The rear view is where we find the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. In that mirror are tiny specs that look a lot like the Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing, the Preakness Stakes winner. Throw in the loss of Classic Empire, who is out with a foot abscess, and it leaves a field that is not normally in the gate for the Belmont Stakes. That means that 2017 Belmont Stakes predictions will be rampant and everyone will talk each horse through the roof. But hey, only Looking At Lee, will run in all three Triple Crown races and the morning line second choice is a Japanese import. Buckle up folks, this could be anywhere from chalk to a huge payday this Saturday at Big Sandy.

Below is a simple breakdown of each horse that is slated to enter the starting gate this Saturday. What you will see is not a complete stat sheet for each horse since you can get that from Daily Racing Form or Equibase. Instead they are my 2017 Belmont Stakes predictions summed up to help each of you make a decision when you walk to the window, the machine or click a mouse to make a wager on the 2017 Belmont Stakes.

Race: Belmont Stakes (G1)

Location: Belmont

Distance: Mile and a half

Surface: Dirt

Purse: $1,500,000

Age: 3 Year Olds

Date: Saturday, June 10 2017

Post Time: 6:37 PM ET

TV Coverage:

Belmont Stakes Prep Coverage: NBCSN 3:00 PM – 5 PM EST

Belmont Stakes Prime Coverage: NBC 5:00 – 7:00 PM ET

The Backstory – Over the years I have continued to modify how I break down each race based on input from the readers (Thank for your reading and leaving feedback over the years). That could be from any number of sites I have created content for including Sports Unbiased. However, when I started Longshot Horse Racing, I wanted to apply all I heard and get away from very granular and in-depth analysis of each horse in the field. Many claimed the reading was dry and over the top. Now you will find data about each horse, how it should shake out, and we will have a little fun doing it. If you want just the raw numbers then Brisnet, Equibase, or even the Daily Racing Form are right up your alley (and mine since I love them all) but if you want the breakdown with a twist then read on and enjoy.

2017 Belmont Stakes Predictions – Post Positions and Odds

2017 Belmont Stakes Predictions – Contenders Analysis

TWISTED TOM (6-4-0-0) – Winner of three in a row broke his maiden here at Big Sandy. The switch to Castellano in the saddle is a plus from Lynch. Chad Brown horses in NY tend to be as close to a sure thing as death and taxes but this is a tough spot for him to say the least. But when you have some Thunder Gulch (previous winner of this race) in the blood and are lightly raced, anything is possible but big improvement is needed. Wait, I think Chad Brown has done this before.

TAPWRIT (7-3-1-0) – Hard to rule a Todd Pletcher and Jose Ortiz pairing. The challenge could be that when he went to Florida and won the Grade 2 Tampa Derby, he forgot to bring that form with him when he left Florida. The last two have been tough at the Bluegrass and the Derby. The talent is there and should not be overlooked and the current form might just fetch you a price. Tapit kids are kind of good and if they mailed his form in from Florida it can get interesting here.

GORMLEY (7-4-0-0) – One this is sure, this will be one of the most relaxing Belmont Stakes that Victor Espinoza has been a part of in a while. He knows the track and he knows how to win here with the largest of pressure. Gormley carries some AP Indy with him and that should give comfort to the distance. Many liked him after the Santa Anita Derby score. Poor derby gets him some real rest and time to adjust to big Sandy. In a speed rationing race, he might not be sexy but he might be winning.

J BOYS ECHO (7-2-1-1) – Here is where things could get a tad bit interesting depending on your opinion of the favorites and how much you are willing to give a pass. Meaning, if you are the type to just forgive and forget then this longshot might be live. Switched to Saez in the Kentucky Derby and was bounced at the start, sent to back and done. Bumped and bobbled at the start two back as well. If you get past that then there is NY racetrack talent, AP Indy bloodlines, and a large step with tactical speed that could score. Interesting.

HOLLYWOOD HANDSOME (9-2-0-3) – Geroux is a phenomenal jockey and rode him to his first win since breaking maiden in last start. However, that was an allowance race and if you took Geroux off it would be hard to find anything to like here at all. Almost like owner/trainer got together and said they are all leaving so let’s throw a dart and see what sticks. Maybe Geroux can find some magical way to factor in the exotics but even that will be hard.

