winning in Dubai, I’m thinking Mendelssohn is going to change that and could end up beating out any of the aforementioned mounts.