In the 2017 Kentucky Derby, those who wagered $2 on Always Dreaming won the following amounts for win, place, or show bet types: $11.40 for Win bet ($2 bet plus $9.40 winnings) $7.20 for Place bet ($2 bet plus $5.20 winnings). Well, the Kentucky Derby is where it’s at and you can bet on it from just about anywhere on Saturday, Sept. A Betting Extravaganza Unlike Any Other. If you’d taken that same $5 and bet it on last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Country House, you would’ve collected $331. Sure, longshots like Country House don’t win every year, but.

• FILE - In this May 2, 2015, file photo, a man places a bet before the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Ky. Picking a horse to win the Kentucky Derby is easy. Hoping that choice wins and pays off with a profit is the challenge.(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Picking a horse to win the Kentucky Derby is easy.

Placing a bet is as close as a cellphone, tablet, computer or even a smart TV with internet access. But for the novice or inexperienced bettor, making a wager that pays off with a profit can be a challenge: Beginners need to know how to place a bet, who to bet on and where to place the bet.

Off-track simulcasting in more than two dozen states offers a convenient alternative to going to the track. Of course, there’s always the actual experience of walking up to the betting window at the track.

That’s a good option if you can’t get to Churchill Downs, where 150,000 spectators are expected for Saturday’s 145th Derby and hoping to get some action on Game Winner, the 9-2 new morning line favorite after 4-1 previous favorite Omaha Beach was scratched Wednesday evening with a breathing problem.

Minimum bets vary from state to state, but here are some things to consider when placing a wager:

THE BASICS

The obvious wager is betting on a horse to win. Just pick one. But after that, it can get a little trickier.

Bets can be made on a horse to win, place (finish first or second) or show (finish first, second or third) — or all three with an across-the-board wager. An exacta involves correctly picking the first two horses in order, or in any order with a combination known as a box bet (1-2 or 2-1, for example).

Superfecta bets (picking the first four horses) are also available, as are exotic wagers such as Pick 3 and Pick 6 that requires choosing the winning horses in multiple races. A Pick 3 and a Pick 6 are the hardest to predict, leading to rollover jackpots that can be very lucrative. But they probably are best left to more seasoned bettors.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Determining who to bet on can start with a daily racing program that lists entrants for each race and information including odds, jockey, trainer, silks, saddle towel color and past performances. They can be purchased at the track, simulcast venue or a track’s website.

It will initially seem like a lot of numbers and statistics, but tracks and web sites offer instructions on how to read and understand a program. One benefit to being at the track is seeing how the horse looks in the paddock or during the pre-race parade. Appearance and temperament are important, so keep an eye on horse’s ears to see how engaged the horse is with the atmosphere.

And there’s nothing wrong with playing a hunch, since after all, it’s just a gamble.

ONLINE BETTING

After learning what to bet and who to bet on, the next step is placing the bet.

Numerous websites such as TwinSpires.com — Churchill Downs’ online service — Equibase.com and TVG.com offer betting at racetracks worldwide. Wagering is free, but it will require setting up a subscription and require banking information to place bets and deposit winnings. Those services even provide live streaming and replays.

Various online sites offer betting tips along with news and updates. It’s the most convenient way to bet on marquee races such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as the Triple Crown season unfolds. It’s also a good option for other marquee races during the year such as the Travers Stakes and season-ending Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

PARI-MUTUEL BETTING-SPORTS BETTING

When wagering, the longer the odds the bigger the payoff.

In horse racing, the odds are not finalized until the race begins. That is known as pari-mutuel betting. That’s different than sports betting in which bettors get the odds that are available at the time they make their bet.

New Jersey tracks also offer exchange wagering for horse races, which differs from pari-mutuel betting. Exchange wagering matches and locks in the odds at the time a bet is placed and also allows betting during the race.

And while sports betting expanded in several states last year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could legalize sports gambling, it does not include horse racing. Even in most states that have legalized sports betting, placing a bet on horse racing is limited to the tracks as the sport examines how to compete and benefit from new legislation.

It’s Kentucky Derby day! The Kentucky Derby is firmly ingrained in the betting culture of the United States. The Derby is the second most bet on sporting event in the country in a typical year, next to only the Super Bowl.

I know there are plenty of Americans who will be making their first bet online for this years Kentucky Derby. For this reason I wanted to create this guide to provide a simple step by step “how to” guide for new bettors to get some action on the Kentucky Derby.