LOOKIN AT LEE (11-2-3-2) –  The only stubborn one on the trail that will run in all three. Adding Iran Ortiz in NY is a HUGE plus. There is a lot of buzz about how well he trained at Big Sandy but I have to be real and stick to my guns. He STILL has not won since August of last year. His trip in the Kentucky Derby was an inside dream trip that got him within three lengths. The Preakness set up for him to come and he just didn’t. It is not that he cannot win, he has Lookin At Lucky in him, but why would you bet a horse at 5-1 morning line who is running for the third time in five weeks that has not won in almost a year. Just not smart investing to me.

IRISH WAR CRY (6-4-0-0) – One of the popular horses in the Kentucky Derby. Many a wise man said this guy could win. Well then he broke from post 17 and the son of Curlin worked hard to stay up before fading to 10th. He is a multidimensional horse that can win from the front, or tactically form off the pace. If you can forgive him Kentucky and give the Jersey bred some faith, there is a chance here for Maragh and IWC to come home on top in the Belmont. He will go off as the post favorite so you will have to frame your bets accordingly if backing him.

SENIOR INVESTMENT (9-3-0-2) – Took a while to break his maiden but since then it has been all systems go. Entered the Triple Crown at the Preakness and showed off an impressive closing kick while trying to reel in Classic Empire and Cloud Computing.  He was fractious and had to be steadied at the beginning of the race but kept up a speed figure advance trend that implies the best is still in front of him. Channing Hill will need the ride of his life but if the pace slows in the long stretch at big Sandy there is a chance he can score. Most definitely an exotics factor but will go off much less that the 12-1 morning line suggests.

MEANTIME (4-1-2-1) – Just began racing in February of this year and scored an impressive maiden win by seven in his third start. Tried stakes in the Peter Pan and was caught and passed. Ortiz left and they add Mike Smith but he is out of Shackelford who just melted in the stretch. I cannot see him holding at or with the lead when there are 300 yards to go.

MULTIPLIER (5-2-1-1) – He will be making his third stakes start and sixth overall in the Belmont Stakes. Frankly he laid a dud in the Preakness when he had a trip that could have played. He was in the group that was like a turf race behind the top two. I know I talked higher on Senior Investment in the same place but he was closing and Multiplier was not. Rosario is talented and believed enough to come back on him again. Anything is possible at a mile and a half but there is too much I do not like to back him here.

EPICHARIS (5-4-1-0) – Okay here is my deal summed up as concisely as I can. He was unbeaten in Japan. I cannot tell you the quality of those fields but I can say this. When you are a 1-9 or 2-5 favorite it implies you are class of a field and when those wins are by less than a length it does not ooze awesome to me. The UAE Derby is one we can point two. He finished second there and the jury is still out on the horses he was sandwiched between. Who knows, he has Sunday Silence as grandpa but much like Looking At Lee, I am not backing him at 4-1. The economics just do not work. He can beat me.

PATCH (4-1-2-0) – This is hard to write but… He should have been 50-1 in the Derby with that field but was bet way down because of his story, the one eye etc. It is a great story and do not get me wrong, this horse has talent. You can only assume his price will be much lower like it was in Kentucky and there goes the value. He gets Velazquez back, the last to ride him to a score. This field appears softer than his last but he must step forward with his bloodlines. I want to back him but at the price he will go off at, I cannot touch him.

2017 Belmont Stakes Predictions – Live Longshot

(4) J Boys Echo

2017 Belmont Stakes Predictions – Betting Strategy

As I have eluded to in this piece, I am looking for value in a race that could easily be all chalk or all longshots. How will it all shake out? It is almost impossible to tell but based on the data I provided in the contenders analysis and the preceding paragraphs, I present some logical betting options based on your favorite cup of tea or betting style. How do you bet a horse race?? What type of bankroll are you playing with? Is it about having a good time and being a part of the spectacle? Or is it about finding a way to make money? No matter what you want or the size of your bankroll there are different ways you can approach 2017 Belmont Stakes predictions and betting strategies.

