A Guide to the Best Kentucky Derby Betting Sites Online

People from all US states gather in Louisville every year for the biggest event of horse racing, i.e., Kentucky Derby. But it isn’t necessary for you to be present physically at the tracks to enjoy the game. You can simply watch it on TV or online from the comfort of your home. Plus, you get a chance to bet on your favorite horses with the help of some online sportsbooks.

However, you may find several confusions while betting on the racing if you are new to the wagering world. Don’t worry because we have collected all the information you should know before getting into horse race betting. Thus, you will be able to place your initial wagers smoothly while making the most out of it. We have also included the top US sportsbooks where you can begin your Indiana Kentucky Derby betting journey.

Without wasting any more time, let’s dig into the details and see how you can get started with the process!

Understanding Kentucky Derby

Before moving on to Kentucky Derby betting in Indiana, you should first get to know the game a little better. So you can see how the entire racing system works and the benefits of betting on it.

History

Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest sports in the US. The idea of holding horse races came to Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. when he visited England in 1872 and saw the Epsom Derby. He then returned to Kentucky and formed a Louisville Jockey Club. The primary objective of this club was to collect funds for constructing excellent racing facilities. These were built right outside the city of Louisville.

In 1875, over 10,000 people gathered to see the first race of fifteen horses who ran for 1.5 miles. This distance was also taken from the Epsom Derby. But the officials changed this length to 1.25 miles in 1896, and it has been the same ever since. The Kentucky Derby saw many ups and downs until 1902 when a syndicate of businessmen acquired the facility.

As the fame of gaming increased, people began using unfair means to win it. In 1968, Dancer’s Image became the first winner horse to be disqualified due to the presence of a pain-killer drug in his urine. After a few years of this incident, the game rules were altered to make phenylbutazone legal in racing. It was the same drug found in Dancer’s Image. So now horses can efficiently run on this pain-killer.

Present Scenario

Over the years, Kentucky Derby’s popularity has only raised several folds. Currently, the horse racing event is held right before the two-week long festival every May, and it offers millions in purse money. The venue for the event remains the same Churchill Downs complex, as it was at the time of inauguration. People from all over the US come to see the races.

The races are also telecasted on TV, radio, and online mediums. Hence, you need not visit Louisville every year. Plus, official betting takes place on both offline and online platforms.

Exploring The Virtual Kentucky Derby Betting Markets

Now you know everything about the concept of the Kentucky Derby. So let’s move on to the betting markets in Indiana. With technology getting advanced, it has now become too convenient to wager on horse races. Still, you need to explore the betting options you have to choose the best one and get the most profit. Two standard types of bets you can find on all online sportsbooks are:

Straight Bet

These are traditional and most straightforward types of bets to understand. The risk in these wagers is directly proportional to the payout. That means the more chance you take, the better will be the payout. Some common straight bets are:

• Win: Under these, you need to predict the horse that would win the specific race. If your prediction goes correct, you win the money. Otherwise, you lose the entire amount.
• Place: These are just like the win bets, except for the horse’s position. Where win bets kept the wagering to first-spot, here you have the liberty to determine the horse that will score first or second.
• Show: These are even more lenient than the previous two bets. Under this type, your selected horse can achieve any of the top three positions to make you win.
• Combination: In these bets, you can create a combination of two or more types of wagers. Then you need to select one horse on which you want to place the combination bet. If your predicted horse wins the race, you win all two or three wagers.

Exotic Bets

These are the bets that change the entire experience of betting on the Kentucky Derby in Indiana. Unlike the straight bets, you have to select multiple horses here. Some common examples of these are:

• Exacta: You not only have to select the top two horses in this but also determine their exact winning sequence. That means you have to specify which horse will acquire the first spot and which will get the second.
• Trifecta: This is a more advanced version of the exacta bet. Here you need to predict the top three horses with their corresponding sequences.
• Superfecta: Under this, you have to come up with the names that will be in the top four positions, and also tell their exact order of winning.
• Super High Five: Like all others, you have to predict the names and the order here. The only difference is that super high five require the foretell of top-five horses.

In order to get these wagers right, you need some prior knowledge about the games and their players. Though anything can happen at the last moment, the previously won horses have higher chances of winning than those who never won even a single race. So you can make the correct decision by keeping the stats handy.

Selecting Best Kentucky Sportsbooks

You can easily find several US sportsbooks for betting on the Kentucky Derby. Where this provides multiple options to choose from, it can also become confusing for you. To avoid any mistakes, you should first check IN betting sites reviews to check what people have to say about a specific website.

Plus, you need to check the licensing of the platform. As online betting laws change from state to state, you must ensure proper authorities have regulated the sportsbook that you are picking. Only select these legal sites if you want to keep your money safe.

We have collected some of the best sports betting sites in Indiana, along with their welcome bonuses, to make your task more convenient.

Based on welcome bonuses, you can pick the most benefitting sportsbook to bet on the Kentucky Derby. You can also go through the complete reviews of these websites and see which one is better and why. A few factors that can be checked about each platform are:

• Security: The sportsbook must practice the most reliable security measures to ensure your data and money are kept safe.
• Mobile App: If you are always on the go, you can pick the platform that offers a mobile-compatible site or application.
• Banking Options: As you will be betting with real money, you must see whether or not the website supports your preferred deposit and withdrawal methods.
• Customer Service: Being new to the site, you may face several difficulties in every step of betting. Reliable customer service will ensure that your query gets solved on time, and you don’t have to face much trouble.

