The 2025 Kentucky Derby is almost here, with Churchill Downs set to host the race on Saturday. This year’s Run for the Roses will feature the top 20 horses from the qualifying races, with the winning horse collecting $3.1 million. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite, according to the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, followed by Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1). Post time for the 151st Run for the Roses is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. Should you back one of the 2025 Kentucky Derby favorites with your 2025 Kentucky Derby bets, or should you target a longshot like Luxor Cafe (15-1), Citizen Bull (20-1) or Final Gambit (30-1)? Rodriguez scratched on Thursday, bringing Baeza into the 2025 Kentucky Derby starting lineup at 12-1 odds. With so much to consider while making your 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The record for most Kentucky Derby wins by a trainer is shared by Ben Jones and Bob Baffert, who have each won the race six times, while no other trainer even has five victories. Meanwhile, the record for most Kentucky Derby starts by a trainer is held outright by Todd Pletcher, who has sent 65 horses to the “fastest two minutes in sports” ahead of the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has translated those 65 starts into a pair of victories. He won with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). He also has two runners-up at Churchill Downs. Pletcher will saddle his 66th Derby horse this year with Grande (20-1) as he attempts to become the seventh trainer with at least three Kentucky Derby victories.
Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2025 Kentucky Derby picks possible.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 11 times in the last 16 years. He also predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years and called 10 of the last 20 Preakness winners, including in 2023, when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta, as well as the trifecta in 2024. Anyone who has followed him on those picks could be up huge at sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, and 1/ST BET.
Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2025 Kentucky Derby betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $258.56 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $1,113.84 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Forever Young.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $8,254 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, Forever Young and Catching Freedom.
While Demling has no quibbles about the favorite status of Journalism (3-1), the Michael McCarthy-trained colt isn’t his top pick. Instead, he is building his tickets around Luxor Cafe (15-1) and an even bigger longshot who is “generating buzz on the backside,” spicing up his 2025 Kentucky Derby exotics. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2025. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.