The morning line odds and post positions have been released for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. It’s time to really dive into the research and figure out which bet(s) I like for Saturday.
The first thing you notice when looking at the odds is that Zandon (3-1) and Epicenter (7-2) are the two favourites, and there are only Essential Quality is a decent sized favourite at odds of 2-1 and there are only 6 horses in the field of 20 that have odds of 12-1 or shorter. After those 6 top contenders the odds lengthen to 20-1 or longer for the other 14 horses in the field. I would be very surprised of one of the 6 horses with 12-1 or shorter odds did not win this years Kentucky Derby.
That said, the Derby is so exciting and fun to handicap because there isn’t a huge amount of information on the three-year-old horses. They have often only ran a few races each, and the Kentucky Derby will be the first time most horses in the field have competed with each other.
Best Kentucky Derby Betting Site for Canadians
2022 Kentucky Derby Morning Line Odds
Below are the official morning line odds (and post positions) for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, set for the 48th straight year by Mike Battaglia.
The morning line is the odds that each horse will begin the day at when betting opens in the Racebook. The odds will change throughout the day depending on the amount of money that is wagered on each horse. The amount of money bet on each horse relative to the entire amount bet on the race winner will determine each horses final odds. Check out our parimutuel betting system page for a further breakdown of this form of betting, which is the norm in horse racing.
- Mo Donegal 10-1
- Happy Jack 30-1
- Epicenter 7-2
- Summer Is Tomorrow 30-1
- Smile Happy 20-1
- Messier 8-1
- Crown Pride 20-1
- Charge It 20-1
- Tiz The Bomb 30-1
- Zandon 3-1
- Pioneer of Medina 30-1
- Taiba 12-1
- Simplification 20-1
- Barber Road 30-1
- White Abarrio 10-1
- Cyberknife 20-1
- Classic Causeway 30-1
- Tawny Port 30-1
- Zozos 20-1
- Ethereal Road 30-1
There are 20 horses taking part in the race and there are six horses who I feel are legitimate competitors, with morning line odds of 12-1 or better. Zandon, the favourite at odds of 3-1 will start from an ideal spot in post 10, while Epicenter, the oddsmakers favourite prior to the post draw, will start from post 3.
The Kentucky Derby futures odds, which are fixed odds, are already quite a bit different than these morning line odds, so I would expect to see these odds change significantly on race day with Zandon’s odds lengthening to closer to 4-1 by the start of the race on Saturday, and Epicenter going off as the favourite.
My Kentucky Derby Pick
I like the odds for Taiba at 12-1. This is Todd Pletcher’s top horse in the Kentucky Derby, and his success as a trainer speaks for itself.
Taiba has only run 2 races in his career, but he looked very fast winning the Santa Anita Derby in 1:48.67 on April 9th. He defeated Messier, another Derby favourite, in that race. He was able to run down Messier down the stretch at the Santa Anita Derby, finding that next gear that he will need to win a race like the Kentucky Derby.
At 12-1 I think the price is right for a bet on Taiba. With only two races there isn’t a lot of history to draw on, but he’s got the job done in both races he’s participated in and I think he has a great chance to win his 3rd start this Saturday.
Taiba 12-1
Below you can see Taiba run down Messier down the stretch to win the Santa Anita Derby.
Where To Bet On The 2022 Kentucky Derby
I will be placing my Kentucky Derby bets at SportsInteraction.com. They are our top rated betting site for Canadians and this includes their racebook. You can check out our how to bet on the 2022 Kentucky Derby in Canada page if you have more questions about getting your wagers placed.
I also suggest that you check out our horse race betting section to learn about the different bets you can make on the Derby, as well as some of the different racing terms you should know when placing your horse racing bets.
Ready to bet on the Kentucky Derby? Click here to visit SportsInteraction.com.
Wow, Nice handicapping Niko! Medina was down to 6-1 when I saw this earlier so didn’t play it but enjoyed watching the event tonight. Congrats on your bet!
Thank you!