There you have our 2017 Belmont Stakes predictions. Do you agree or are there other 2017 Belmont Stakes predictions that we did not include? Here at Longshot Horse Racing we are all for readers commenting but can we make a suggestion? Why don’t you write your own piece? It can be 3000 words or even 300.  Here we encourage different opinions and want to give you a chance to build your brand. Join us and let your voice be heard. Just check out the Write With Us link to get started. Don’t worry its easy and remember you can build you brand by writing with us and not for us. That is the big difference. It is all about you in your words.

The first running of the Kentucky Derby was almost 150 years ago and a race with that type of history must have some unique facts to discuss. There are 20 interesting facts that stand out more to me than many others. Some because they are unique, some are amazing, and other are just odd. When looking at Kentucky Derby facts, everything is represented. Let’s look at 20 of the top Kentucky Derby facts of all time as we lead into May and the beginning of the Triple Crown.

Kentucky Derby Facts

1 – The Kentucky Derby is also called “The Run for the Roses” because the winning horse is covered with a handmade garland of roses.

2 – The Derby is also considered “The Greatest Two Minutes In Sports” due to the estimated time it takes to complete the race.

3 – Including World War I, World War II, and the Great Depression, the Kentucky Derby has taken place every year without missing a running.

4 – The race is the first installment in the annual Triple Crown series that also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

5 – There is a limit to the number of horse that can enter the Kentucky Derby. 20 horses compete in the Kentucky Derby each year based on points earned.

6 – The mint julep is the traditional drink at the race.

7 – Over 125,000 mint juleps are served over the course of the Kentucky Derby weekend every year, no wonder it is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.

8 – 19 Kentucky Derby winners had names that begin with the letter “S,” making it the most successful winning initial.

9 – Horses whose names start with the letter “Z” have the highest rate of success. Truth be told it is a small sample size.

10 – The winner of the Derby gets a $2 million prize, and six other races with prize money totaling $2.15 million will also be held at Churchill Downs Saturday.

11 – Throughout history of the Kentucky Derby, three winners have been fillies.

12 – Since 1956, the race itself has been preceded by two weeks of events and parties known as the Kentucky Derby Festival.

13 – No Derby has ever been postponed because of bad weather.

14 – The smallest field ever was in 1892, when only three horses competed.

15 – The distance of the race was changed to one and a quarter miles in 1896. It started out as a mile and a half race.

16 – Fittingly the fast time in the history of the Kentucky Derby belongs to Secretariat, who finished in 1:59.40.

17 – The first running of the Kentucky Derby in 1875 saw a former slave as the winning trainer (Ansel Williamson).

18 – Diane Crump became the first female to ride in the Kentucky Derby in 1970.

19 – The youngest winning jockey was Alonzo Clayton, who was 15 years old when he won in 1892.

20 – The oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby was 54 year-old Willie Shoemaker in 1986.

Unlike anything else, the Kentucky Derby has morphed into a rite of passage or place to be unlike anything else since it arrived on the seen with its first running in 1875. With over 100 years of history around it, and many generations to leave their mark, the Kentucky Derby has developed some tried and true Kentucky Derby traditions that seem to withstand the test of time. Many of the Kentucky Derby traditions we know today were ushered into existence, in some fashion, by Matt Winn. Winn was the face or front man for the race for almost 50 years. It could be the mint juleps, the over the top hats, “My Old Kentucky Home”, or any other items but what is not open for dispute is that these are traditions and these Kentucky Derby traditions are part of the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”

KENTUCKY DERBY TRADITIONS

THE SONG – MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME

Many believe this is a song that has played at the beginning of the Kentucky Derby since its inceptions but that is not the case. In fact, records say that up until the 1920s it was the National Anthem that kicked off the Kentucky Derby. However, the Stephen Collins Foster song, stirred by Uncle Tom’s Cabin from Harriet Beecher Stowe, was added by Wynn after it gained popularity as a way to self-identify the Kentucky Derby with the crowds of fans. To this day, My Kentucky Home, is performed by the University of Louisville Marching Band, before the running of the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”

THE DRINK – MINT JULEP

The Kentucky whiskey and mint concoction became a famous drink at the Derby from its inception. The historical significance of this Kentucky Derby tradition has been tied to and became a staple when a well-known Polish actress, Helena Modjeska, ordered the drink at a pre-Derby breakfast at the track and cherished it. Churchill Downs commenced serving it in its contemporary memento glasses in the late Nineteen Thirties, in part, because clubhouse consumers had been stealing their everyday glasses. It became a bigger draw to the drink and kept their normal glassware from vanishing. A true Kentucky Derby tradition win-win.

