Horse betting fans are hoping the wait was worth it in an attempt to cash some winning plays in Saturday’s 146 th running of the Kentucky Derby. Held annually at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of the race to the first Saturday in September.
Tuesday’s post position draw set the official field at 18 entries. This is two shy of the 20-horse max. The official draw was followed by the release of Churchill’s morning line odds for the race. As expected, one contender stands out from the rest as a heavy favorite. But bettors know that anything can happen during the most exciting two minutes in sports.
Where to Bet on the 2020 Kentucky Derby – Best Online Racebooks.
The Crown Jewel of the Triple Crown racing series for the best in class of three-year old Thoroughbreds is a Grade 1 stakes race with a total prize purse of $3 million. The race will be contested on the dirt track at Churchill covering a total distance of 1¼ miles.
The coronavirus disrupted the entire Triple Crown schedule this season. The Belmont Stakes led things off on June 20 with Tiz the Law winning that race. This year’s final leg is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3 with the running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Track.
Tiz the Law Opens Up As Kentucky Derby Favorite
With his win at Belmont Park in June followed by a first-place run on Aug. 8 in Saratoga’s Travers Stakes, Tiz the Law has been opened as a 3/5 morning line favorite. This follows suit with most of the Kentucky Derby futures odds to win that have been posted at online sportsbooks.
One tricky aspect of this face has the favorite breaking from the No. 17 post with jockey Manual Franco once again on board. Trained by Barclay Tagg, this New York-bred colt is still the clear class of the expanded field. Many bettors expect him to quickly overcome this disadvantage out of the gate.
Kentucky Derby Betting Guide – How to Bet
His current four-race winning streak started out at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The son of Constitution won both the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes early in the year and the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28. The extended time frame for this year’s race will also work in his favor as he has only got stronger as the year wore on.
If you are looking for an exacta pairing at attractive odds, my best bet would be trainer Bob Baffert’s Thousand Words. Breaking from the No. 10 post with jockey Florent Geroux getting the ride, his morning line odds are set at 15/1.
Baffert’s other entry is Authentic. This would appear to be a safer choice as an 8/1 third-favorite. However, breaking next to Tix the Law on the far outside at No. 18 is a genuine concern. I am more so betting the trainer in this race given Baffert’s incredible success in previous Kentucky Derby’s.
The second-favorite on the board is Honor A. P. at 5/1 opening odds. Trained by John Shirreffs with veteran jockey Mike Smith getting the call, this is another good choice to work into the betting mix.
There is some concern with his recent second-place finish in the ungraded Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1. The son of Honor Code did win this year’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby to become one of the top Derby contenders.
The rest of the field is filled with hopefuls at longer odds. You could add trainer Todd Pletcher’s Money Moves to the ‘one to watch’ list. He will break from the very favorable No. 7 post with jockey Javier Castellano leading the way.
Odds to Win the Kentucky Derby 2020
You can bet on the 2020 Kentucky Derby at America’s Bookie and BetOnline.
Both bookies have online racebooks with Kentucky Derby winner odds, match-up bets and various horse betting props.
Post 1: Finnick The Fierce (+10000)
Post 2: Max Player (+2200)
Post 3: Enforceable (+4000)
Post 4: Storm The Court (+5000)
Post 5: Major Fed (+6600)
Post 6: King Guillermo (+2000)
Post 7: Money Moves (+3300)
Post 8: South Bend (+10000)
Post 9: Mr Big News (+6600)
Post 10: Thousand Words (+1400)
Post 11: Necker Island (+10000)
Post 12: Sole Volante (+3300)
Post 13: Attachment Rate (+4000)
Post 14: Winning Impression (+10000)
Post 15: NY Traffic (+1800)
Post 16: Honor A.P. (+600)
Post 17: Tiz The Law (-125)
Post 18: Authentic (+900)
