Kentucky Derby 2019 Betting Online
Kentucky Derby Horse Racing Betting Explained
- The 2020 Kentucky Derby field. The Kentucky Derby is, above all things, a horse race. But as mentioned, this year’s race will be different. Millions of people will be betting on the race, but zero will be in attendance. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, Churchill Downs has decided to run the race without fans. CDI issued the following.
- 2019 Betting Guides. 2019 Kentucky Derby Betting Guide 2019 Kentucky Derby Tipsheet 2019 Kentucky Oaks Tipsheet 2019 Preakness Stakes Betting Guide 2019 Belmont Stakes Betting Guide. Race Meet Guides. 2018-2019 Fair Grounds Winter Meet Betting Guide 2019 Oaklawn Park Live Race Meet Betting Guide 2019 Keeneland Spring Live Race Meet Betting Guide.
2019 saw several bills created, some of which called for the removal of the ban on betting on Kentucky-based college teams if sports betting was to be legalized. They also featured legalizing both brick-and-mortar and online casinos to operate at horse tracks and motorsports speedways.
On Saturday, May 4, one of the United State’s historical sporting events takes place when the 20 best three-year-olds in the world enter the starting gate at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, a betting delight. Every year, America’s most prestigious horse race turns non-gamblers into full-fledged horseplayers while professional horseplayers wait with baited breadth to take down a life-changing score.
For online bookie agents more familiar with traditional sportsbook wagering: football, basketball, and baseball, Kentucky Derby horse racing betting can be intimidating. Not only can it be intimidating, it can also be downright scary for bookie agents that don’t necessarily understand the ins and outs of running an online racebook.
This blog takes last year’s Kentucky Derby and uses that as a case study to explain Kentucky Derby horse racing betting. Understand Kentucky Derby horse racing betting will help online bookies add their online racebooks as a consistent revenue source.
Unlike other sports in the United States, a horse race goes off almost every day, practically 24/7, somewhere in the world. Through your online racebook, you can offer wagers on races not only that happen in North America, but also in Europe, including the UK, and in Australia. That’s a lot of betting options that you probably didn’t even know you could offer your clients.
By taking a look at Justify’s 2018 Kentucky Derby victory, pay per head agents can develop an understanding of horse racing that should allow them to market their online racebooks. Marketing the online racebook could add a significant revenue stream to their existing sportsbook businesses.
2018 Kentucky Derby: Horse Racing Betting Case Study
The Bob Baffert trained Justify entered the starting gate a solid 5/2 chalk. Baffert had won the Kentucky Derby four previous times, and everyone felt that Justify was indeed the best horse in the race.
Although no horse had won the Kentucky Derby since Apollo in 1882, many felt that Justify was so talented that he could break the curse. It was a muddy, sloppy, racetrack, and even then horseplayers weren’t talked off Justify.
The Baffert runner broke smoothly underneath jockey Mike Smith. Smith put Justify into the race early, sending him up to around 1 to 1 ½ lengths behind front-runner Promises Fulfilled. After that horse started to tire, Smith gave Justify his cue. The Baffert runner easily took the lead and then extended it into the stretch. Although Good Magic, that year’s Blue Grass Stakes winner, made what seemed like a menacing charge, Justify was in no danger of losing.
The Baffert horse paid back $7.80 to win, $6.00 to place, and $4.40 to show. Good Magic, went off at close to 10/1 and paid $9.20 to place, and $6.60 to show. Third place finisher Audible went off at 7/1 and paid $5.80 to show.
All three horses figured to at least hit the board and all three did, which is why the .50 cents trifecta only paid $70.70. However, the superfecta paid $19,618.20 for a $1 wager.
Wait a moment…what? Yep. You read that right. Horseplayers that had last year’s Kentucky Derby superfecta with 3 less than double-digit odds horses finishing in the top 3 slots and the 5/2 favorite winning the race, took home $19,618.20 for a $1 base wager. The reason why is because Instilled Regard, who went off at around 85/1, finished fourth.
That’s the danger with offering equine wagering without a horse racing betting explanation. Now that we know the 2018 Kentucky Derby particulars, let’s get to how pay per head agents can manage 2019 Kentucky Derby race betting. Most of the things below listed, agents can also use for daily online racebook management. They don’t only apply to the Kentucky Derby.
Racebook Management Rule #1 – Don’t offer superfecta wagering
Professional horseplayers won’t wager through your online racebook. Professional horseplayers use one of the American operated racebooks like TVG and BetAmerica. Trust us, you don’t want their business. You don’t want a professional horseplayer making wagers in your online racebook because professional horseplayers are excellent at putting together profitable tickets. They’re called professional horseplayers for a reason.
