The best horses in the United Staes will run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Get free Kentucky Derby expert picks here, and find out the best sportsbooks with the best Kentucky Derby bonuses for betting the race online!
Here are the free picks and expert handicapping advice you need to bet on the 2021 Kentucky Derby!
Up to 20 of the best three-year-old horses in the United States will Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The purse is $3 million, the distance is 1 1/4 miles on dirt, and the winner’s name will live forever in horse racing’s memory. The favorite is Essential Quality, but is he the best bet? Keep reading for free expert Kentucky Derby picks.
| Horse |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Quality | +315 | +275 | +250 |
| Rock Your World | +450 | +500 | +575 |
| Known Agenda | +700 | +700 | +1000 |
| Hot Rod Charlie | +800 | +1000 | +900 |
| Highly Motivated | +1000 | +800 | +900 |
| Medina Spirit | +1400 | +1200 | +1600 |
Only 20,000 to 30,000 fans will be allowed to go to the Kentucky Derby this year. If you can’t get a ticket or you can’t travel to Kentucky, you can still bet the 2021 Kentucky Derby online if you choose the best online sportsbook.
Sportsbooks offer special deposit bonuses, rebates, guarantees, and Kentucky Derby handicapping contests. No matter how you play, one or more of the best horse racing sportsbooks will have the right promotion for you. Check out the types of bonuses you can find here.
Since the advent of the points system in 2013, the first horse to cross the wire in the Kentucky Derby has been one of the more expected horses. Even though 65-1 shot Country House was placed first in 2019, he won by disqualification. The first horse across the wire was Maximum Security, the second choice at the betting windows.
2020 winner Authentic was another formful winner: not the first betting favorite, like the winners from 2013 through 2018, but still a logical contender: he was the bettors’ third choice, and he won a Grade 1 in his last start before the Derby.
This year Essential Quality will be the betting favorite; the two-year-old champion remains undefeated and comes into the Derby out of a victory in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2). However, he came close to being defeated in the Blue Grass, and his trainer has never run a Kentucky Derby horse before. This looks like an interesting year for an upset.
This is the official field for the 2021 Kentucky Derby with post positions, jockeys and trainers:
No horses entered on an also-eligible list, so if any horses scratch the week of the race, the Kentucky Derby will be run with fewer than 20 horses.
The top horse for the 2021 Kentucky Derby is Known Agenda.
Known Agenda won the Florida Derby (G1) in his most recent start. Kentucky Derby winners usually won their last start, and the Florida Derby winner usually runs well in Kentucky. He can pass horses while not having to drop too far off the pace, and being by Curlin with some strong European stamina underneath, he should run well at 1 1/4 miles.
Essential Quality may have questions around his new-to-the-Derby trainer and his close call at Keeneland, but he does have a victory at Churchill and he has passed every test so far. He also is by Tapit, a top stallion who has no Kentucky Derby winner yet but has three winners of the even longer Belmont Stakes.
Rock Your World is getting a lot of betting attention, but he will be one of many speed horses in this field and may not get the best trip. Super Stock won the Arkansas Derby, but that race didn’t draw as good a field as usual.
Hot Rod Charlie is the best of the other shorter-priced horses, but even he comes out of the Louisiana Derby, whose winners rarely repeat in Kentucky, making him less exciting at a short price.
Beyond Known Agenda and Essential Quality, it makes sense to look to the longshots to fill out your Kentucky Derby bets.
King Fury won the Lexington Stakes and steps up to the big time for the Kentucky Derby. His trainer Ken McPeek usually does better second off a layoff than first off, suggesting that he can move forward off of an already good outing in the Lexington. He will have a lot of pace to close into, and he is already a stakes winner at Churchill.
Helium is undefeated, three-for-three. He showed grit when he won the Tampa Bay Derby, and he has shown enough different running styles in his three starts so far to suggest that he will be able to make his own good trip in the Kentucky Derby. Though it is hard to win the Kentucky Derby with just three starts, he is a good price horse for exotics.
Other longshots to consider for exotic wagers include Dynamic One and Midnight Bourbon. Dynamic One is bred well for the step up in trip and can get a good trip rallying into the speed without being too far back. Though Midnight Bourbon has speed, he is consistent and gritty enough to keep going even when it’s tough upfront, and can hang on for a piece.
Make your selections with our free Kentucky Derby handicapping:
The Kentucky Derby isn’t all there is on Saturday’s card. The undercard features six other rich stakes races that drew some of the best horses in the country. Make sure to use these horses when you are playing the Kentucky Derby undercard, including an all-stakes Pick 6 that runs from the Derby City Distaff through the Kentucky Derby.
Category : News
More articles...What: UFC 310 Who: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura in the main event When: Saturday, December 7 Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada How to watch: PPV event Another exciting UFC event is here for everyone across the planet to enjoy. With 2025 almost being here, don't forget that there are still some great […]
What: 2024 MLS Cup Who: LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls Where: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California When: Saturday, December 7 at 1 p.m. PT How to watch: ESPN and Univision And then there were two. Over the weekend, the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals took place for Major League Soccer […]
What: 2024 Qatar Grand Prix Where: Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar When: Sunday, December 1 How to watch: ESPN2 and ESPN+ There have been some excellent Formula 1 races this season and there's still more to look forward to before we flip the calendar and look forward to 2025. That's right, this weekend a […]
While a ton of people across the planet are focusing on the college football season, and understandably so, don't forget that NCAA basketball is here for everyone to enjoy. We've already seen some great games being posted by some of the best student-athletes in the country. With that said, one team is standing tall above […]