On this page you will find our top rated betting site for the Derby, some early Kentucky Derby odds and a 3 step guide to getting your Kentucky Derby bet placed online within minutes.

Best Kentucky Derby Betting Site for Americans

BetOnline is our top rated site for betting on the Kentucky Derby. They have a terrific, easy to use racebook and they jack up horse racing profit limits to $100,000 for the Derby.

I will be using BetOnline for both the odds and the “how to guide” for betting on the Kentucky Derby below.

Kentucky Derby Win Odds

Here are the “to win” odds for the 2020 Kentucky Derby from BetOnline.ag. These odds are up to date as of race day, September 5th. I’ve included the 13 horses with 66/1 or better odds to win the Derby. To see the full list of current odds you should visit BetOnline.ag and select ‘Horse Racing’ -> ‘Horses Daily’ -> ‘Churchill Downs’ from the left sidebar in the ‘Sports’ section of the site.

• Tiz The Law -150
• Honor A.P. +550
• Authentic +1000
• NY Traffic +1600
• Max Player +1800
• Thousand Words +1800
• Money Moves +2800
• Sole Volante +3300
• Enforceable +4000
• Attachment Rate +4000
• Storm The Court +5000
• Major Fed +6600
• Mr Big News +6600

**You can also bet on the Kentucky Derby through the ‘Racebook’ section of the BetOnline website by selecting ‘Churchill Downs’ under the ‘Thoroughbred’ drop down menu.

Tiz the Law is a huge favorite to win the race. This years Kentucky Derby was postponed from its usual date in May and this caused the Derby to be bumped to the second race of the 2020 Triple Crown after the Belmont Stakes went ahead as scheduled on June 20th. Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes and followed it up with another win at the Travers Stakes in August, so it makes sense that he’s the overwhelming favorite heading into the Kentucky Derby.

Bet On The Kentucky Derby from the USA – How To Guide

Follow these 3 simple steps to get your Kentucky Derby bets placed online in under 5 minutes.

Step 1. Open a BetOnline.ag Account

BetOnline is our top rated site for Americans looking to bet on the Kentucky Derby. They have a very easy to use racebook and they are focused on providing a great betting service to the American public.

Click the above link, click ‘Join Now’, and fill out the short form on the home page to open your account.

Step 2. Deposit

BetOnline accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, bitcoin, Skrill, Neteller and various other deposits. You can cash out your winnings through bitcoin, Skrill, Neteller, bank wire or cashiers check.

It’s quick and easy to get money into and out of your BetOnline account.

Step 3. Place Your Derby Bets

It’s time to place your Kentucky Derby bets. Depending on what type of bet you want to make you can bet through the ‘Sports’ or ‘Racebook’ sections of the BetOnline website.

**You can now place all of your Derby bets in the ‘Racebook’ section of the site. Check out the ‘Racebook’ section below for that guide/screenshot.

Sportsbook (Fixed Odds)

If you’d like to place a bet on the Kentucky Derby with fixed odds you can do so in the ‘Sports’ section of the BetOnline website. Select ‘Sports’ from the top navigation bar and then select ‘Horse Racing’ followed by ‘Horses Daily’ and ‘Churchill Downs’. The “to win” odds for the Derby will be displayed under ‘September 5’. Here’s a screenshot with arrows showing how to find the Kentucky Derby odds.

How Does Betting Work At The Kentucky Derby Race

Racebook (Parimutuel Betting System)

You can place the full variety of horse racing wagers on the Kentucky Derby through the Racebook. These bets will use the parimutuel betting system, which means the odds of your bet can change leading up to post time depending on the amount of money wagered on each horse.

Select ‘Racebook’ from the top navigation bar. Click on the ‘Thoroughbred’ drop down menu and select ‘Churchill Downs’. The Kentucky Derby will be race #14 on September 5th (post time of 7:01pm EST).

Select the bet you want to make (win/place/show, exacta, trifecta, etc), enter your wagers and click ‘Add To Bet Slip’. When you are happy with your bets click ‘Submit All Bets’ to lock them in.

Below is a screenshot of the Racebook for the 2020 Kentucky Derby showing some of the clicks.

Be sure to check out our horse race betting section for a further breakdown of the various bets you can make on the Derby on race day.

Early Kentucky Derby Betting

Are you ready to bet? Click here to visit BetOnline.ag.

How Does Betting Work At The Kentucky Derby Results

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