2019 Kentucky Derby Betting Favorites

This Saturday, May 4, marks the running of the 2019 Kentucky Derby at Louisville’s famed Churchill Downs racetrack. The field will consist of 20 horses, and you can check out the race broadcast at 2:30pm Eastern time on NBC, with post time at 6:50pm. The Kentucky Derby is 1 ¼ miles in length, on a dirt track, and the race involves three-year-old thoroughbreds who have qualified through a point system based on prior races this year. We have put together a list of the top contenders with Kentucky Derby betting odds so you can consider your picks. Bear in mind that the favorite has won six years in a row, so you might ask yourself whether you should pick another favorite — or whether it is the year for an upset.

2019 Kentucky Derby Betting Favorites

145th Kentucky Derby Post Position Draw https://t.co/2PFbBUbZMw

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) 30 de abril de 2019

Contender Odds to Win the 2019 Kentucky Derby

• Omaha Beach, Game Winner, Roadster                                                       6/1
• Improbable                                                                                                      9/1
• Maximum Security                                                                                         10/1
• Tacitus                                                                                                            12/1
• Vekoma                                                                                                          14/1
• Code of Honor                                                                                                16/1
• War of Will, Cutting Humor, By My Standards, Tax, Win Win Win                                                                                           25/1

Omaha Beach was the early favorite, but betting has moved Game Winner and Roadster up even with him. Omaha Beach picked up a nifty win at the Arkansas Derby, on a track that was muddy and against a field that was filled with talent. He has finished well from the pole as well as outside, which is an important trait on a track the length of Churchill Downs. There’s also the fact that famed jockey Mike Smith elected to ride Omaha Beach instead of Roadster. Even so, his trainer, Richard Mandella, is new to having this level of horse competing on this stage. In addition to Roadster and Game Winner, Improbable makes up the trio of horses changed by legendary Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is looking to pick up a sixth Kentucky Derby win. Roadster won the Santa Anita Derby in his return from a throat operation (a race that also featured Game Winner), but he will have a new jockey on Saturday in Florent Geroux. Game Winner has a pair of runner-up finishes so far in 2019, but he did win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year. He tends to veer off in direction, so keeping him straight is vital for his chances Saturday. Improbable tends to start slowly and lose focus near the finish, but he still had the speed to push hard at the Arkansas Derby. Tacitus picked up the most points in qualifying and won The Wood Memorial, the top preparation race in New York. He also won the Tampa Bay Derby after a four-month layoff and a winter that did not involve the most consistent workout schedule. Jockey Jose Ortiz selected Tacitus instead of Improbable, which is a sign that Tacitus gets a great deal of respect. Maximum Security won the Florida Derby, his first race against elite competition. He jumped out to a quick lead without having to sprint hard, making the race somewhat of a potential anomaly. By My Standards also put together a solid performance at the Louisiana Derby, picking up a big win. However, there is a six-week gap between the Louisiana Derby and the Kentucky Derby, and that has proven to turn into a less than optimal waiting period, as no horse since 1996 has won in Louisiana and Kentucky, but the workouts that By My Standards has put together at Churchill Downs make him an interesting dark horse. Vekoma won the Blue Grass Stakes despite having an unusual running stride, but he has four solid results in his career, so he’s another horse somewhat down the favorites list to consider.