After a chaotic few months of delays and changes, horse racing’s biggest event of the year is here. The Derby is set to run on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. We will get you ready for betting the 2020 Kentucky Derby.
The 146th Derby was rescheduled from May 2 to its new starting date.
KENTUCKY DERBY BETTING AT A TOP ONLINE SPORTSBOOK
Here are some important details to know before betting on the 2020 Kentucky Derby:
- Date: 6:50 p.m. ET on Sept. 5, 2020
- Track: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
- Distance: 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs) on Dirt
- Watch: NBC, Online Sportsbook Livestream
2020 Kentucky Derby Field
The Kentucky Derby is open to 3-year-old thoroughbred horses, and it attracts the sport’s greatest runners each year.
Here is a look at the current field and odds for the 2020 Kentucky Derby:
- Tiz the Law (4-5)
- Art Collector (9-2)
- Honor A.P. (7-1)
- Authentic (10-1)
- Thousand Words (12-1)
- King Guillermo (24-1)
- Enforceable (28-1)
- Ny Traffic (30-1)
- Max Player (40-1)
- Sole Volante (50-1)
- Storm the Court (60-1)
- Attachment Rate (65-1)
- Major Fed (75-1)
- Shirl’s Speight (100-1)
- Finnick the Fierce (125-1)
- Rushie (150-1)
- Winning Impression (150-1)
The early favorite coming into the Kentucky Derby at 4-5 odds is the New-York bred Tiz the Law. He has the fastest Brisnet Speed Figure at 108 among the field, which came in his Feb. 1 Holy Bull (G2) victory at Gulfstream Park.

Tiz the Law also won the Belmont Stakes, as well as the Travers Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths, which was his final run before the Kentucky Derby.
Another top runner coming in with early odds at 9-2 is Art Collector. He won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on July 11 to take a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
Art Collector is the son of Bernardini and grandson of A.P. Indy, who both have victories on the Triple Crown trail. He also won the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Derby.
Betting on the Derby
Now that you know the contenders set for the race and their odds, it’s important to look at how to bet on the 2020 Kentucky Derby. We will show you the absolute basics and a little more.
There are a few different wagers types available, each with their own level of difficulty to hit and payout potential. They can be broken down into two categories: Simple Wagers (WIN, PLACE, SHOW) and Exotic Wagers (EXACTA, TRIFECTA, SUPERFECTA).
Here are the wagers and what it takes to win:
- WIN, PLACE, SHOW — This bet requires you to select the horses that finish first, second, and third in the race. These bets can also be separated individually for one horse.
- EXACTA — Requires you to select the first two horses in the correct finishing order.
- TRIFECTA — Requires you to select the first three horses in the correct finishing order.
- SUPERFECTA — Requires you to select the first four horses in the correct finishing order.
These are the most popular bets for the Kentucky Derby, and there are even more options such as the DAILY DOUBLE, PICK 3, and PICK 6 if you are going to wager on more than one race on the card.
You also have the option to “box” exotic bets, which means you still have to select the horses for first, second, third, or fourth, depending on the wager, but they can cross the line in any order. Boxing a bet will make the wager more expensive.
Now that you know the basics for betting the horses on the 2020 Kentucky Derby, make sure to be part of the “Running for the Roses” on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.