Every year, when it’s time for the Kentucky Derby, thousands of people flock to Churchill Downs to watch the most exciting two minutes in sport. They also spend million placing bets on their favorite horses to win the race so why not learn how to pick a winner at the Kentucky Derby before jumping in?
If you are new to the Kentucky Derby and haven’t figured out how to bet on the horses, we will give you some tips to help you pick a winner at the Derby.
The most important thing to do before placing a bet is to do as much research as possible, which means you should make sure you read the program thoroughly. The program is filled with a lot of useful information that will help you make smart bets. This is why when it comes to learning how to pick a winner at the Kentucky Derby research is a must.
Information like which horses are the favorites, their previous races and jockey information are provided in the program.
Another important thing to do before placing your bet is to watch the horses. Horses are like other athletes, and you can learn a lot from their body language.
For example, if a horse’s ears are pricked or standing up, it means the horse is aware of his surroundings and ready to race.
Placing Kentucky Derby Bets
Muscle definition is also a good indicator of how well a horse will perform. Look for horses with good muscle definition around the rib cage area and chest because it means the horse isn’t overweight or carrying a lot of body fat. Horses that have good muscle definition in the chest and rib cage area tend to do well in their races.
Hair is also a good indicator of how well a horse will perform in a race. If the horse’s hair is shiny, it means the horse is in good condition, if the coat is dull, the horse likely isn’t well groomed and likely won’t run well.
Nervousness is also a good indicator of how well a horse will perform. While you don’t want to pick a calm horse, you also don’t want to pick one that is too fidgety or sweating too much because they are expanding too much energy before the race.
If you follow these simple rules, you should be able to pick a winner at the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby 2018 is only a couple of months away, and horse racing fans are trying to get a jump on the competition and get as much information on the horses that will be participating in the race so they can make the smartest possible bets.
With that in mind, we will take a look at some of the top contenders for the race to help you make your betting choice.
The Best Kentucky Derby Horses to Bet On
Bolt d’Oro
This 2-year-old has been the favorite to win the Derby ever since he won the Del Mar Futurity in September. He has entered a total of three races last year, two of which were G1 races, and won them all. He went into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as the favorite to win the race but finished third in the race and hasn’t been in a race since then due to a minor injury. He’s odds of winning the Kentucky Derby is currently +700.
Audible
Audible wasn’t getting the type of attention Bolt d’Oro was getting last year, but he has worked his way into the conversation of contenders after winning his last three races. He currently has the second best odds of winning the Kentucky Derby at +800.
Good Magic
After a couple of second place finishes, Good Magic became taken seriously as a contender after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, spoiling Bolt d’Oro’s coming out party. Good Magic hasn’t raced since then, but he is expected to compete in the Fountain of Youth race next month. His odds of winning the Derby is currently +1000.
Solomini
Solomini won the MSW race in September, and followed it up with two second place finishes, losing the FrontRunner Stakes to Bolt d’ Oro and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to Good Magic. Even though Solomini has only one win in four starts, his performance in those races proves he is capable of winning the Derby. His odds to win is currently +1400.
We are a couple of months away from the 144th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5th, 2018. If you plan to bet on Kentucky Derby futures and partake in Kentucky Derby online betting you can do so now at the above online racebooks.
The Kentucky Derby is a little over two months away, and horse racing fans are getting ready for the start of the 2018 Triple Crown campaign, hoping to see another horse take the first step to winning the Triple Crown.
History of Betting on the Kentucky Derby
As expected, fans will place a lot of Kentucky Derby online betting wagers on the event hoping to cash in on their favorite horse. Thanks to the internet, horse racing fans don’t have to be in Churchill Downs to place a bet on the Derby because there are quite a few online betting sites to choose from.
For those worried about the legal ramifications of online betting, you should know that it is actually legal to bet on horses in a lot of states, but there are still some that don’t approve, so make sure you find out if you are in one of the states it is legal in before placing your bets.
Another concern some people have is about the credibility of some of the betting sites that offer Kentucky Derby lines.
In this situation, you have to make sure you place your bets with reputable betting sites like TwinSpires, which is owned by Churchill Downs incorporated and is open to US residents over 18, except in Washington, which requires users to be 21 and over.
The good news about using TwinSpires is the fact that you don’t have to bother to check if online betting is legal in your state because the site only allows people to register if their state allows legal gambling, which is checked by the user’s IP address.
You can deposit into your TwinSpires account for free by linking your bank account to the site, or you can pay a $5 charge if you prefer to use Visa or Mastercard. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t accept Discover or American Express.
You should also remember that you are required to report winnings that exceed $600.
With the 144th Kentucky Derby only a couple of months away, horse racing fans are getting excited for the most exciting two minutes in sports, and their chances of cashing in on the winning horse at the top horse racing betting sites for 2018.
If you want to bet on the Kentucky Derby and won’t be able to be there in person to watch the race, there are plenty of online racebooks you can place bets with and get paid very quickly if you win. To help you avoid dealing with less reputable sites, we have compiled a list of the best sites to use for your Kentucky Derby bets.
