“The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” has also been among the tightest two minutes in recent years. The Kentucky Derby has been decided by less than one full length in three of the past four races, including an epic photo finish in 2024. The 2025 Kentucky Derby is shaping up to be another thrilling race as post time approaches at 6:57 p.m. ET from Churchill Downs on Saturday. Three 2025 Kentucky Derby horses, Journalism (3-1), Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1), stand out as the favorites in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds.
With no horse going off at higher than 30-1, however, oddsmakers see a relatively balanced 2025 Kentucky Derby field that could produce another close call at the wire. Who wins this year’s Run for the Roses and which longshots should you consider to spice up your exactas, trifectas and superfectas? SportsLine’s horse racing experts are breaking down the Kentucky Derby 2025 from all angles.
Handicapper Jody Demling has hit 11 Derby-Oaks doubles in the last 16 years. He’s also nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years and predicted the winner of the Preakness 10 of the last 20 years. Anyone who has followed him on those picks on betting sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET is up huge. You can see Demling’s full projected leaderboard at SportsLine.
Here are three Kentucky Derby longshots to target, according to Demling:
Burnham Square (12-1)
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. is one of the top riders at Churchill Downs and he used his intimate knowledge of the grounds to help pilot Mystik Dan to a masterful win in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Mystik Dan came from the No. 3 post to win as an 18-1 longshot in a three-way photo finish over Sierra Leone and Forever Young. Hernandez navigated heavy traffic and squeezed by on the rail before holding off the late chargers for a historic win.
Now, Hernandez teams up with Australian trainer Ian Wilkes, who won the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Fort Larned and was an assistant trainer when Carl Nafzger won with Street Sense in 2007. Burnham Square was bred to handle this distance and he’s one of the most proven closers in the field with come-from-behind wins in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Blue Grass Stakes. You can bet Burnham Square at FanDuel Racing now and get a no-sweat first bet up to $500:
Luxor Cafe (15-1)
Luxor Cafe, the son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, has taken a unique path to make it in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field. He was born and bred in Kentucky before being sold to Koichi Nishikawa, who then took him to Japan Luxor Cafe has won four of his six career races, including the Fukuryu Stakes in March before shipping back to America to prepare for the Derby.
Luxor Cafe’s stock is rising because he previously beat Admire Daytona head-to-head in Japan and Admire Daytona then went on to win the UAE Derby. Despite only coming to America in late April, Demling says Luxor Cafe “still looks good and could be a surprise.” You can bet on Luxor Cafe at 1/ST BET and get up to $250 in bonus funds:
Publisher (20-1)
Publisher has emerged as a legitimate contender following his strong second-place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. He is a late developing 3-year-old who was sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and his pedigree suggests strong potential for a race of this distance. Trainer Steve Asmussen is the winningest trainer in North American horse racing and has previously won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
This is an opportunity for Asmussen to record his first Kentucky Derby victory, as Publisher finished fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes before his career-best performance in Arkansas. He has made steady improvement as his races have increased in distance, indicating that he should be able to handle the Derby’s distance. Publisher is a longshot who should be in the mix down the stretch on Saturday night. You can bet Publisher now at TwinSpires and get up to $400 in bonus bets.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is also high on a colossal double-digit longshot who is “generating buzz on the backside” and has revealed his pick to win the 151st Run for the Roses. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Kentucky Derby leaderboard and betting tickets, over at SportsLine.
SportsLine also has Kentucky Derby 2025 picks from long-time horse racing journalist Gene Menez, who gave out last year’s winner Mystik Dan (18-1) as a live longshot. You can also find 2025 Kentucky Derby bets from Michelle Yu, a racing analyst who has already hit winners in multiple prep races this year.