Casual horseplayers don’t make superfecta bets. Superfectas cost too much to hit. The base is only a $1, but all the various combinations can add up to hundreds of dollars. Because your customers won’t make superfecta wagers, why even offer superfecta wagers? Take the wager off the board for every race at every track. You never know when an Instilled Regard will come up and lead to a massive score.
Racebook Management Rule #2 – Set a total max race bet limit
You probably know all about max betting limits. Using the mass editing tool to set max betting limits makes sense on sportsbook futures. Although it also makes sense on Kentucky Derby futures, it also makes sense to set max betting limits on an entire race.
So, you could say that the most a player can invest in any race is $200. Again, most casual players won’t do that, but if a professional player has a marker with you and doesn’t wish to use cash at the racetrack, they could decide to put $1,000 into a race. Let’s say that $1,000 investment pays back $6,000 or more. Sounds crazy, but if that $1,000 went onto a 6/1 or 10/1 paying trifecta, you could easily be on the hook for thousands of dollars.
Racebook Management Rule #3 – Set a total max won race limit
You’re an individual sportsbook operator who is just now understanding horse racing betting. You might have some knowledge, but you don’t run an online racebook. You run an online sportsbook. If you wish to make money from your online racebook, you most definitely must set a total max won race limit.
What’s a total max won race limit? It’s the total any single player can win on a race. It works hand-in-hand with a per head agents total max race bet limit. Think about it in terms of halves. If the most you’re willing to accept on any race is $200, the total max you should be willing to pay out total on any race is $1,000. If the most you’re willing to accept on any race is only $100, the most you should be willing to pay out should be no more than $500.
This makes sense because unlike your online sportsbook, you can’t lay off money wagered on horse races. Always look to mitigate risk.
Hopefully, this blog has explained Kentucky Derby horse race betting. Use these rules for the May Run for the Roses as well as for every other horse race you offer in your online racebook. One more thing, PayPerHead is offering a $3 for 3-weeks promo. Jump on that by calling a PayPerHead rep at 800-605-4767.
*UPDATED April 2019
The 2019 Kentucky Derby is almost upon us, promising one of the most competitive fields in recent race history. As a result, you’ll want to start lining up your possibilities for doing some remote wagering on the action. That’s why we’re here to tell you about the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites for your wagering pleasure.
Every year about this time, as the weather in the United States begins to improve, sports fans start to turn their attention to the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. That’s because they know that spring means that the Kentucky Derby, perhaps the greatest horse race of all, is upon them. And they also know that they might be boning up on the top performers with the intent of possibly doing some horse racing betting.
Of course, avid horse racing fans don’t wait for the spring to start planning their wagers. They often start much earlier than that, even the summer before the event when two-year-olds first start to run, in the hopes of finding diamonds in the rough. And they will follow those horses all through the later half of the year through the early part of the next when the Derby prep races take center stage.
Now that we are just about a month away, the planning and preparing should be just about done. Now it is time to bear down and start considering which of the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites you are going to use for your wagers. After all, only a select few have the opportunity to actually go to Louisville, Kentucky and bet on the race in person.
This is a choice that you should make with the utmost care. After all, you might not only be using the site to make your wagers on the Kentucky Derby. You might also be using it for other horse racing betting, sports betting, or even wagers on casino-style entertainment. Considering that you might be betting a serious amount of money, you shouldn’t just pick the first site that you encounter.
That’s why your choice of the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites should come with a solid amount of research. Just as you take your time picking the best horse to win the race, so too should you take your time with picking the right betting website to take your action. As a result, you could come up a winner in both areas.
In the following article, we’ll discuss how you can choose the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites. We will also provide you with a list of the ones that we would choose if the choice were ours to make. And we’ll give you some tips on the contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby, while also discussing the kinds of bets you can make on the race.
Your List of The Best 2019 Kentucky Derby Betting Sites
To get started with your wagering on the 2019 Kentucky Derby, we’ve provided the following list of the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites for you. These sites have been closely monitored to ensure that they follow the highest standards. In addition, they have all be in operation for a lengthy amount of time, which means that they have the infrastructure in place to handle betting on large events like the Kentucky Derby.
For those of you looking to jump straight into the betting action, we recommend you check out these sites:
It is important, however, that you take the time to do some of the research yourself on each of these sites, or at least a few to get you started. Why? Because you might have certain needs and wants for your betting purposes that make one or two of these sites a better fit.
In addition to that, you might come upon a site listed here that might be new to the internet. While it’s always risky to trust a site that hasn’t yet been established, you can at least apply the criteria that we used to judge the sites we’ve listed as a basis for your own judgment.
