2019 Kentucky Derby Betting Strategies

Written by on May 4, 2019

The 2019 Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 4. Like all Derbies, everybody’s got an opinion on who will win. To cash, though, it makes sense to come up with a Kentucky Derby betting strategy. Check out 4 possible Kentucky Derby betting strategies for the Run for the Roses.

Strategies to Cash on the Kentucky Derby

Strategy #1 – Build Tickets Around the Chalk

The Kentucky Derby favorite has won the past 6 runnings. Right now, the favorite is Omaha Beach at +450. A strategy with a high probability of success could be to create exacta and trifecta tickets around Omaha Beach.

Use Omaha Beach in the win, place, and show slots in your trifecta while also using him on both the top and bottom in exactas. For a $2 exacta with Omaha Beach on top, the cost is $38. For a $1 exacta with Omaha Beach on the bottom of all 19 of his competitors, the cost is only $19.

You could use the chalk in a high-probability exacta for a total investment of $57.

Strategy #2 – Drop All Baffert Horses from Your Top 2

A strategy only unique to the 2019 Kentucky Derby could be to drop Bob Baffert trained horses from finishing first or second on all your tickets. Bob Baffert trains 3 of the 4 favorites: Improbable, Game Winner, and Roadster.

If you believe all three of Baffert’s horses fail to secure win or place money, you could drop all 3 and go for a big cashing ticket. Definitely handicap the race before using this strategy, though. Baffert’s runners are 3 of the top 4 choices for a reason.

Strategy #3 – Key the Likeliest Front Runner in the Place and Show Slots

What horse do you think will get the lead? Will it be Vekoma? Will it be Maximum Security? A Good strategy is to use the horse you think will get the lead and then key that horse in the place and show slot in your exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.

It’s difficult to wire the Kentucky Derby. Talented horses like Vekoma and Maximum Security can most definitely finish second or third, though. You’ll still need to construct a ticket with a winner and who you believe finishes around the front runner, but this could be a ticket cashing strategy.

Strategy #4 – Go Super SoCal

Instead of dropping Baffert’s horses, use all 3 of his runners and Omaha Beach. A $1 trifecta box with Improbable, Game Winner, Omaha Beach, and Roadster only costs $24.

Since the year started, most horseplayers have considered the best three-year-olds in the nation to be the SoCal runners. Why not go super SoCal with the Baffert runners and Omaha Beach?

Kentucky Derby 2019 Racing News