Even for an event that is always steeped in history, this year's Kentucky Derby was particularly special and historic, as it was the 150th edition of one of the greatest sporting traditions on the planet.
Over the years, the Churchill Downs on the first weekend of May has been the site of some truly magical moments, from big upsets to the start of dominant Triple Crown runs, and this year's race was sure to provide another unique moment of equestrian history.
The Derby did not disappoint, as Mystik Dan (20-1) was crowned the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner after closely surpassing Sierra Leone and Forever Young at the finish line.
Best Kentucky Derby Betting Promos and Key Takeaways
The first thing you'll need to do if you're not going to be at Churchill Downs or some other racetrack on Derby Day is to figure out where you can bet on the Kentucky Derby online. The good news is that there are plenty of options on the market with which you can place a horse racing bet, and many betting platforms offer promo codes with associated new user bonus offers – let's take a look at what's available.
| Racebook | Available States | Offer |
|---|---|---|
| TwinSpires | AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NE, NH, NM, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY | Use Bonus Code ACTIONRACING to unlock the following offer below! Get up to a $400 Sign-Up Bonus! |
| FanDuel Racing | AR, CA, CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MI, NH, NM, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, VT, VA, WV, WY | $200 No-Sweat First Bet! |
| DRF Racing | AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY | Get a 100% first-deposit match up to $250, bonus bet of $10 |
| AmWager | AL, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MT, NE, NH, NM, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, WV, WI, WY | 100% First-Deposit Match up to $150! |
| TVG (4NJBets) | AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MT, NH, NM, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, VT, VA, WA, WV, WY | $200 No-Sweat First Bet! |
TwinSpires Horse Racing
This platform is operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated, so you know that it's a trustworthy source for betting on the derby- let's take a look at what they're offering for new bettors who sign up now.
- TwinSpires Promo Code: ACTIONRACING
- TwinSpires New User Offer: Get up to a $400 Sign-Up Bonus!
FanDuel Racing
FanDuel is best known as an online sports betting and daily fantasy platform, but their horse racing product is one of the very best, as it's even an official partner of the Derby, so let's check out their new user offer.
- FanDuel Horse Racing Promo Code: No FanDuel Racing promo code needed
- FanDuel Horse Racing New User Offer: No-Sweat First Bet up to $500!
DRF Racing
For those looking for a platform with which you can both watch and bet on horse races, DRF is considered one of the very best, and right now, they're making a great offer for new users who sign up with the site.
- DRF Racing Promo Code: No DRF Racing promo code needed
- DRF Racing New User Offer: Get a 100% First-Deposit Match up to $250 + $10 Bonus Bet!
AmWager
If you like a racebook with plenty of features, AmWager could be a great option for you, and right now, they're offering a great, easy-to-access new user offer.
- AmWager Promo Code: No AmWager promo code needed
- AmWager New User Offer: 100% First-Deposit Match up to $150!
4NJBets
There's no state quite like New Jersey when it comes to gambling, and as such, there's a very special racebook available to residents of the Garden State- let's check out its welcome offer for new users.
- 4NJBets Promo Code: No 4NJBets promo code is required
- 4NJBets New User Offer: Get up to$200 Back in Wagering Credit!
Previous Kentucky Derby Contenders
The Kentucky Derby represents the greatest opportunity to maximize the short prime of a horse's career, but a few horses stand out from the rest as the likeliest to come out on top. There's some fierce competition at the top of the odds board this year, with a clear class of contenders for the sport's highest honor.
Previous Kentucky Derby Odds
While the odds will change a bit between now and post time on Derby Day each year, the field usually takes shape some time before the big day; let's take a look at the odds for some of the top contenders in the "run for the roses" during the last Kentucky Derby.
- Sierra Leone: 3-1
- Fierceness: 5-2
- Catching Freedom: 8-1
- Stronghold: 20-1
- Resilience: 20-1
- Forever Young: 10-1
- Dornoch: 20-1
- Catalytic: 30-1
Previous Kentucky Derby Rankings
Here are the rankings for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Keep in mind as the derby approaches each year, rankings will be different, but for now, let's take a look at a ranking of the top contenders this year.
