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Last updated May 21, 2020
Kentucky Derby Odds 2020
Odds for the 2020 Kentucky Derby are a sought after barometer for horse-players and the public alike, because Morning Line odds help provide details of class and value among the field of Kentucky Derby runners.
- Short odds refers to odds that are closer to even money or ‘1,’ such as ‘4-5.’
- The shorter the horse’s odds, the better the horse can be perceived to be compared among racing peers.
- Long odds refers to odds that move further away from even money or ‘1,’ such as ’30-1.’
- The longer the horse’s odds, the less talent a horse could have among the Derby starters.
Where can I Find Kentucky Derby odds?
Return to this page following the 2020 Kentucky Derby post position draw for morning line odds!
- Current Kentucky Derby odds
- LIVE Kentucky Derby odds (on TwinSpires.com)
- Kentucky Derby LIVE odds (on KentuckyDerby.com)
- Kentucky Derby Prep Race Winner Odds
- How Morning Line Odds are made
- Wynn Las Vegas Odds
Below is a chart of current Kentucky Derby leaders in order of point totals. These runners are the most likely horses to earn a starting spot. Return here Derby week for the official morning line odds of the Kentucky Derby!
*Joe Kristufek has taken a look at the current top 20 Kentucky Derby points leaders and formulated a scenario of what the betting public will likely see as odds for each horse in the Run for the Roses. These odds total to 100 when added together, thus a realistic look at Derby contender odds potential.
**Ed DeRosa has taken the approach of fair line or fair value odds. With looking at each horse in the current top 20 leading Kentucky Derby point earners, Ed has applied odds of honest value. His expert opinion, in tandem with what the betting public should view each contender odds as, explains what each contender is worth or should be considered valued at as betting interests.
Kentucky Derby Odds
| Horse | Kristufek’s Odds* | DeRosa’s Odds** |
|---|---|---|
| Nadal | 5-2 | 6-1 |
| Tiz the Law | 4-1 | 5-1 |
| Wells Bayou | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Charlatan | 3-1 | 8-1 |
| King Guillermo | 12-1 | 20-1 |
| Ete Indien | 30-1 | 15-1 |
| Modernist | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| Authentic | 5-1 | 10-1 |
| Mr. Monomoy | 50-1 | 100-1 |
| Basin | 50-1 | 100-1 |
| Mischivious Alex | 50-1 | 20-1 |
| Ny Traffic | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Shivaree | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| Gouverneur Morris | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Enforceable | 50-1 | 100-1 |
| Storm the Court | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| Sole Volante | 15-1 | 15-1 |
| Major Fed | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| Japan RTKD Winner | TBD | TBD |
| Europe RTKD Winner | TBD | TBD |
| Thousand Words | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Finnick the Fierce | AE | 50-1 |
Official morning line odds are selected by an odds line maker following the post position draw on Derby week. The odds maker determines, as best they can, what the odds of each horse will sit at by betting public interest and wagering action.
Any odds or lines that exist anywhere prior to the official Kentucky Derby draw on Derby week are either speculative, a bookmaker’s best guess and non official.
Kentucky Derby prep-race winners and odds
Below is a table that displays each Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race and that race’s winning horse, that horses’ morning line odds and then final odds at the beginning of the race.
- What can we learn from the information on each Kentucky Derby North American prep race winner for the 2020 Kentucky Derby season?
- With morning line odds and final odds side by side in the table below, which horses started as a near favorite and by start time, due to public money fluctuation, fell or gained public betting backing?
- Will these Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race winners be favorites for the Kentucky Derby?