THE ATTIRE – HATS

The decorative hats worn by ladies to the race is a remnant of the past, a famous style at the Derby’s start and now nearly a dressing up for a present day elaborate occasion. Bringing out your “inner Southern belle, according to some, is something every women is encouraged to do. What is the pinnacle of the Southern belle? The hat. Does it feel a little English to you, like right off the boat English? Well it should since the founder of the Derby was modeling the race off others similar racing events in England. The tradition stuck and evens helps keep these lovely ladies from getting a sunburn (nice added byproduct). These Kentucky Derby traditions have been exploited by race promoters like Winn to market the Kentucky Derby to ladies and make it a see-and-be-seen occasion.

THE PEOPLE – CELEBRITIES

In another brilliant move, Winn deserves the credit for first mainstreaming celebrities and the Kentucky Derby. Kentucky Derby traditions like celebrities can be traced back to the nineteen Twenties with the likes of Ginger Rogers and Babe Ruth. Winn convinced them to attend and after cheering, partying, and have an amazing time the movement spread to other famous faces. From its early years and through nowadays, a dichotomy exists among the race’s spectators: the stars, millionaires and royalty in the clubhouse, and an extra raucous celebration happening inside the infield. The infielders capture a glimpse of the wealthy and well-known, and those inside the clubhouse get a kick from the revelry taking place within the infield. But at the end of the day, it is the Kentucky Derby and everyone cheers when the gates open.

THE FLOWER – THE ROSES

The garland of over 400 roses that is draped over the winner of the Kentucky Derby is one of the longest running and greatest Kentucky Derby traditions. It started innocently enough in 1896 when Ben Brush received an arrangement of white and pink roses. Eight years later the rose became the Kentucky Derby official flower. About 2o years later, one of the most popular catch phrases in sports became the unofficial slogan of the Kentucky Derby when Bill Corum, a sports columnist from New York, called the race the “Run for the Roses.” The garland, in its current form, showed up on the scene for the 58th edition of the race. The only change from year to year is the edition of the race adorned on the garland.

THE MONEY – GAMBLING

A turn of the century marketing campaign by progressive organizations to abolish bookmakers at the races threatened the survival of not simply the Kentucky Derby, but American horse racing in its entirety. Considered one of his first and most critical improvements, Winn embraced an alternate form of gambling, pari-mutuel betting, which eliminated the need for bookies collectively since payoffs were calculated by using pooling of bets. The technology to achieve this had come from France many years in advance, however hadn’t taken off within the states. So Winn needed to scramble throughout the United States to locate the machines and introduce them at Churchill Downs. That as they say is history.

Here at Longshot Horse Racing we are all for readers commenting but can we make a suggestion? Why don’t you write your own piece? It can be 3000 words or even 300.  Here we encourage different opinions and want to give you a chance to build your brand. Join us and let your voice be heard. Just check out the Write With Us link to get started. Don’t worry its easy and remember you can build you brand by writing with us and not for us. That is the big difference. It is all about you in your words.

The horse racing Triple Crown consisted of a series of three races, all run by three-year olds. The first leg is the Kentucky Derby, always run on the first Saturday in May. The distance is a mile and a quarter. This will be the first time these horses run a mile and a quarter but that will be a classic distance they will run over and over again in the future.

The second leg of the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes, run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes distance is a mile and three-sixteenths. The major challenge for many horses is that the return after only two weeks is non-traditional for this generation of horses. Many horses that do not make the Kentucky Derby field will enter the Preakness Stakes.