TwinSpires or Twin Spires Racebook
This is the best option when it comes to online betting because it is owned by Churchill Downs and you don’t have to worry about dealing with a company based in the Caribbean where anything can happen to your cash.
TwinSpires is very easy to use and you can deposit using your checking account or with a Visa or Mastercard. Payouts are made very quickly so you don’t have to worry about waiting a long time to get your winnings.
The only problem with TwinSpires is that they are only open to residents of states where horse racing gambling is legal.
Bovada Racebook
Bovada is not based in the United States, but they are a reputable company that can be trusted. They offer bonuses for new accounts and also offer free bets sometimes, so you could end up betting on the Kentucky Derby for free.
Payouts are also quick with Bovada, and you have the option of the payment being sent by check, directly to your account, or even using bitcoins.
5Dimes Racebook
5Dimes is also another one of the reputable sites that allow all US residents to place wagers on the Kentucky Derby. Unlike Bovada, they don’t offer any deposit bonus or run free promotions, but they do offer many ways to bet on the Derby and payout within 24 hours, depending on the method you want to receive your money.
The 2018 Super Bowl is this Sunday and that means the Kentucky Derby is almost here! With that said, today we focus on understanding horses more.
There’s always been a significant difference between breeding and training an animal. Breeding simply consists of mating one horse with another. But horse training is an entirely different ball game altogether. You will first need to understand the breed of your horse before training it for a particular cause, especially for the 2018 Kentucky Derby. For instance, you don’t want to train a thoroughbred for scaling long distances, for obvious reasons.
The Young Ones: You should go with sprinting exercises for the foals. If you try to train an old horse to sprint, it may break its leg, never making it to the tournament altogether. Similarly, the young ones are more prone to sprint than to follow your lead into trotting. Train them for the flat races, breaking them into a gallop as much as you can during the process.
You need to have a conditioning plan in place before venturing to train the foals. Analyze the positives and negatives of your horses carefully. Can they gallop at an equal pace for long hours? Can they sprint for over 500 yards before taking a breath? Train them according to their strengths and behold their progress in competitive tournaments.
The Aged Ones: Can you expect a frail, old man to run as fast as Usain Bolt? An impossible feat, eh? Well, if you do end up with a frail, old mare that could barely trot a stretch without breaking a sweat, then you and your horse are in for some hard times.
The aged horses are usually fit for endurance races, since they have the required experience and skill to compete. But you will need them to trot and sprint when required. Imagine a young colt speeding for a few miles and breaking down halfway. It may take hours to recover. On the other hand, an experienced race horse trained to cover large distances can reach the destination much before the young mare could.
And therein lies the advantage in training an aged horse for stamina and endurance. It is bound to win the long races!
The 144th Kentucky Derby is still a few months away however it is never too soon to learn how to place your wagers. Placing a bet on a horse is not as easy as it sounds. The odds are higher with a single horse for the win, but it may make you lose all your money quicker than you can say ‘trot’. How about betting on a colt to bag either the first, second, or third place? Far easier and reliable, eh! Let us first go through the different types of bets before venturing into the competitiveness of the racing.
Straight Bets: Well, if you wish to bet on a horse to win the first place, you will need to place a straight bet. However, very few gamblers go with this strategy. Unless you know that a particular mare can sprint quicker than you have ever known, you don’t want to go with a straight bet.
However, if you trust the particular colt to deliver, then you can easily acquire astonishingly profitable odds to help you on your way. The thing is, very few gamblers go for the straight bets due to lack of knowledge regarding the horses. Thus, the odds will, more often than not, be in your favor. However, you may wish to conduct a thorough research on the horse before going for a straight bet.
Placed Bets: Unlike a straight bet, you are allowed to choose if a horse would come first, second, or third in the race. If the the race is conducted between 5 or less horses, you obviously won’t be allowed to pick the third place, but between 10 or more horses, the third place would definitely come into the picture.
Each-Way Bet: An each-way bet is often considered to be the meeting line between straight and placed bets. For instance, if you place an each-way bet on a horse, you would be entitled to win the odds on the first place if it comes first, and also on the second or third place, whichever matter. Needless to say, the each-way bet is more common among gamblers than any of the other bets.
Understanding the horse breeds is a tough nut to crack for beginners, but I’ll try to be as succinct as I can. At the races, a horse has either to sprint, trot, or endure long distance rides. Thus, it either needs to have a quick pace (acceleration), frighteningly high obedience, a combination of pace and stamina, or simply the need to endure as much as it can. Different breeds of horses have different qualities and talents, each of which are detailed below.
Thoroughbred: A perfect breed for flat racing, the thoroughbred boasts of three primary ancestors – the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk. Their respective owners brought them to England a few centuries ago to mate them with foreign breeds. And the resultant foals were astoundingly quick-paced after a bit of training.
Thoroughbreds are usually measured in terms of the human hand. Their height generally ranges from 15 to 18 hands. They are not meant for endurance rides, but they revel over flat racing surfaces. The use of technological breeding is forbidden in this class. Thus, artificial insemination and embryo transfer are out of the question.