What are those criteria? Here are six categories that you should consider:
- Betting Variety
- Compatibility With Many Devices
- Fair Withdrawal And Deposit Guidelines
- Plentiful Bonuses For Bettors
- Different Funding Options
- Top-Notch Customer Service
All of the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites that we have listed above have solid rankings in all of those categories. And that balance is an important thing. You might think that a site is great because it offers you great bonuses and lots of options, but some of the less stylish but more substantial factors could be lacking.
That is something you might not realize without first doing some research. To do that, you need to learn about what some of these six factors, which the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites possess in abundance, are all about. Let’s take an in-depth look at them now.
Betting Variety
This one is pretty self-explanatory, yet it’s something that you might overlook in the run-up to the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Sites might do a lot of advertising around Kentucky Derby promotions. As a result, you might jump at the chance to bet with such a site without knowing what other kinds of events they allow you to bet.
For example, the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites can also provide you with betting access to other top American Triple Crown races like the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. For those who like to wager on horse racing all year long, these sites can also give you access to the top tracks in the country and the world on a daily basis. You can have horse racing betting at your fingertips at any time of the day or night.
On top of that, the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites also contain sports books, meaning that you can bet on baseball, football, soccer, or whatever might be your sport of fancy. There are also online casinos associated with these sites. It all means that these sites can act as your source for betting entertainment no matter how you choose to get involved.
Compatibility with Many Devices
When you are betting on horse races like the Kentucky Derby, you have to stay on top of the action at all times. The odds are always changing, horses sometimes get scratched, and any number of developments can swing your bet one way or the other. You can’t expect all of these developments to happen while you’re placed comfortably in front of your computer so that you can monitor them and make your bet when needed.
That’s why the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites will have a mobile element to the site to allow you to bet on the go. Since you’ll likely be using the site for more than this year’s Derby, you can take advantage of this feature no matter what your wagers might be. Betting apps connected to the site allow you to make wagers from your phone, tablet or any other device you might have at the moment.
Of course, no app is worth much if it doesn’t work properly. That’s why the top Derby betting sites will also have proven a high level of functionality, with a minimum of glitches. You can’t hope to bet on a site on a regular basis if it is constantly suffering problems that diminish or even negate your ability to make wagers at the very moment you need to do so.
Fair Withdrawal and Deposit Guidelines
The first part of this equation requires the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites to make clear their policies for depositing money into and withdrawing money from your account. Whether it is listed on the website in step-by-step manner or spelled out to you by a representative, this is critical information. You should make sure that any site that you choose sticks to these guidelines without fail, since you will likely be budgeting based on them.
Knowing that deposits will go into your account in a timely fashion is critical. This especially comes into play if you are going to be engaging in horse racing betting beyond just the 2019 Kentucky Derby, since there are races going off at all times of the day. If you can’t get the money into your account to make a bet on time, you could end up missing out on an advantageous wager, which diminishes your profit potential in the process.
Withdrawals are also a sticky subject with many betting websites, since no site wants to see money leaving an account and going back to customers. It’s understandable if a gambling website places some limitations on the timing of withdrawals, perhaps based on a minimum amount or a certain time after bets. But these limitations shouldn’t be unfairly punitive to the bettor, since winnings won’t mean much to you if they stay forever trapped in your betting account.
Plentiful Bonuses for Bettors
Ideally, your winnings will be embellished by a bonus structure imposed by the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites. Bonuses can come in all shapes and sizes, from extra betting money added on to an initial deposit to perks added on for bettors who make frequent wagers at a site. The bottom line is that a site that doesn’t offer bonuses is one that you shouldn’t really consider, since these extras are par for the course with most reputable online sites.
You might even be able to find special bonus promotions that are attached specifically to the 2019 Kentucky Derby, since it is such a popular betting event. Keep your eye out for bonuses which include low rollover restrictions. Rollovers are commonplace in the world of online betting, as they ensure that bettors don’t take initial bonuses and run with them.
Still, some sites require rollovers that are so hefty that casual bettors might not have the desire to wager enough to get the fruits of their initial bonuses. Don’t be afraid to shop around for the best bonuses or even to do some haggling with betting website representatives for the best deals. After all, you are coming from a position of strength as a customer that they desperately want, so use that to your advantage as much as possible.
Different Funding Options
Funding options are somewhat underrated by people who look to choose a betting website, but they really shouldn’t be. Admittedly, they aren’t as flashy as betting bonuses or variety of wagers, but they are just as important. After all, if you have to bend over backwards just to find some sort of funding option that will fit the site, it might not make any of your betting endeavors worth your while.
