You should consider pedigree, connections, results and track conditions before placing your 2022 Kentucky Derby bets. Time is running out ahead of Saturday’s 6:57 p.m. ET post time, when Churchill Downs will host the 148th Run for the Roses. Trainer Steve Asmussen has more wins than anyone in the history of North American horse racing, but he’s 0-for-23 in his career at he Kentucky Derby. Asmussen trains Epicenter, one of the 2022 Kentucky Derby favorites at 7-2 in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds. Zandon built momentum with an impressive win at the Blue Grass Stakes on a rainy day and is the 3-1 favorite with a potentially wet track in store at Churchill Downs after rain on Friday. With so much to consider while making your 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The first Kentucky Derby was run in 1875 at Churchill Downs and Aristides won, besting a field of 14 other horses in the 1 1/2-mile race. The race was shortened to 1 1/4 miles in 1896, when Ben Brush won with a winning time of 2:07.75. Secretariat broke the two-minute mark with a record-setting time of 1:59.40 in 1973, while only one other horse (Monarchos in 2001) has ever run the race in under two minutes. Todd Pletcher, Doug O’Neill and D. Wayne Lukas are the only three 2022 Kentucky Derby trainers with multiple Derby wins. Pletcher won with Super Saver and Always Dreaming, while Lukas won with Winning Colors, Thunder Gulch, Grindstone and Charismatic. O’Neill won running I’ll Have Another and Nyquist.
Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2022 Kentucky Derby picks possible.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has been on-point with his horse racing bets. He hit the exacta in the Wood Memorial in April. Last year, he hit the exacta, trifecta and superfecta in the Belmont Stakes. This is the same handicapper who hit the Derby-Oaks double at Churchill Downs nine times in the last 13 years. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but four times in his last 13 tries.
In addition, at one point in 2020, he picked the winners of six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes. On Friday, he nailed the exacta in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks. Anyone who has followed him on these races is way up. Now, he’s sharing all of his 2022 Kentucky Derby bets here.
Top 2022 Kentucky Derby expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $503 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit and Mandaloun.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $1,696.90 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, and Hot Rod Charlie.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $9,456.40 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and Essential Quality.
While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Zandon (3-1), he plans to hold tickets with Messier (8-1), Epicenter (7-2), as well as four double-digit underdogs who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2022 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2022. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
