Kentucky Derby 2025: Improving Burnham Square is the best bet

• Recommend
• Tweet

Category :

News

There is no more important betting horse race than the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs! Of course, the 1 ¼-mile dirt race is called the most exciting two minutes in sports for a good reason. 20 of the best three-year-olds will compete for a $5 million purse, the blanket of roses, and a spot in the history of horse racing.

Burnham Square To win the Kentucky Derby

+1400

Bet Now!

But, it’s more than that. With such a huge field of classy horses, you can win big on the Kentucky Derby as well because the betting payouts for the Kentucky Derby are always staggering. It’s no wonder: with such a big field of stakes-proven horses, there are always quality horses who go off as long shots, and whoever picks the right one will win big!

Read on to find out the best horses to bet in the Run for the Roses, and the best places to bet the Kentucky Derby online.

2025 Kentucky Derby Betting Online

Your first decision is not the horse you’ll bet in the Run for the Roses. Instead, the first choice you need to make is the best online racebook for betting the Kentucky Derby! There’s no better way to play the Kentucky Derby than a trusted online racebook: you can bet from anywhere, get market-leading odds, and take advantage of bonuses you’ll never find at the track.

Choosing an online racebook can seem difficult, but our expert online racebook reviews exist to help you make a confident and profitable decision quickly! We only recommend trusted racebooks with great odds and user interfaces, and our reviews will help you find the one with the most lucrative bonuses for your bankroll and betting style.

Rank	Racebook	Bonus	Review	Link to site
#1		$250 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#2		100% Sign Up Bonus - Up to $500		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#3		50% up to $1,000 + $25 Risk Free Bet + 7% Rebates		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#4		50% sign-up bonus up to $1000 + 8% rebate		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#5		Up to 13% Weekly Loyalty Rewards		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#6		50% sign-up bonus up to $250		VISIT RACEBOOK!
#7		$100 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads!		VISIT RACEBOOK!

Kentucky Derby Horses

This is the official field for the 2025 Kentucky Derby including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines.:

1. Citizen Bull (Bob Baffert / Martin Garcia) - 20/1
2. Neoequos (Saffie Joseph, Jr. / Flavien Prat) - 30/1
3. Final Gambit (Brad Cox / Luan Machado) - 30/1
4. Rodriguez (Bob Baffert / Mike Smith) - 12/1
5. American Promise (D. Wayne Lukas / Nic Juarez) - 30/1
6. Admire Daytona (Yukihiro Kato / Christophe Lemaire) - 30/1
7. Luxor Cafe (Noriyuki Hori / Joao Moreira) - 15/1
8. Journalism (Michael McCarthy / Umberto Rispoli) - 3/1
9. Burnham Square (Ian Wilkes / Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 12/1
10. Grande (Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez) - 20/1
11. Flying Mohawk (Whit Beckman / Joseph Ramos) - 30/1
12. East Avenue (Brendan Walsh / Manny Franco) - 20/1
13. Publisher (Steve Asmussen / Irad Ortiz) - 20/1
14. Tiztastic (Steve Asmussen / Joel Rosario) - 20/1
15. Render Judgment (Kenny McPeek / Julien Leparoux) - 30/1
16. Coal Battle (Lonnie Briley / Juan Vargas) - 30/1
17. Sandman (Mark Casse / Jose Ortiz) - 6/1
18. Sovereignty (Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado) - 5/1
19. Chunk of Gold (Ethan West / Jareth Loveberry) - 30/1
20. Owen Almighty (Brian Lynch / Javier Castellano) - 30/1
21. Baeza (John Shirreffs / Flavien Prat) - ALSO ELIGIBLE - 12/1

Baeza only gets into the field if at least one other horse defects before 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, when Kentucky Derby betting begins.

The morning line can be helpful for identifying horses likely to be favorites or long shots. But, they’re no guarantee of Kentucky Derby odds. Your best bet is to play the Kentucky Derby at an online racebook, since if you see an overlay on a horse you like, you can lock in the best price just by placing a bet!

These are the Kentucky Derby betting odds at the best online racebooks:

Kentucky Derby Handicapping

From logical favorites to spicy long shots, make sure to consider these horses for your Kentucky Derby bets:

Kentucky Derby Best Bet

Burnham Square is the best bet for the 2025 Kentucky Derby. He will be a good mid-range price, and there is a lot to like about him in the race. He reeled in a lone leader in his final-prep win which came in the Blue Grass (G1), a race with an improving recent profile.

Though that pacesetter went fast – there will be a fast pace in the Kentucky Derby, and this time it will be contested, to boot. And, he should get a jump on the truly deep closers, which can be important if Churchill Downs is playing unfriendly to closers, which it can on occasion.

Deserving Kentucky Derby Market Leaders

Journalism is the favorite in all Kentucky Derby markets, and that is no surprise. He romped through the southern California spur of the Kentucky Derby trail, beating good horses like champion Citizen Bull and the up-and-coming Baeza. He has a nice distance pedigree, and he is also tactical enough to stay out of the likely fierce battle on the pace.

Sovereignty and Sandman are a pair of closers who are taking interest as well. Sovereignty is preferred between the two, as he has a graded-stakes win at Churchill Downs already and Sandman still has some growing up to do mentally. But, both of them come off of good prep seasons and both will benefit from the likely pace collapse.

Kentucky Derby Longshots

Chunk of Gold finished second in both the Risen Star (G2) and the Louisiana Derby (G2). Though a win in the Kentucky Derby may be a lot to ask, he is consistent enough to figure foro another money finish at a huge price, especially since he is a reliable late runner who will enjoy a dream pace setup.

Also consider Grande for those deeper exotics. Though he doesn’t have the seasoning of most of his opponents, he has shown the ability to run well whether he tracks the pace or closes. He has a nice middle draw, an excellent distance pedigree, and his connections (trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez) couldn’t be more experienced.

Free Kentucky Derby Expert Picks

You’ve got your betting account set up, and you’ve gotten to know the major players in the race. With that, you’re now ready to bet these free Kentucky Derby expert plays:

• $20 win/place/show: #9 Burnham Square
• $1 Exacta Key: #9 Burnham Square with #8 Journalism, #18 Sovereignty, #19 Chunk of Gold
• $1 Trifecta Key: #9 Burnham Square with #8 Journalism, #17 Sandman, #18 Sovereignty, #19 Chunk of Gold
• $1 Superfecta Key: #9 Burnham Square with #8 Journalism, #10 Grande, #17 Sandman, #18 Sovereignty, #19 Chunk of Gold

Burnham Square To win the Kentucky Derby

+1400

Bet Now!