Luckily, the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites, specifically the ones we have listed, are generally strong in this area. You can expect just about every site to allow payments by credit cards. But what about sites that allow for a wide variety of credit cards as payment and also give you the opportunity to wager using online payment systems or even cryptocurrency.
That latter option should be an intriguing one to anybody who knows a lot about online betting, since cryptocurrency allows for excellent privacy and quick settlements. People tend to do their online business in a lot of different ways using a lot of different payment methods. You should not be limited at all by a betting website’s lack of funding options.
Top-Notch Customer Service
It seems like a no-brainer to insist upon excellent customer service from any site that will offer you betting odds on the 2019 Kentucky Derby. Yet too many people take it for granted that a betting site will have a solid customer service reputation and will deal with customer problems in a fair and timely manner. Again, it isn’t quite the flashiest concern when making your choices on the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites, but it still should be high on your list of considerations.
The obvious reason for this is the fact that, even with the most reputable websites, problems, concerns or questions about your betting activity might arise. If you can’t contact a site customer service representative in a hurry with these issues, you might get frustrated. Even worse is when you do get in contact yet receive no service from the site, which can make you feel unimportant.
Kentucky Derby Post Positions
The best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites will not only allow you to contact them in several different ways, but they will also make sure to respond in a hurry. They will also make sure to treat you with fairness, no matter what level of bettor you might be. Finally, they should be respectful in all dealings with you, and that includes when they try to solicit more betting action for you, which is a common practice in the world of online gambling.
Betting on the 2019 Kentucky Derby
Now that you know how to choose among the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites, you should also begin to understand how to make your bets. Most of these sites will offer you the standard wagers on horse racing that you can get at a race track. Here is a brief explanation of how those bets work for those who might be new to the sport.
Horse racing betting is generally based on a pari-mutuel wagering system. A pari-mutuel system doesn’t set the final odds until all bets are made. Payouts are made based on how much money is in each pool for each particular wager and how much is on each particular horse or combination of horses with those pools.
Basically, if you bet on a horse or a combination of horses that don’t have a lot of betting backing and your picks come in, you can expect a big payout. If there is a lot of betting backing behind the picks that you make and they come in, the payoff will be more muted. It’s impossible to know your exact odds until all bets are in, but the longer you wait before race time, the more your odds will resemble the listed odds.
When making bets on the 2019 Kentucky Derby on online sites, you can choose between two major kinds of wagers: straight and exotic. Straight bets only require you to pick a single horse. Exotic bets demand that you pick multiple horses in one or over a string of races.
Common Straight Bets Include:
- Win: Your horse must win the race
- Place: Your horse must come in first or second in the race
- Show: Your horse must come in first, second or third in the race
Common Exotic Bets Include:
- Exacta: Your horses must come in first and second in the order of finish
- Trifecta or Triple: Your horses must come in first, second and third in the order of finish
- Superfecta: Your horses must come in first, second, third and fourth in the order of finish
- Daily Double: You must pick the winner of two races in a row or a specific two races
- Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, etc.: You must pick the winner of multiple, designated races
In most cases, straight bets are easier to win but pay off less money than exotic bets. For example, if you bet on one of the race favorites to show and the horse does finish first, second or third, you will win your bet. But you will probably only receive cents on the dollar of your originally bet.
Meanwhile, if you were somehow able to guess the first four horses in the order of finish in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, you could expect a big payout, perhaps even up to the thousands of dollars. But it would be extremely difficult to do that, considering all of the possible combinations of horses that might come in with a race featuring 20 horses, as the Derby often does. Exotic bets like that are almost like lottery tickets in that respect.
You should always be aware of the different types of bets offered by the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites. For instance, a popular bet involving the Kentucky Derby is known as the Oaks-Derby Daily Double. This is a bet that requires you to pick the winners of the Kentucky Oaks, a race for 3-year-old filly horses held the day before the Derby, and the Kentucky Derby itself.
Another type of bet that you might find on the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites leading up to the race is a futures bet. Futures betting allow you to lock in a bet on a horse to win at specific odds that remain unchanged leading up to the race. This means it is unlike normal pari-mutuel race.
The advantage of a futures bet on the 2019 Kentucky Derby is that it allows you to secure odds much more favorable on top horses than you might at race time. But you also have to realize that the bet is final. If something should happen to your horse in the time leading up to the race, such as an injury or the decision of his handlers to not even race it in the Derby, you don’t get your money back.
