2023 Kentucky Derby betting: Horse racing odds, stats, tips - ESPN

The 149th Kentucky Derby is Saturday, with 20 of the best athletes in the world facing off in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. They have been bred for speed and distance, trained since birth by the best in the world. For them, this moment is three years in the making, a chance to win not only the Kentucky Derby but possibly the Triple Crown, one of the greatest athletic accomplishments in sport. The distance is 1¼ miles, and within 2 minutes, a champion will be crowned, a blanket of 554 red roses draped upon them and, from that day forth, they'll be recognized as one of the champions of the sport.

While sports betting is only newly legal or still prohibited in most states, betting on the ponies has a long history in this country, whether at the track or through off-track betting outlets. Still, there are plenty of people new to the activity, or who bet on only the big races. If that describes you, welcome, you're in the right place. I grew up watching Triple Crown races with my grandfather but got more into the sport when I moved to Baltimore in 2006, and attended the Preakness. Today, I share a percentage of horses with the Final Furlong Racing Stables through the Stake in Stardom program created by America's Best Racing. In this column, I'll give you the basics you need to bet the Derby, and some insight into some of the bets I like for Saturday's race.

The 2023 Kentucky Derby will be race No. 12 on Saturday. Post time is 6:57 p.m. ET.

A purse of $3 million — the most lucrative of the three Triple Crown races — will be awarded to the top five horses, with the winner taking home $1.86 million (the jockey $186,000). Second place earns $600,000, third $300,000, fourth $150,000 and fifth $90,000.

This year's Derby