2020 Final Odds for Kentucky Derby Prep Race Winners |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Horse | Race | ML Odds | Final Odds |
| Dennis’ Moment | Iroquois S. | 9-5 | 2-5 |
| Eight Rings | American Pharoah S. | 9-5 | 6-5 |
| Tiz the Law | Champagne S. | 5-2 | 7-5 |
| Maxfield | Breeders’ Futurity | 12-1 | 6-1 |
| Storm the Court | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile | 20-1 | 45-1 |
| Silver Prospector | Kentucky Jockey Club | 8-1 | 7-1 |
| Shotski | Remsen S. | 15-1 | 8-1 |
| Thousand Words | Los Alamitos Futurity | 8-5 | 8-5 |
| Shoplifted | Springboard Mile | 5-1 | 4-1 |
| Independence Hall | Jerome S. | 1-5 | 1-9 |
| Authentic | Sham S. | 8-5 | 6-5 |
| Enforceable | Lecomte S. | 15-1 | 6-1 |
| Thousand Words | Robert B. Lewis S. | 4-5 | 3-5 |
| Max Player | Withers S. | 9-2 | 5-1 |
| Tiz the Law | Holy Bull S. | 3-5 | 6-5 |
| Sole Volante | Sam F. Davis | 8-1 | 5-1 |
| Azul Coast | El Camino Real Derby | 2-1 | 6-5 |
| Modernist | Risen Star S. II | 8-1 | 12-1 |
| Mr. Monomoy | Risen Star S. I | 6-1 | 7-1 |
| Silver Prospector | Southwest S. | 9-2 | 9-2 |
| Ete Indien | Fountain of Youth S. | 8-1 | 3-1 |
| Mischevous Alex | Gotham S. | 3-1 | 8-5 |
| Authentic | San Felipe S. | 6-5 | 6-5 |
| King Guillermo | Tampa Bay Derby | 15-1 | 49-1 |
| Nadal | Rebel Stakes | 5-2 | 4-5 |
| Field Pass | Jeff Ruby Steaks | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| Wells Bayou | Louisiana Derby | 8-1 | 3-1 |
| Tiz the Law | Florida Derby | 6-5 | 7-5 |
| Charlatan | Arkansas Derby div. I | 1-1 | 2-5 |
| Nadal | Arkansas Derby div. II | 5-2 | 4-5 |
How Kentucky Derby Morning-line Odds Are Made
Kentucky Derby odds are released during the Post Position Draw, a one-hour ceremony that determines starting positions. The Post Position Draw takes place on the Wednesday preceding the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturday in May. TwinSpires bettors know that we are the home for Kentucky Derby wagering – and these race odds being released are truly one of the most exciting pieces the Kentucky Derby wagering process.
Mike Battaglia, Churchill Downs’ odds maker since 1974, is responsible for both the Kentucky Derby and KDFW morning line odds. He reveals odds for the main event shortly after post positions are drawn.
KentuckyDerby.com streams the Post Position Draw ceremony and the event has been televised nationally on NBCSN and local affiliates.
A full field of 20 contenders can be expected every year for America’s most famous horse race. With the the maximum number of betting interests in other U.S. races sitting at 14, the Kentucky Derby offers the potential for great bet returns. Only four horses went off at less than 10-1 odds in the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
For live odds, you can log-in to TwinSpires for free or visit KentuckyDerby.com.
Churchill Downs also offers up to four installments of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) in the months leading up to the race. A November KDFW was introduced in 2013, and the remaining three pools are typically scheduled during February, March and April surrounding the important prep races. The morning line odds are released ahead of the weekend and the unique betting opportunity lasts Friday through Sunday.
2020 Kentucky Derby: Las Vegas Opinions
What are book makers thinking when it comes to horses in the Kentucky Derby? Find a sample of their opening and closing odds for January 14, 2020.
| HORSE NAME | OPEN | CLOSE |
| DENNIS’ MOMENT | 10 | 12 |
| EIGHT RINGS | 10 | 15 |
| MAXFIELD | 12 | 12 |
| TIZ THE LAW | 20 | 8 |
| INDEPENDENCE HALL | 25 | 10 |
| GOUVERNEUR MORRIS | 40 | 30 |
| HONOR A.P. | 50 | 14 |
| SCABBARD | 50 | 50 |
| GREEN LIGHT GO | 75 | 75 |
| PRINCE OF PHAROAHS | 75 | 75 |
| RELENTLESS DANCER | 75 | 75 |
| SHOPLIFTED | 75 | 75 |
| SILVER STATE | 75 | 45 |
| AUTHENTIC | 75 | 16 |
| AZUL COAST | 75 | 35 |
| AMERICAN THEOREM | 75 | 75 |
| ANCIENT WARRIOR | 75 | 40 |
| EXPRESS TRAIN | 80 | 50 |
| STORM THE COURT | 90 | 12 |
Wynn Las Vegas Odds Summary for the Kentucky Derby
Looking at the Kentucky Derby, which ran on May 5th, we looked back in September, when the Wynn Las Vegas casino released futures numbers on a massive list of potential winners of the Kentucky Derby. This is undeniably when the contenders had their best odds and you don’t have to do much digging to see how much as changed.