Kentucky Derby Odds in IN Explained

By understanding the Kentucky Derby odds, you can optimize your betting predictions and win a more significant amount. Let’s first see how the odds are read.

Reading Kentucky Derby Odds

It is relatively easy to read the odds in horse racing. They are usually given in two numbers, such as 7-2. In this, the latter digit indicates your investment, while the prior one provides payout. So when you bet with $2, you will get a payout of $7. It means you will get a total amount of $9 by just putting in $2 on the bet.

Based on this, the odds can be divided into two parts:

• Short Odds: These are the odds where both the digits are close, or just have a difference of 1. Odds like 5-4 and 3-2 can be considered under this category. Horses that have short odds are more likely to secure a better place in the race.
• Long Odds: Major difference odds like 30-1 or 19-1 fall in this category. The farther away the odds are, the less likely the horse is to win the race.

Kentucky Derby odds for every race get displayed on the tracks. In case you are using online sportsbooks, you can find the latest odds on their website or app. Check these before placing your bets on specific horses so that you can increase your chances of winning.

The odds get opened several months prior to the actual race. You can use these stats to make the futures bets and secure more chances of winning.

Kentucky Derby Betting Guide in IN: Tips and Tricks to Follow

You can follow some expert tips and tricks to ensure that you don’t make any mistakes while betting on the Kentucky Derby.

Look Beyond the Favorites

Everyone has their own Derby favorite horse on which they love to bet. But most people prefer to see previous years’ stats first and then choose the horse that wins mostly. Though this may seem like a reliable strategy, relying completely on it will be a mistake.

You should look for the most promising horses of the year irrespective of their history. Another thing to consider here is how exactly the horse performed in different situations. It will help you see whether or not the circumstances match. So you can easily bet on the correct horse that has high chances of winning.

New Conditions

There may be horses trying out certain things for the first time in a Kentucky Derby race. You should keep in mind the factor that new conditions can prove to be favorable for them. Thus, you can take a chance with them instead of the ones that weren’t performing well in the same situations.

As these horses are just 3-years-old, they tend to improve their game with each passing race. Plus, they have more scope for development with mid-summer efforts. With these points in consideration, you can also place bets on horses that have been improving over their previous few races.

Avoid Excessive Expenditure

Let it be Kentucky Derby betting or any other kind of gambling; it is always recommended that you keep track of your investments. This will help you in avoiding excessive expenditure and losses. You should put a specific amount aside before beginning the game. Whenever that sum gets over, you should stop betting right away.

Many people try to cope with their losses in betting and end up getting into debt. By opting for the suggested method, you can easily keep yourself away from any such situation. Plus, this rule isn’t only for the losing side. Even if you are continuously winning bets, you should put a halt after a big win. So you will remain in profit and won’t lose whatever you have earned.

Winners Have Strong Foundations

The records show that horses that never began as a juvenile didn’t stand a chance in securing the first position of the race. There were only a few situations when these naive horses outperformed most of the other participants:

• Three of the total number of horses have secured the second position.
• One more got into the third spot.

Apart from these, over 55 horses who never ran as a juvenile lost the matches. Therefore, it is better for you to put your money on the horses that have a strong foundation and at least the juvenile’s experience. You will be taking much less risk with these horses.

Plan Your Bets

Where straight bets like win, place and, show offer much security, exotic bets are known to pay better. So you may get confused about which one to go for. The best solution for this is to plan your wagers appropriately. You should divide your money in a way that you create a balance between the risk and the profits.

This method will help you avoid significant losses while getting a chance to win large amounts of money. If you don’t want to risk your initial few bets, you can go for the straight wagers. Though they don’t payout well, they ensure that you get the invested sum back.

How Can You Watch Kentucky Derby Live in Indiana?

If you don’t have time to visit Louisville for the Kentucky Derby event, you can watch it live on:

• TV: NBC Sports has got permission to telecast the entire racing event live on its broadcasting channel. You can catch it there.
• Online: Several online platforms offer live telecasts of the Derby racing.
• Sportsbooks: Some of the sportsbooks provide you with a feature of live racing. You can watch the horse races on them and place bets simultaneously.

Latest News On Kentucky Derby 2022 in Indiana

2022 brought in a lot of surprises for everyone. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Kentucky Derby event got canceled for its regular duration. However, the race did take place later in the year. As precautionary measures, the officials announced that no fans would attend the race. So the only option for Indiana people is to watch the live telecast on TV or online.

Conclusion on Best KY Sportsbooks

The Kentucky Derby is an exciting sport to bet on, as you get the options of straight bets and the exotic bets. But before you move on to the sportsbooks, you must read all the information regarding horse race betting. So you will be able to avoid any mistakes initially. Once you get your hands on wagering, you can opt for riskier bets that have better payouts.

Written by:

Karen Graham

[email protected]

Author, Contributor, Law Expert at Luckyindiana.com. Karen is our writer and contributor who tells you the latest news and trends in gambling industry that take place in the United States.