The Kentucky Derby is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. It is held annually on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This historic event has been taking place since 1875 and is widely considered to be the most exciting two minutes in sports. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
In this guide, we’ll be providing information about the big race as well as the betting options that you have along with the best bookmakers for betting on the Kentucky Derby with.
The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875 and was created by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. The race was inspired by the famous horse races of Europe and was meant to showcase the best thoroughbred horses in the United States. The first Kentucky Derby was won by Aristides and was attended by 10,000 spectators. Over the years, the Kentucky Derby has become one of the most popular and well-attended horse races in the world, attracting over 150,000 spectators each year.
The Kentucky Derby takes place in the USA but that doesn’t stop UK punters having a flutter on the race. It’s one of the biggest horse races in the world along with the likes of the Dubai World Cup, the Epsom Derby and of course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Many of the best betting sites offer betting on horse racing and the Kentucky Derby but some are quite obviously better than others. Along with good odds, some bookmakers have more racing promotions available which can result in greater returns or refunds on losing bets. Some of the most popular horse racing offers that can be applied to the Kentucky Derby include Best Odds Guaranteed, Extra Places, Money-Back Specials, Extra Places and Non-Runner No-Bet. If you are looking to place ante-post bets on the Kentucky Derby, you should also check that a bookmaker is offering early prices in the months or weeks leading up to the race.
Below, we’ve listed some of the best Kentucky Derby betting sites based on the above.
| Kentucky Derby Bookies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookmaker | Early Prices Available | Kentcuky Derby Betting Offers | |
 Bet365 |  | | Visit |
 Betfred | | | Visit |
 BetGoodwin | | | Visit |
 BetVictor | | | Visit |
 Coral | | | Visit |
 Fitzdares | | | Visit |
 Virgin Bet | | | Visit |
 William Hill | | | Visit |
The 2023 Kentucky Derby will take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, USA on Saturday 6th May. It’s a Grade 1 Listed Stakes for 3yo thoroughbreds, run over 1.25 miles.
The Kentucky Derby start time is 6:24pm ET which means that UK punters will have to stop up to 11:24pm to watch the race.
Ante-post betting refers to betting on an event before it takes place. This type of betting is particularly popular for horse racing events, such as the Kentucky Derby. One of the biggest advantages of placing ante-post bets is that you can get better odds on your selections. This is because the odds are set well in advance of the event, allowing you to lock in favourable odds before the race takes place.
Another advantage of ante-post betting is that you can avoid the last-minute rush of betting on the day of the race. On the day of the Kentucky Derby, the odds can change rapidly and it can be difficult to find good value. By placing your bets in advance, you can avoid this rush and ensure that you get the odds that you want.
The disadvantage of ante post betting on horse racing is that your horse may not even run whereas if you bet on the day of the race there is a good chance that your horse will participate. A lot can happen in the months leading up to any horse race with the potential of injury, sickness or anything else that could rule your horse out. Some bookmakers offer Non-Runner No-Bet on the Kentucky Derby which is definitely an offer that you’ll want to consider if you’re planning on taking advantage of the early Kentucky Derby prices. With Non-Runner No-Bet, the bookmaker will give you your stake back should your horse not run which is a huge bonus when placing ante-post bets. You can find a list of today’s non-runners here on WhichBookie.
Kentucky Derby odds are released months in advance before the race and available to view at many of the Kentucky Derby bookmaker websites.
Kentucky Derby prices will fluctuate just as they do for any horse race but even more so on the day of the event. Millions of bets will be placed on raceday which causes the odds to move for each runner which can make it difficult to get on at the price you were hoping for. Early prices can also fluctuate as horses withdraw from the race due to injury or other reasons but the odds are generally a lot more stable.
To view the latest Kentucky Derby odds for 2023, head to any of the recommended betting sites on this page. Each bookmaker website is different but you’ll usually find odds for the Kentucky Derby by navigating to the Horse Racing category and then to Antepost or Futures if you are betting in advance. If you are betting on the day of the race, Kentucky Derby prices will be found in the Horse Racing category followed by US Racing or International.
The Kentucky Derby has been held annually for over 140 years and has seen some of the greatest horses in history compete for the title. Some of the most notable winners of the Kentucky Derby include Secretariat, who won in 1973 and set a record time that still stands today. Secretariat is just one of two horses who have completed the Kentucky Derby in under 2 minutes. American Pharoah is another past winner of note. The horse won in 2015 and went on to win the Triple Crown. Other notable winners include War Admiral, Whirlaway, Citation, and Affirmed.
Betting on the Kentucky Derby online is the same as placing a bet on any horse race. To get started, you will need to find a reputable online betting site that accepts bets on horse racing and the Kentucky Derby. We’ve listed some of the best Kentucky Derby bookmakers above. Once you have found a site that you like, you will need to create an account and deposit funds.
If you are opening a new account, be sure to check to see what bookmaker free bets are available via the new customer offers. Online bookmakers often offer free bets, refunds and enhanced odds to new customers as an incentive to sign up and they can be worth claiming.
Once you have funds in your account, you can start placing bets on the Kentucky Derby. You can bet on the winner of the race, as well as other types of bets such as the forecasts, tricasts, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta.
When betting on the Kentucky Derby online, it is important to do your research and study the horses and jockeys that will be competing in the race. There is a wealth of information about Kentucky Derby runners online or you can follow horse racing tips from racing analysts such as Will Smith and Steve Mullington here on WhichBookie.
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