Bolt d’Oro had long been the barometer for the 2018 Kentucky Derby as the highest rated two-year-old of the 2017 campaign. According to Wynn Las Vegas, Bolt d’Oro was worth 40/1 odds to win the Derby, which is far and away the best odds on the board at the time. Things have changed since then. Thanks to a slightly dubious win in the San Felipe Stakes, Bolt d’Oro moved to a 8/1 second-favorite.
The horse that Bolt d’Oro beat in that race was the same horse that actually beat him on the track. McKinzie crossed the wire first but was relegated to second due to a questionable review by the track officials. McKinzie wasn’t even on the Wynn Las Vegas radar back in September but most recently posted as a 7/1 option.
One of the horse’s that had generated interest in the Kentucky Derby Futures Wager due to some incredible trainings was Justify, a WinStar colt sired by Scat Daddy and trained by the legendary Bob Baffert. Justify ran a bullet mile in 1:35.73 at Santa Anita back on March 11th and was set to make his competitive debut in the Arkansas Derby on April 14th. He closed the Kentucky Derby Futures Wager Pool 3 board as an unexpected favorite, leveraging a huge amount of action and earning 6/1 odds. Wynn Las Vegas posted him at 12/1. He’s the most difficult horse to nail down from a betting angle at that point on the Derby trail.
Justify isn’t the only new contender on the books. Magnum Moon’s win in the Rebel Stakes propelled him to a 12/1 number. Solomini shares the same odds despite losing the Rebel to Magnum Moon simply because we’ve seen him more often. His odds were most recently 20/1.
With just over a month to go between now and the 2018 Kentucky Derby, the race to the top of the betting board is just starting to enjoy a bit more serenity after the chaos of the derby trail. Horses like Audible, Promises Fulfilled, Bolt d’Oro, McKinzie, Justify and many others are starting to submit major victories in the top tier races of the derby trail.
Casinos like Wynn Las Vegas sometimes have odds that seem out of sync with what you would find at more finely tuned horsebooks, and they help offer a different perspective.
The upcoming Florida Derby (March 31st), Wood Memorial (April 7th), Blue Grass (April 7th) , Santa Anita Derby (April 7th) and Arkansas Derby (April 14th) will hopefully offer even ore clarity.
Kentucky Derby Earnings
| Horse | Earnings | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Nadal | $1,020,000 | Bob Baffert |
| Tiz the Law | $902,400 | Barclay Tagg |
| Wells Bayou | $765,000 | Brad Cox |
| Charlatan | $300,000 | Bob Baffert |
| King Guillermo | $317,156 | Avila Juan Carlos |
| Ete Indien | $357,156 | Patrick Biancone |
| Modernist | $340,000 | Bill Mott |
| Authentic | $300,000 | Authentic |
| Mr. Monomoy | $260,000 | Brad Cox |
| Basin | $392,500 | Steve Asmussen |
| Mischivious Alex | $308,410 | John Servis |
| Ny Traffic | $244,320 | Saffie Joseph, Jr. |
| Shivaree | $284,505 | $284,505 |
| Gouverneur Morris | $186,000 | Todd Pletcher |
| Enforceable | $264,550 | Mark Casse |
| Storm the Court | $1,148,351 | Peter Eurton |
| Sole Volante | $173,510 | Patrick Biancone |
| Major Fed | $120,000 | Greg Foley |
| Japan RTKD Winner | TBD | TBD |
| Europe RTKD Winner | TBD | TBD |
| Thousand Words | $205,000 | Bob Baffert |
| Finnick the Fierce | $120,200 | Hernandez Rey |