What is Kentucky derby ?
The Kentucky Derby is a competitive race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses and is part of the Triple Crown. 20 horses compete for prize money on a 2.01 km (1.25 miles) dirt track.Geldings and colts are required to carry 57 kg (126lb) and fillies 55 kg (121lb) while running the race. A gelding is a castrated male horse, a colt is a young male horse, while a filly is a young female horse.To qualify, horses compete in 35 races around the world. The top four horses in each of these races are given points. 20 horses with the most points qualify for the Kentucky Derby.To win the Triple Crown, a horse has to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. So far, only 12 horses have won the Triple Crown.
The Kentucky Derby is always held on the first Saturday of May, which is a non-working day in the United States.The Derby, which is the most attended horse race in North America, has some long-standing traditions associated with it. Spectators are expected to be dressed well, and the event is often seen as a showcase of the season’s fashion in some circles. Since the 1960s, women attendees, inspired by their European counterparts, often wear elaborate hats as part of their outfits, which have now come to be recognized as a Kentucky Derby tradition.The rose is the official flower of the race, and winners have always been awarded roses as part of the award ceremony. Because of this, the event has been nicknamed “The Run for the Roses.” Since 1932, the winners have been awarded a garland of over 400 roses sewn on a satin back. Among the motifs on the garland are a crown and a crest of the Commonwealth.
Understand betting on horses
Horse racing odds are calculated by what is known as a Pari-Mutuel System. In simple terms, the odds are determined by the people wagering.Odds are calculated based on the amount bet on a horse in comparison to how much is bet on the other horses in the field. The more money bet on a single horse, the worse his odds will get.What this means is that you won’t know the exact odds of your wager until right before race time. The final odds aren’t set until the betting window closes at post time.While race tracks will show a horses current odds at 6 to 1, the odds are actually rounded to the nearest .10 cents. So while a horse may be listed at 6 to 1, it might actually be 5.9 to 1 or 6.2 to 1.
“Morning Line Odds” are not released until Wednesday before the race. The Morning Line Odds are the official odds set by oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. Most of the odds you see prior to this point are from online sportsbooks.
How to bet ?
When you place your bet on a race is up to you, just as long as you get it in before the window closes for that particular race. For races that have odds posted well in advance like the Derby, you can wager on it well in advance. Just keep in mind that the odds you get can change quite a bit by the time the race actually starts. Plan on placing your bet(s) at an actual racetrack? Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to have ready at the window for each wager.
Name of the track at which the race is being held
Number of the race you are wanting to bet
Amount you want to wager (keep in mind minimum prices)
Type of Wager (win, place, show, exacta, box trifecta, etc)
Number of the horses included in your wager
With a large field of 20 runners trifecta bets are a great way to win big on the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May each year. The largest trifecta payout in recent years was in 2009 when the 50-1 chance Mine That Bird won the race and was followed home in second place by 5-1 Pioneer of the Nile and third was Musket Man at 18-1. A successful $2 trifecta bet on the 2009 Kentucky Derby returned a huge $41,500.