The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of all the Triple Crown races, eight years older than the Kentucky Derby and six years older than the Preakness Stakes, dating back to its inception in 1867 at Jerome Park. This true test will be the final leg of the Triple Crown for any horse looking to join racing immortality. The Belmont Stakes is run at a distance that no horse has seen before and probably will not again, a mile and a half.

Throughout history some of the greatest horses of all time have completed their Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes to include Sir Barton (1919), War Admiral (1937), Count Fleet (1943), Citation (1948), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (20015), and the recording setting 31 length victory of Secretariat (1973). During the 1973 edition Secretariat set the stakes record of 2:24 when no other horse has approached with the closest being Easy Goer (2:26) and A.P. Indy (1992). Do you remember that race? Were you even alive when Secretariat smashed the record?

Video Courtesy of wyocalboy

Horse Racing Triple Crown – Winners

However 23 horses have entered Belmont Park looking to win the Triple Crown and all fell short. In this millennium alone War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008), I’ll Have Another (2012), and California Chrome (2014) all fell short. Some were close like Funny Cide (3rd) and Smarty Jones (2nd), others just did not perform such as Big Brown who did not finish and I’ll Have Another who was scratched due to injury. Of all, Smarty Jones was the closest as he was chased down in the final furlong by Birdstone. Just listen to the end of the call to hear the despair.

Video Courtesy of The New York Racing Association

Horse Racing Triple Crown Losers

To many, the Triple Crown is the most prestigious accomplishment for any horsemen or their connections. The second leg of the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes, run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness Stakes distance is a mile and three-sixteenths. The major challenge for many horses is that the return after only two weeks is non-traditional for this generation of horses. It makes for an interesting and compelling Preakness Stakes Winners List.

Many horses that do not make the Kentucky Derby field will enter the Preakness Stakes in the hopes of scoring a three-year-old major win. The Preakness will almost always see the Kentucky Derby winner in the starting gate and that horse will also almost always be the post time favorite with good reason. There have been a few minor exceptions over the years but that aforementioned is the standard.

Preakness Stakes Winners List

The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown and almost every Kentucky Derby champion’s connections has entered the race with the dream of a Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is the title awarded to the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in the same three-year-old campaign. 35 times a horse that won the Kentucky Derby returned to win the Preakness Stakes. Below is the complete list of all horses that won the Kentucky Derby and then returned two weeks later to win the Preakness Stakes. Without further delay lets look at our Kentucky Derby Preakness Stakes winning list.

 Kentucky Derby Preakness Stakes Winning Horses

The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of all the Triple Crown races, eight years older than the Kentucky Derby and six years older than the Preakness Stakes, dating back to its inception in 1867 at Jerome Park. The Belmont Stakes is run at a distance that no horse has seen before and probably will not again, a mile and a half. That makes the list of Belmont Stakes winners even more impressive.

Throughout history some of the greatest horses of all time have completed their Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes to include Sir Barton (1919), War Admiral (1937), and the recording setting 31 length victory of Secretariat (1973) just to name a few. During the 1973 edition Secretariat set the stakes record of 2:24 when no other horse has approached with the closest being Easy Goer (2:26) and A.P. Indy (1992).

However 23 horses have entered Belmont Park looking to win the Triple Crown and all fell short. Some were close like Funny Cide (3rd) and Smarty Jones (2nd), others just did not perform such as Big Brown who did not finish and I’ll Have Another who was scratched due to injury. Of all, Smarty Jones was the closest as he was chased down in the final furlong by Birdstone. Below is a list of all the winners of the Belmont Stakes throughout the races history.

Belmont Stakes Winners

Don’t bet on him because that never happens in the Kentucky Derby! He never raced as a two year old so don’t bet on him. Come buy my picks because I hit the Kentucky Derby four of the last five years. Do any of those sound familiar to you? I bet they do. Most are tied to myth, superstition, or shady business ethics. The Kentucky Derby might as well come with a magic eight ball and a run of door-to-door salesman peddling their wares. It is the unfortunate reality that we live in, a world filled with Kentucky Derby betting myths, superstitions and any number of thoughts.