- 1- Sierra Leone – 155 Points
- 2- Fierceness – 136 Points
- T3- Catching Freedom – 125 Points
- T3- Stronghold – 125 Points
- 5- Resilience – 110 Points
- T6- Forever Young – 100 Points
- T6- Endlessly – 100 Points
- T8- Dornoch – 75 Points
- T8- Just a Touch – 75 Points
Rankings and points totals provided by FanDuel Racing
Where to Bet on the Kentucky Derby
While betting on horse races is widely available across the United States, it's not quite legal everywhere, and even where it is, the availability of different racebooks can vary. Let's take a look at states where you can bet on the Derby, and the available racebooks in each one.
- Alabama: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- Arizona: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF
- Arkansas: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- California: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- Colorado: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Connecticut: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Delaware: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Florida: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Idaho: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Illinois: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- Indiana: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Iowa: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Kansas: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- Kentucky: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Louisiana: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Maine: Hollywood Races
- Maryland: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- Massachusetts: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Michigan: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- Minnesota: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF
- Missouri: TwinSpires
- Montana: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Nebraska: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- New Hampshire: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- New Jersey: TVG, 4NJBets
- New Mexico: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- New York: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- North Dakota: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Ohio: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Oklahoma: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- Oregon: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Pennsylvania: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Rhode Island: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- South Dakota: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Tennessee: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- Vermont: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Virginia: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF
- Washington: TwinSpires, TVG, DRF
- West Virginia: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
- Wisconsin: TwinSpires, DRF, AmWager
- Wyoming: TwinSpires, FanDuel, TVG, DRF, AmWager
How to Bet on the Kentucky Derby
The Derby itself might only take a couple of minutes, but that doesn't mean there's any lack of ways to play. Whether you want to bet on a single horse, a handful of competitors, or even the Triple Crown as a whole, the top books I mentioned above have you covered.
If you're one of the many racing fans who have a favorite horse, there are plenty of different ways you can back it on race day. In the realm of straight bets, you can just bet on your horse, whether it's to win, place, or show. If you're interested in pulling it into a wager with other horses, consider an exotic bet like an Exacta bet, or even a daily double with a horse from a different race on the big day at Churchill Downs.
Types of Bets for the Kentucky Derby
As is the case for any major sporting event, there are plenty of different types of bets you can place on the Kentucky Derby, whether you want to bet on one horse, known as a Straight bet, or more than one horse within the one bet, which is a betting type known as an exotic wager. Let's talk about some of the most popular ones.
- Daily Double Bet — This bet requires you to correctly pick the winner of two consecutive races for a sizable payout, due to the challenging nature of the task.
- Exacta Bet — To hit an Exacta, you must correctly pick the top two finishers in a race in the correct order.
- Pick 3-6 Bets — For a Pick 3 bet, you must select the winner of three consecutive races. For a Pick 4, it's four races, and so on.
- Place Bet — If you bet on a horse to place, you need that horse to finish in either first or second for your bet to win.
- Quinella Bet — A Quinella is a bit like an Exacta, as you pick the top two horses, but the order does not matter.
- Show Bet — If you bet on a horse to show, you need that horse to finish in first, second, or third for your bet to win.
- Superfecta Bet — Much like an Exacta, this bet requires you to pick the correct order of the top-finishing horses, but for this one, you'll need to pick the top four only.
- Trifecta Bet — This is another type of bet for which you need to pick the exact order of the top horses, but for a trifecta, as the name suggests, is only for the top three.
- Win Bet — The simplest type of horse bet. If your horse wins, your bet wins, in any other outcome, your bet loses.
How to Sign Up for a Horse Racing Book
If you've ever signed up for an online book to bet on other horse races, or even an online sportsbook, you know that this process is a relatively simple one. The key step is entering personal information, but there are a few more details to keep in mind- let's go through an overview of what you'll need to do.
