2019 Kentucky Derby Odds & Betting Trends
The odds on this year’s Kentucky Derby were thrown for a loop earlier this week after race favorite Omaha Beach was scratched.
An entrapped epiglottis will force Omaha Beach to miss the 145th running of the Derby. With Omaha Beach sidelined the oddsmakers at Bovada Sportsbook have anointed Game Winner (+333) and Roadster (+350) as favorites.
Both thoroughbreds are trained by Bob Baffert. He trained Justify to a Derby win and Triple Crown last year and has trained five Kentucky Derby winners overall. If he can help send a sixth horse to the victory circle this weekend he’ll tie Ben Jones’ record for training six Derby winners.
Roadster has won his last two races, including the Santa Anita Derby where he beat Game Winner to the finish line. Game Winner, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, has finished second in his last two races, at Santa Anita behind Roadster, and in the Rebel Stakes where he finished behind Omaha Beach.
Roadster and Game Winner aren’t Baffert’s only chance to win another Derby this weekend. He’s also the trainer of Improbable, who is third on the Kentucky Derby odds at +500. Improbable finished second behind Omaha Beach in the Arkansas Derby and second in the other Rebel Stakes behind Long Range Toddy.
Kentucky Derby Odds: Rest of Top Five Favorites
Rounding out the top five on the Kentucky Derby betting futures, and the only other horses with triple-digit odds, are Tacitus at +600 and Maximum Security at +650. Tacitus has won his last three races, including the Wood Memorial and Tampa Bay Derby, but he did not face any of the Derby favorites in those races. Maximum Security is on a four-race winning streak which included the Florida Derby. Like Tacitus, he’ll be facing most of the Derby favorites for the first time.
If you like to bet the Kentucky Derby based on post positions then you probably already know that position five has seen the most Derby winners with 10. Drawing No. 5 this year is Improbable, which could bode well for him in the race. After the No. 5 spot the second most successful position is No. 10, with nine career winners. Drawing in at No. 10 this year is Cutting Humor, a +2500 underdog.
The positions for the favorites include Roadster at No. 16 and Game Winner at No. 15. The No. 16 spot has had five winners, while No. 15 has had three winners.