You will be able to scour the net for all the sites that promise you the derby winner. They will provide proven results (which come after the fact) without providing a picture of that winning ticket.  They will ask for a small monetary fee to acquire their data. Is it a guarantee? Of course not, nothing ever is. But hey its business and they might as well make a buck like everyone else. If their system was perfect wouldn’t they be at the window betting it all on their sure thing? Why would they want you to know their system? Why would they want 20,000 people killing their odds? It just doesn’t pass the smell test.

For me, I make my bets public a week before the race. Am I always right? Of course not, but nevertheless I want folks to understand my picks at a high level. Giving people extra data to help make decisions is something I believe in and heck, does a little extra information ever really hurt? If you want to see some Kentucky Derby Betting Options then you can always check out different ways to approach the first race of the Triple Crown.

Others will tell you about all the Kentucky Derby betting myths or superstitions that revolve around picking a winner. Some of these concerns center on not picking a horse with a new jockey on board because they do not really know the horse.  Others stay away from horses that did not race as a two year old. A common superstition is that if a horse has a Dosage Index over 4.0 stay away since their pedigree shows they are not ready to handle the mile and a quarter of the Derby.

You also should avoid horses that has never won a stakes race or has never gone a mile and an eighth.  Others would also tell you to avoid the far outside post contenders because they just don’t win from there. Then there is the idea that such large fields tend to yield longshots or double-digit winners. After all, the odds are stacked against the favorites in such close quarters with so many others, right? Lets take a look at some of these Kentucky Derby betting myths.

Well obviously, or not so much if you talk to handicappers, these are just myths. Behind each myth is a little truth but overall they are just suggestions. A horse has won not racing at two but that was over a century ago. What they are trying to say is not the age but rather the experience level. Horses not fully adjusted to the heat of competition will suffer when surrounded by 19 other horses. At a minimum, the sheer numbers are liable to comprise an untested horse.

Another Kentucky Derby betting myths is Dosage Index. While pedigree is obviously a factor, the Dosage Index should not be the immediate reason to rule out a contender. 1998 and 1999 Derby winners Real Quiet and Charismatic had Dosage Index numbers of 5.29 and 5.22 respectively. 2005 winner Giacomo had a Dosage Index of 4.33 and 2009 champion Mine that Bird carried with him a Dosage Index of 5.40. American Pharoah won the Triple Crown last year with a Dosage Index of 4.33. That just names a few but the point here is that while a factor, it is not a gold standard.

You can take this approach to almost any myth related to betting the Derby. Where did Gato Del Sol, I’ll Have Anther and Big Brown break from? Oh that’s right posts 18, 19 and 20. Last time I checked that was the outside and they all won the Kentucky Derby. But what about long shot winning Kentucky Derby betting myths. Sure there has been the Mine That Bird or the Giacomo but let’s look a little closer. In the last 11 years, eight of the winners entered the gate with single digit odds and six were 5-1 or less. The morale of the story is don’t just toss the favorite from winners circle right away.

These are items that should all be considered but none will define a horse’s real chance to wear the Roses. Is it true that all of the double digit producing Kentucky Derby posts are from 1-10 and that there is not a double digit winner from 11-20? Yes. But Kentucky Derby betting myths like this do not tell the whole story. Post 4, one of the winningest posts in history has produced two winners since 1977 in Seattle Slew and Super Saver. While post 16 has produced all three of its winners since 1999 in Charismatic, Monarchos and Animal Kingdom. Just remember when the fields expanded as a starting point and just because the spreadsheet says it do not take it at face value. There is more to learn as you truly look at the numbers.

I could go on and on about this but I look at it this way, do you homework, and figure out who you like. Do not read more into it than normal and go with what you believe. Sure it is the biggest race of the year with the most attention but it does not change the underpinnings. None have won at a mile and a quarter so consider it a step up. Every horse has raced and ALL of them have a level of merit or they would not have garnered the points to load into the gate. The all have quality jockeys on them so while some might have a history at Churchill Downs none are a lock once they climb on. Don’t let Kentucky Derby betting myths spoil you appetite or your evaluation criteria.