- Enter and confirm your personal details, such as your full name, date of birth, and social security number
- If applicable, be sure to enter the new user promo code to take advantage of any special offers
- Be sure to carefully review the terms and conditions of the offer, and of the site or app itself
- When prompted to, use a link sent to your email to verify your account
- Link a payment method to make your first deposit
- Once there are funds in your account, you can get started betting; be sure to keep in mind the bonus offer and strategies you've devised for betting on the Derby
Banking
One of the most important parts of online betting is identifying the right payment method for you to use. This is, of course, how you deposit funds so that you are able to place bets, and then should you win, how you're able to withdraw your winnings into cash.
The offerings will vary based on the book you choose, but some of the most popular methods will be available at almost every site.
Payment Types
Most often, the prevalent payment methods will be to simply use a credit or debit card, or perhaps an online banking transfer, but those are far from the only ways to get money into your account; let's take a look at some of the most common ways to pay.
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Online banking
- PayPal
- eCheck
- Wire transfer
- Prepaid card
Withdrawal Options
More often than not, there will be fewer withdrawal options than ones for depositing your funds, but most users still have no issue finding one that works for them. Let's take a look at what's usually available.
- Debit card
- Online banking
- PayPal
- Prepaid card
- Wire transfer
- Physical check
Best Average Kentucky Derby Odds Pricing
At this point in the Derby calendar, so to speak, the general pricing offered by the major horse racing betting sites is going to be quite similar. The biggest discrepancy you'll find is the odds for an individual horse.
For instance, one book might have Fierceness as a prohibitive favorite, while another might have him as an essential co-favorite with Sierra Leone. Depending on your betting strategy, one of these two scenarios might be more favorable than the other, so be sure to check out as many different sources as you can before placing your bets.
Kentucky Derby Betting Tips
The best strategy with any type of betting is to make sure that you're informed. That could mean reading articles about the horses and listening to experts discuss the event, or something as simple as picking through the racing program for Derby Day. These pamphlets offer you key information like race history for each horse, and other valuable trends leading up to the derby. Of course, the closer we get to the derby, the more analysis there will be for you to peruse.
As far as a specific approach to betting, perhaps the wisest way to go for this year's Derby, which features a few excellent horses at the top, is to place a series of bets to place or show; it's not a flashy way to play, but if you pick a couple of the right horses, it can pay off all the same.
Where Can I Watch the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is being aired by NBC, so you can watch it either on the network itself, as well as the NBC Sports app, NBCSports.com, or on Peacock. This information is subject to change each year during the Derby.
Kentucky Derby Purse
As the 150th edition of the world's most famous horse race, the 2024 Kentucky Derby had an unprecedented purse of $5 million guaranteed that was paid out to the teams behind the top horses. Of that sum, a staggering $3.1 million was doled out to Mystik Dan, so mere inches definitely made the difference worth millions.
Responsible Gambling
If you think you or somebody you know might need support with a gambling problem, never hesitate to call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER for 24/7 support.
In addition, many of the key betting sites for the Kentucky Derby provide their own resources. For instance, both FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires have plenty of information on how to identify a gambling problem and how to play safely.
Kentucky Derby Betting FAQs
I hope that the sections above have helped you feel more prepared to bet on the Kentucky Derby, but if you still have a few more questions, read on for our list of the most commonly asked questions about betting on the event, which we've also answered for your convenience.
What's the best Kentucky Derby pick to make?
The "best" pick will be different for every bettor, as everyone has different strategies and priorities, but with a solid class of top contenders, a multi-horse bet such as an Exacta box or individual bets on horses to place or show could be some of the best approaches.
What is the best Kentucky Derby betting app?
Overall, I support all of the betting sites and apps discussed in this article, but FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires are the most prominent in many ways, including their official partnerships with the event itself.
Where can I watch the Kentucky Derby?
The Derby can be watched on NBC, so you can also catch it on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, or Peacock. Networks are subject to change each year.
When does the Kentucky Derby start?
Post time for the Derby itself was 6:57pm ET on Saturday, May 4th, but coverage of the event began much earlier in the day, since there were races all afternoon and plenty of discussion around the top contenders.
What is the Kentucky Derby purse?
There was a record-setting $5 million available to the top racers in this year's Derby, an astonishing $3.1 million of which was awarded to the winner, Mystik Dan.