Best Kentucky Derby betting promos
Here are several places to bet on the Kentucky Derby.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Jornal argentino Olé repercute erros de árbitros: “Escândalo no Brasileirão”
Foto: ReproduçãoA publicação destacou especialmente os duelos entre São Paulo x Palmeiras e Bragantino x Grêmio. Ambos marcados por decisões controversas que provocaram protestos de jogadores, dirigentes e torcedores. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEA repercussão na ArgentinaNa reportagem publicada na manhã desta segunda-feira (6), o Olé relatou que a Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) foi obrigada a agir diante da pressão gerada pelas polêmicas. O diário descreveu o cenário do futebol brasileiro como “em ebulição”. Com a disputa intensa entre Palmeiras, Flamengo e Cruzeiro na parte de cima da tabela e uma crescente insatisfação com a atuação dos árbitros.“Escândalo no Brasileirão: a CBF afastou dois árbitros e determinou que passem por treinamentos até que estejam em condições ideais para voltar a atuar”, escreveu o jornal. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEO texto argentino explicou que o afastamento temporário de Ramon Abatti Abel e Ilbert Estevam da Silva, […]
CBF não apresentará áudios do VAR de São Paulo x Palmeiras
Disputa de bola em São Paulo x Palmeiras. Foto: Marcello Zambrana/AGIFO clássico entre São Paulo e Palmeiras, válido pela 27ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, terminou com vitória alviverde por 3 a 2. No entanto, o resultado ficou em segundo plano diante da enorme polêmica envolvendo a arbitragem de Ramon Abatti Abel e o VAR de Ilbert Estevam da Silva. A repercussão foi tamanha que ambos foram afastados pela CBF, que reconheceu ao clube do Morumbi que houve erros na condução da partida. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEApesar das reclamações, a CBF não divulgará os áudios do VAR referentes aos lances questionados. A decisão levantou dúvidas entre torcedores e dirigentes tricolores, que aguardavam uma explicação pública após os episódios controversos no MorumBIS.Reclamações do São PauloLogo após o apito final, dirigentes do São Paulo entraram em contato com Samir Xaud, presidente da entidade, para relatar […]
Centimetry od velké rány. Sauberu se při zastávce v boxech odkutálelo kolo
Diváci svou pozornost upírali spíš na čelo závodu, kde Norris naháněl druhého Verstappena. Na konci 13. kola ale zamířili do boxu první piloti, konkrétně Brazilec Bortoleto na Sauberu a Júki Cunoda s Red Bullem, kteří se pohybovali ve druhé polovině startovního roštu.Bortoleto se u svých mechaniků zdržel o něco déle, protože mu měnili poškozené přední křídlo. Nehodu ale mohla způsobit pravá přední pneumatika. Když ji totiž mechanik měnil, odložil ji tak nešikovně, že se kolo začalo kutálet přímo do cesty Cunodovi, jenž v tu chvíli odjížděl od svého týmu.Havárii naštěstí předešel jiný člen Sauberu, který si potulující se pneumatiky všiml včas a její pohyb zastavil. „Rozhodně to nebyl náš závod,“ komentoval po dojezdu Bortoleto. „Hned v prvním kole jsem si poškodil přední křídlo a v tu chvíli jsem věděl, že mě čeká těžký závod,“ dodal.Z vítězství se v Singapuru nakonec radoval George Russell na Mercedesu, pro nějž se jednalo o páté […]
Barcelona queria se livrar dele. Agora, ele é uma estrela da liga
Ansu Fati está provando que merecia um voto de confiança do Barça (Foto: Anthony Bibard/FEP/Icon Sport)Ansu Fati, que já chegou a ser avaliado em impressionantes 80 milhões de euros, atualmente tem seu valor estimado pelo portal Transfermarkt em uma quantia dezesseis vezes menor. O Barcelona desfrutou por pouco tempo da explosão de talento do atacante, que estreou na temporada 2019/20. No verão de 2023, o Barça o emprestou ao Brighton, e dois anos depois, aos 22 anos, transferiu-se para o Monaco sob as mesmas condições. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEEmbora o clube catalão esperasse uma transferência definitiva, teve que se contentar com um empréstimo com opção de compra. Fati representava um grande peso para o orçamento salarial do Barcelona e, além disso, não correspondia às expectativas ou enfrentava constantes lesões. Apesar de o clube querer se desfazer de sua jovem promessa, agora certamente […]
Legenda se opřela do trpícího Vingegaarda: Netrénoval a nepřipravil se
V etapových závodech sbírá jeden úspěch za druhým. Velké jednorázovky ale Vingegaardovi prostě nesvědčí. Vždyť v kariéře, na rozdíl od svého rivala Tadeje Pogačara, ještě nevyhrál žádnou, a dokonce se ani jednou neumístil na stupních vítězů. „Nikdy jsem nenašel správný přístup k jednodenním závodů. Prostě nevím, jak v nich být dobrý,“ připouštěl Dán ještě před svou premiérou na evropském šampionátu.Ve Francii se měl řadit do okruhu širších favoritů. Vždyť náročná trať se spoustou stoupání je pro něj jako dělaná. Jenže už při prvním přejezdu přes Saint-Romain-de-Lerps bylo jasné, že Vingegaard se s formou nepotkal.¡Vingegaard explota y dice adiós al oro! El danés dijo adiós a sus opciones en este Europeo a 109 kilómetros para la meta. "Las carreras de un día siguen sin ser lo suyo".😞😥 📹 Eurosport pic.twitter.com/Hc3Wsbk2Fp— ⚡MazaCiclismo⚡ (@RuedaPedal) October 5, 2025 Od svého vítězství na španělské Vueltě v polovině září žádný další závod […]
Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel Have Surprising Patriots Looking Like AFC East Contenders
The New England Patriots looked a long way from respectability when they went 4-13 in each of the past two seasons.Not many people predicted New England could be a playoff team this season. It looks like a lot of people might be wrong about the Patriots. Mike Vrabel is now running New England and apparently he doesn’t need a rebuilding season to restore order in Foxborough. Vrabel is getting it done immediately, which was under display on the Sunday night stage when the Patriots recorded a 23-20 road victory over the Buffalo Bills. New England is a very surprising 3-2, one win shy of matching those consecutive four-win campaigns before we even hit mid-October. The loss was the first of the season for the Bills and left the NFL with no undefeated teams. The Denver Broncos defeated the Philadelphia Eagles […]
Be the first to leave a comment