2019 Kentucky Derby Facts
- When: Saturday, May 4, 2019
- Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
- Length: 1 ¼ miles
- Surface: Dirt
Who: The Kentucky Derby is open to 3-year-old horses of any gender, although it usually only features colts and geldings. Fillies are eligible, but rarely run in the Derby these days. Instead the top fillies usually race in the Kentucky Oaks on the Friday before the Derby.
Horse for the Derby makes themselves eligible by competing in a series of stakes races in their two and three-year-old seasons that offer points for good performances. The Top 20 horses in points amassed are given first crack and entering the race. If any of those 20 don’t enter, the horses with the most points who didn’t make the cut have the opportunity to move in to the field.
Early Contenders for the 2019 Kentucky Derby
In recent years, horse racing fans have been treated to some superb horses in the Kentucky Derby. There was often a favorite who had been identified weeks, even months before the race was run. That hasn’t really been the case this year, since many of the top contenders have struggled to maintain their elite standing. Upsets have abounded in the various Derby preps.
With most of the top Derby preps now complete, the dust is starting to clear on the field. And there are several who seem to be in the mix in terms of being a potential favorite on race day. Here are five that you should be scouting as you prepare to wager on the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites:
- Maximum Security: Could he be this year’s Justify, an unbeaten horse who also takes the Derby. Maximum Security answered a lot of doubters by winning the Florida Derby in a stroll. He has an underrated pedigree and top speed figures, and he could end up being the favorite when the race goes off on May 4.
- Game Winner: It’s unusual that a horse coming off two straight losses could be considered a Derby favorite. But he is part of a strong contingent of Bob Baffert horses, and we know what Baffert has done in the Kentucky Derby over the last two decades. Game Winner was so dominant as a 2-year-old that it’s reasonable to dream of him regaining that form just in time for the Derby.
- Improbable: Yet another Baffert trainee who came into the Derby prep season looking tough to stop. Then came a hiccup in the Rebel Stakes, which was an unplanned stop in his schedule caused by poor track conditions at Santa Anita. If he can shake off that blip, he could be right back among the top choices.
- Roadster: While all eyes were on the other two Baffert trainees, Roadster came out of relative obscurity to win the Santa Anita Derby, beating his stablemate Game Winner in what is generally regarded as the best of the Kentucky Derby prep races. On top of that, he did it in rallying fashion. That suggests that he could really be well-suited for the longer distance of 1 ¼ miles at the Derby.
- Vekoma: The Wood Memorial is a bit of an underrated stop in terms of Derby prep races, but it occasionally produces a horse that is real contender. Vekoma certainly seems to be one that could make that jump, especially considering how he seems to be peaking at the right time. Don’t be surprised is he is a name on everyone’s lips when it comes to those betting on the Derby.
Betting Tips on the 2019 Kentucky Derby
You’ve been given all you need to know in terms of choosing the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites. We’ve shown you what kinds of bets you can expect to make, and we’ve told you about some of the top contenders. Now here are a few tips to help you out as look at your program and try to decide which horses will be the ones on your betting ticket for the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
- It’s in The Distance: The Kentucky Derby, as mentioned above, is a race that is competed at a distance of 1 ¼ miles. That distance is generally longer than any of the 20 horses who will end up competing in the race will have completed up to that point in their career. As a result, you must be on alert for those horses who can make that distance, perhaps because of their pedigree or perhaps because they have shown the ability to close out well at some of their other races.
- The Weight: No, we’re not referring to the classic song by the Band, but to the amount that each horse must carry in the Kentucky Derby. In some cases, that amount is a significant jump from what they might have carried in previous races. When you add the weight to the extra distance, you can understand why some horses are gasping at the end of the Derby while others seem to be getting fresher as the race progresses.
- Timing Is Everything: In the recent past, it has become more normal for horses to have relatively little experience before the Kentucky Derby. Just last year, Justify was unraced as a 2-year-old before winning the Derby on his way to a Triple Crown championship. Instead of a lot of racing experience, look for horses who are coming into the Derby on an upward trend based on their last one or two races.
Conclusion
The 2019 Kentucky Derby will grab the attention of the entire sports world when it takes center stage on Saturday, May 4. At that point, you will find no shortage of experts who will be on television and other media outlets offering up their picks for the top horses in the race. Just remember that you can make selections as good as they can if you do a little research on past races.
Kentucky Derby Odds
Also remember that it is just important to take your time with the choice of where to bet as you do with the decision about who to bet. We have provided you with all the information you need to make the choice with confidence, including giving you a head start by providing you with a list of the best 2019 Kentucky Derby betting sites. Now it’s time for you to pick a winner of a horse and a winner of a site.