LOUISVILLE, KY — The Kentucky Derby, arguably America’s most famous horse racing event of the year, is just days away, and unlike previous years, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut favorite. “The Run for the Roses,” as its often called, will be held Saturday evening. Post time is 6:50 p.m. Eastern Time on the dirt track of Louisville’s iconic Churchill Downs.
You can watch the 145th iteration of the Kentucky Derby on NBC. The undercard was to air live from noon to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time — weather permitting — and live coverage of the main event was to begin at 2:30 p.m. A livestream of the main race will be provided on NBC Sports Live, though a subscription is necessary. Alternatively, cord-cutters can sign up for a free trial to fubo.tv and watch there.
The Kentucky Derby, held each year since 1875, is steeped in Southern culture and tradition. Attendees often wear elaborate and sometimes gaudy hats, sip mint julep cocktails. and sing “My Old Kentucky Home.” The winning horse is draped in an ornate garland of roses.
Twenty horses will vie for the largest guaranteed purse ever at $3 million. That’s $1 million more than the 2018 purse, according to CBS News. Last year, Justify won the Kentucky Derby and went on to become just the fifth Triple Crown winner since Secretariat in 1973 (just the third since Affirmed in 1978). A Triple Crown winner must finish first in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
This year though, weather could prove problematic. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Louisville-area Saturday, with temperatures reaching the low- to mid-70s. But the race may proceed even with the rain, as it did last year when horses splashed through slop at the race. If that happens, expect gamblers to feel a little nervous about what might happen.
The Kentucky Derby is, as you might know, one of gambling’s largest events of the year. So far, bettors have been smitten by Omaha Beach.
The horse is the outright favorite to win the roses this year. Bookies are giving the dark bay-colored colt about a 15 percent chance to win now, even though trainer Richard Mandella’s horse was given just 3 percent odds six short weeks ago, according to Oddschecker.com.
“The prices have been hammered in for the top four favorites, with Omaha Beach just edging ahead of the pack this week,” Oddschecker spokesman Pete Watt told Patch.
Meanwhile, early favorites Game Winner and Roadster have both seen their stock fall. Bookies pit their chances at about 12.5 percent apiece. Improbable has drifted to 10 percent. At one point last week, all four horses were evenly priced, Watt noted.
“Confusion often leads to some favorable prices, so this is great news for bettors,” he said.
But bettors seem to be keen on the sixth-favorite, Tacitus.
Trainer William Mott’s gray colt is currently the most-backed horse through Oddschecker, commanding 33 percent of the market share.
“Whilst everyone is preoccupied with the favorites, it’s always worth looking where the smart money is going, and it’s Tacitus that is drawing the lion’s share of the market,” he said.
Depending on where you place your bet, bookies give horses different odds to win. Below are the best odds gamblers will find on Oddschecker for the top 21 horses in the Kentucky Derby. The odds are up to date as of Tuesday afternoon. It should also be noted that the final field of 20 horses has not been set, so other horses not listed below could still run in the final race.
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