Arabian Horse: This breed is a counterpart of the Thoroughbred. As the name suggests, the Arabians, or most commonly known as the Bedouins of the Middle East, bred these horses to withstand long distances over an uneven terrain. Primarily used for transport back in the day, they weren’t introduced in the sporting world till the early 18th century.
Such stamina-infused mares had excess of Type 1 muscle fibers, critical for traveling long distances without a care in the world. As you may have guessed, the Arabian Horse is extensively used for endurance races these days.
Quarter Horse: This breed originated relatively late in the era. The American breeds which emanated from Spanish ones were mated with British horses early in the 19th century. Initially, their foals were used for regular farming, but their eventual growth gave rise to their racing abilities.
It was not until the 1940s that the Quarter horses were officially recognized as race colts in the scheme of things. They are mainly used on straight tracks, so that the jockey has barely to manage the horses.
When it comes down to acknowledging animal cruelty among horses used for breeding purposes in sports, there would always be animal rights activists poking their noses in trying to determine whether or not the accepted requirements are met. More commonly, the Humane Society of the United States has had occasion to deliver a more profound sense of animal rights due to the lax management structure of certain horse breeding societies.
The Theory: The activists claim that almost all the horse breeding organizations are cruel to the animals in question. They tend to force the poor creatures into submission in order to produce a more competitive build.
However, most folks don’t necessarily coerce an individual horse into mating with a plausible partner. Mating is more of a natural process than a forced one. Their offsprings are generally categorized into their respective breeds after birth.
However, for some reason, the activists cannot really comprehend the importance of the sport. Unlike popular notion, horse racing and breeding is not as simple as it sounds. There are many more factors involved in breeding a particular type of horse than those already mentioned.
The Actions: PETA, a well-known animal rights organization, claimed the abuse of race horses in Japan. They backed their claims with a video feed that decidedly proved the claim – close to 20000 thoroughbreds slaughtered for fulfilling the rising food consumption rate. Nonetheless, breeding stock is still exported to the country from Kentucky, though it may be below the required rate.
Thus, the animal rights activists are not all in the wrong. They do have credible proofs to back their claims. However, that is all on the other side of the world while we sit pretty on our finely-bred horses, enjoying our daily dose of racing and betting. But it is the export of sport animals from our state that had given rise to that descent in Japan in the first place. Food for thought, eh!
Horse racing is not only about galloping on a straight or circular track to reach the finish line. Hurdles and marathons also come into the fray. There are, essentially, four types of horse racing – Flat racing, Jump racing, Harness racing, and Endurance racing. Let us take a look at each of these formats.
Flat Racing
This is the most commonly found type of horse race. Tracks are generally oval, but the shapes may vary depending upon the region where the race is taking place. For instance, there is the ‘figure of eight’ track in Windsor. In other instances, not only the shape varies but also the level. The distance of the tracks ranges from 400 yards to about two-and-a-half miles.
The shorter races are called sprints, whereas the longer ones are known as routes. Sprints test the speed and acceleration of the horses while routes rank them based on their stamina.
Jump Racing
As the name suggests, jump races require a horse to jump over obstacles as fast as it can to pocket the win. There are two types within this category – hurdling and steeplechasing. Hurdling consists of obstacles smaller than those at a steeplechase. Under normal circumstances, a particular horse has to pass through a flat race before progressing to jump racing. Many colts are bred specially for the purpose for jump racing, nonetheless.
Harness Racing
This type simply asks the horse to trot along the route, pulling the rider in a sulky. Harness racing is less common, mostly found in the Scandinavian and Finnish regions. Cold blood trotter and Finnhorses are generally used for the purpose.
Endurance Racing
An endurance race is quite a like a marathon. It may last for several hours, and in some instances, for quite a few days. The length of the race ranges from a minimum of 10 miles to over 100 miles. The relatively short races are called trail rides whereas the longer ones are known as endurance rides. The longest endurance ride, of close to 250 miles, lasts for quite a number of days. Natural routes are chosen for endurance racing instead of crafted ones like those in flat racing.
The Pimlico horse racing track located in Baltimore, Maryland has proudly hosted nearly every edition of the Preakness Stakes. Many horse bettors enjoy the Preakness as it is a way to continue the Derby fever and possibly predict a potential Triple Crown winner.
The 2017 Preakness will be the 142nd edition of the storied race. Many local news reports from Maryland indicate that the 100+ year old racecourse at Pimlico is in a state of disrepair. In fact, some estimates put the rebuild at $300 to $500 million dollars. This begs the question: Could this be the last Preakness Stakes at Pimlico race course?
Many fans believe that there is hope to keep the Preakness at Pimlico while the track’s ownership group may look to build the course in another part of the state.
While this days on the Pimlico horse racing track are numbered, it is important to know that Maryland will fight to keep the Preakness in the state for the foreseeable future.
With Always Dreaming as the overwhelming favorite for the 2017 Preakness Stakes, it’s possible that both sports bettors and sports enthusiasts could have a potential Triple Crown winner in 2017 if Always Dreaming can win this leg of horse racing’s most important achievement.