Just find your horse and get behind them. Hopefully you are right and everyone else disagrees. That is your perfect storm. When I backed Animal Kingdom and I’ll Have Another I wanted nothing more than to see the odds stay high. When I listed Commanding Curve as a logical horse to hit the board I wanted everyone to disagree.  You might as well get the highest odds possible right? Now you might not have any system or metrics at all. You might bet merely on name, color or anything else quirky you can come up with. That is okay too, just go have fun.

Please remember that betting is supposed to be fun. It is supposed to be exciting. It is not supposed to be taxing on your life or livelihood. If it is getting out of control and you can’t control it seek help. The first Saturday in May will be here soon enough and the “greatest two minutes in sports” is sure to entertain.

Here at Longshot Horse Racing we are all for readers commenting but can we make a suggestion? Why don’t you write your own piece? It can be 3000 words or even 300.  Here we encourage different opinions and want to give you a chance to build your brand. Join us and let your voice be heard. Just check out the Write With Us link to get started. Don’t worry its easy and remember you can build you brand by writing with us and not for us. That is the big difference. It is all about you in your words.

You have some money set aside or some spare change in your pocket and you want to place a bet on the Kentucky Derby but how should you spend that money? At the end of the day it is your call based on comfort, goals, and willingness to risk. Every person is built different with their own belief system. Just have fun with it. The following paragraphs are not going to look at numbers, past performances, or anything of that nature. Instead, this is about some solid ways to spread varying bankroll sizes across Kentucky Derby betting options.

Take the best shot with what you believe but below I will outline how I would spend varying levels of bankroll on the “greatest two minutes in sports.” Each strategy comes with its own inherent risk-reward level. Judge them on their own merit and good luck when you step to the window or computer for the Kentucky Derby. If you have heard about all the Kentucky Derby myths that float round this race feel free to check those out as well and how those myths are debunked.

Kentucky Derby Betting Options

Bankroll: $10

If you can only summon up $10 to bet and you scrounged to get that. DON’T BET. Keep your money and pay the water bill it is more important. If you are heart set on spending that $10 then either play $2 to win on five horses, $5 Win and Place on one horse, or $5 win on two horses. Just try and cash a ticket with your $10 and have a reason to cheer coming down the stretch.

Bankroll $20

There are a couple of options here.

Option 1 is to spread the $20 in $5 increments on four horse to win. You won’t get rich but you have a few shots now.

Option 2 is to play a four horse $1 exacta box ($12) and $4 to win on two horses. Chance is here for a better payoff

Bankroll $50

This is where it can get fun.

Option 1 is to key a horse to win in a trifecta ($20). (Example:  1 w/2,3,4,5,6) I would then play a five horse $1 exacta box ($20) and put $5 to Win and Place on the horse I keyed in the trifecta ($10). Chance at a nice payoff.

Option 2 is more conservative in nature. You can still play the five horse $1 exacta box ($20) but then choose your favorite and play $10 across the board for a Win-Place-Show ($30). There will not be as huge a payout but a safer overall bet.

Bankroll $100

Now here is where you can let the good times roll a bit.

Option 1 is the same trifecta theory as the $50 bankroll but you wheel the bet this time ($60) (Example: 1 w/2,3,4,5 and 2,3,4,5 w/1 w/2,3,4,5 and 2,3,4,5 w/2,3,4,5 and 1) You can then play a four horse $2 exacta box ($24-but I would bet the $1 variant twice for tax purposes) Finally I would consider a $2 Oaks-Derby double with two horses in the Oaks and four in the Derby.

Option 2 is a bit more aggressive but requires you to really believe in your choice. Key the trifecta as I laid out before but throw in another horse for second and third ($30) (Example: 1 w/2,3,4,5,6,7). Play a partial wheel the same way. ($30) (Example: 2,3,4,5,6,7 w/1 w/2,3,4,5,6,7). With the remaining funds play a five horse $2 exacta box ($40- play the $1 variant twice for tax purposes).

There are clearly an unfathomable number of ways to approach Kentucky Derby betting options. Many of which are reasonable options. Feel free to follow some of the strategies laid out above or go out on your own. Now go forth, see into the future and cheer for your horse during the stretch run of Derby. Enjoy it all since it part of the rush that is “the greatest two minutes in sports.” Your Kentucky Derby betting options abound so be sure to make use of the strategy that works best for you.

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