We’re just over a month away from the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3, and the Road to the Kentucky Derby is heating up. The second leg of Kentucky Derby prep races awards 100 qualifying points to the winners, and Tiztastic and Final Gambit shot to the top of the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby standings with wins in the Louisiana Derby and Jeff Ruby Stakes, respectively. Journalism is the 5-1 favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds after his win at the San Felipe Stakes, followed by Sovereignty at 7-1 after his win in the Fountain of Youth. Who are the top 2025 Kentucky Derby contenders and who will win the 151st Run for the Roses? Before making any 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 11 times in the last 16 years. He also predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years and called 10 of the last 20 Preakness winners, including in 2023, when he hit the winner, exacta, trifecta and superfecta, as well as the trifecta in 2024. Anyone who has followed him on those picks is up huge.
Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby futures already on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2025 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Final Gambit, even though he is one of the top favorites and just won the Jeff Ruby Stakes. Brad Cox is one of the best trainers in the business and this son of Not This Time out of Tapit mare Pachinko has showed impressive closing ability in his last two races, going last-to-first to break his maiden in February at Turfway Park before making an impressive move late on the same track to win the G3 Jeff Ruby.
However, Not This Time was run incredibly lightly during his career and the cutthroat price of 10-1 likely has more to do with being a grandson of legendary sire Tapit than anything. Demling notes that in his win at the Jeff Ruby Stakes, the race broke strangely with all the speed at the front suddenly coming to a halt to allow Final Gambit to make his late charge from the back of the pack. Going back-to-front against a 20-horse field full of true speed will be a much tougher test and is one that Demling doesn’t think he’s up for just yet. See which other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Coal Battle, even though he is a 14-1 longshot in the latest Kentucky Derby odds 2025. With five wins already in seven career starts, including a win in the Rebel Stakes, Coal Battle is already one of the most experienced and winningest horses on the Road to the Kentucky Derby 2025.
He’ll take another test on Saturday in the Arkansas Derby against a strong field, but he’s almost assured a spot in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field if he hits the board at all. “The son of Coal Front is trained by Lonnie Briley and is perhaps the most versatile of all the contenders. He could win a number of different ways and a big Arkansas Derby will have him sticking around the top,” Demling said. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who “could be a superstar.” Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2025, and which double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed 11 Derby-Oaks doubles.
2025 Kentucky Derby odds, futures
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