Kentucky Derby Betting Tips

Kentucky Derby Betting Tips from Go Horse Betting Online

Kentucky Derby Betting and Handicapping Styles

The 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is right around the corner. Are you planning on betting the Kentucky Derby? Is it your first time or are you a seasoned veteran. If you are a seasoned punter who spends his or her days at the track analyzing horses pedigree, watching video replay of recent performances, checking out best Beyer figures and jockey stats then this article is nothing new for you. If it is your first time betting at the track or the Kentucky Derby, this article will give you an easy to follow strategy for picking potential winners.

Horse Racing Past Performances

Past performances are exactly that, take a look at your Daily Racing Form where you will find a list of the horses racing. Generally you want to find horses who are trending positively and you are looking for horses who have a good chance of not only winning, but placing in 2nd or showing in 3rd place. It doesn't matter if you are betting on horse racing, hockey, baseball, football or anything, always bet with the trends.

Bet on Favorite Horses

Good horse handicappers pick favorites all the time. Although they aren't glamorous and don't pay out huge, picking the right favorite is key to selecting a good exacta or trifecta. I find it easier to pick best two horses from the pack and guess they will finish 1st or 2nd and then I generally box it up so my pick doesn't need to be so precise.

Bet on Favorite Jockeys

Absolutely, sometimes if I am betting at track and don't know who the horses nor jockeys are, i make my picks almost solely on the jockeys past performances. Small town race tracks are training grounds for the next great jockey meaning they also have huge turnover. When a new jockey gets hot, every trainer and owner wants him or her on their horses and that's when trends start.

Exacta Betting

Exacta Betting is when you pick the top two finishers of a race. They are great because they pay out well but you will be looking for consistent horses. If you have a field that is totally dominated by three horses you can even add one more horse to the mix making for a trifecta bet. The odds get bigger but it can get complicating.

Box up your bets

If you are betting on a race with two or three horses who you are certain will be competing for the top 2 or 3 spots at the finish then it might be a good idea to "box it up". Boxing up a bet means you are simply claiming that the two or three horses you have picked are going to finish in any of the top 2 or 3 spots. It doesn't matter if they finish in 1st, 2nd or 3rd as long as all the horses you pick are in the top 2 for exacta bets and top 3 for trifecta bets.

Have Fun Betting on Horse Racing

All in all this is a pretty standard betting strategy and it is very commonly used. As you get better at placing bets at the racetrack, your picks will become more knowledgeable, complex and accurate but this is a great way to get started and comfortable at betting on horse racing. Remember, it is your first season betting on horses so take it easy. Learning about horse racing can be costly if you don't manage your bets properly.