In what many call the most exciting two minutes in sports, the annual running of the Kentucky Derby will take place this upcoming Saturday, May 2nd.  The race will be shown live the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on NBC at 6pm (EST). Below you will find some of our 2015 Kentucky Derby picks with a breakdown of the odds & race entries.  The general general predictions from famous horse racing experts and handicappers are listed below. 

The overwhelming favorite for the 2015 Kentucky Derby is American Pharoah.  Listed at 3.5 to 1 odds (at 5Dimes Sportsbook), Pharoah is ridden by famous jockey, Victor Espinoza, who also jockeyed last year’s winner of California Chrome.  Many of of the famous experts, including Jill Byrne & Ed DeRosa, have predicted Pharoah will cross the finish first.  The duo of trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza is the most highlighted team of them all and why American Pharoah is the favorite.   We at Bankroll Sports truly don’t think you will find any value betting the popular pick in Pharoah.  He is likely to go off at very poor odds due to him being the popular expert pick and the fact that Espinoza will be on him and there are too many strong horses in the field. Pharoah will also have to work from way out outside as he got a bad draw with the 18th post position.

A very popular pick from racing cappers & a true thoroughbred that want to avoid overlooking, is undefeated Dortmund (2015 Kentucky Derby Odds: 3 to 1 at 5Dimes Racebook).  Dortmund will be coming out of the number 8 post and is trained by the popular Bob Baffert, who is also training the popular favorite, American Pharoah.  To fill out an MVP team, Dortmund’s saddle will be controlled by Martin Garcia.  

As we said, there are some other impressive horses in the field, and not all the experts are backing American Pharoah.  While not exactly contrarian picks, other experts, like Daily Facing Form’s David Grening, is keen on the other Bob Baffert trained horse. The handicappers at Bankroll Sports also like Grening’s pick of Carpe Diem who’s morning line is at 8 to 1 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby (odds from 5Dimes Sportsbook).  Carpe Diem will be ridden by soon-to-be-retired and legendary jockey, John Velazquez.  Velazquez will look to add to his impressive resume including a 2011 derby win (on the back of Animal Kingdom).  Velazquez hopes to go out out on top by winning the grand daddy of them all one more time.  Our handicappers (as well as many) love trainer Todd Pletcher and expect him to have Carpe Diem ready for the longer track at Churchill Downs.  We also like that Carpe Diem has the inside number 2 post position, giving him the chance to get out in front and ride the rail.  Throw in that he’s not one of the Baffert trained horses, you are likely to end up with a decent price at post time.

Todd Pletcher (Carpe Diam’s trainer) will be training several horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby.  Aside from Carpe Diem, the most well-known of them (from many horse racing aficionados) would be Materiality (2015 Kentucky Derby Odds: 21 to 1).  Materiality is from the stud of the briefly-famous Afleet Alex.  This is a nice bloodline as Afleet Alex won the Preakness Stakes & Belmont Stakes in 2005 (as well as three other majors). Materiality is being ridden by a red-hot rider in jockey Javier Castellano. The experienced Castellano finished number one overall in jockey earnings the past two years (2014 & 2015) and did so on the backs of some significant horses.  If you are looking for a sleeper, Materiality’s morning line of 21 to 1 offers tremendous value.

The 140^th running of the Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday from Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. We’ll take a look at some of the contenders in the field that makes this the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

California Chrome (3.1 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is the current favorite to win the race and for good reason. With 6 wins in 10 starts, the chestnut is running at a high level that could win the race. He won the Santa Anita Derby is dominating fashion, running the last quarter mile in 24.2 seconds winning by more than five lengths. Should he replicate that performance, he will certainly be hard to beat.

Trainer Bob Baffert is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby, with 3 wins in his career. Baffert once again has a contender in Hoppertunity (15 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) with 2 wins in 5 starts. Hoppertunity didn’t look too impressive in the Santa Anita Derby, yet he did have a strong finish rallying from a slow start. How Baffert trains at Churchill should be interesting, and with his experience could be a major factor in the race.

With 5 wins in 6 starts, Samraat (21 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) looks like an attractive play. All of his wins have been in New York, and his last race was a second place finish to Wicked Strong (currently 9.5 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) in Aqueduct’s Wood Memorial. The 3-year-old colt runs hard no matter what, and his last race was the first time he was surrounded and covered up, yet showed a lot of determination in rallying a few times. This colt definitely should not be overlooked. Samraat’s trainer Rick Violette believes the last race will only make him better, should that be the case, Samraat is a contender.

Trainer Todd Pletcher’s colt Intense Holiday (currently 29 to 1 odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook) is showing some value with his lifetime 2-1-1 record in 8 starts. The colt has an effective kick, and he does have a good amount of starts under his belt. Some have said that his style is a perfect fit for the Derby this year. If he can stay in the pack and not get in trouble early, he has the ability to make a good stretch run.

All Odds To Win The 2013 Triple Crown Below

Beating the Kentucky Derby odds, the Preakness Stakes odds, and the Belmont Stakes odds in the same year has been virtually impossible. In fact, for the better part of the last 3.5 decades, there hasn’t been a horse that has pulled off the remarkable feat. Now, one horse will have a chance to put his name amongst all of the fantastic horses in the history of the sport that have won the three biggest races of the year in succession, if he can just figure out how to tame the 1 1/2 mile run at the Belmont Stakes in three weeks.

Here is a full list of horses that have won the Triple Crown…

Full List Of Triple Crown Winners
1978 – Affirmed
1977 – Seattle Slew
1973 – Secretariat
1948 – Citation
1946 – Assault
1943 – Count Fleet
1941 – Whirlaway
1937 – War Admiral
1935 – Omaha
1930 – Gallant Fox
1919 – Sir Barton

Every single year, the horse that beats the Kentucky Derby odds have a chance to get the job done to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. This year, there really only seem to be two horses that are given any chance to win the Triple Crown.

The first is Orb. The fact that this horse is only 20 to 1 to win the Triple Crown are probably some pretty nice odds. Figure if Orb goes on to win the Kentucky Derby at 4 to 1, he will probably be right around an odds on favorite to win the Preakness Stakes and certainly be an odds on favorite if he ultimately wins both of the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Just doing the simple math proves that if you like Orb, you should be betting on him to win the Triple Crown, perhaps even more so than you are betting on him just to win the Kentucky Derby.

The other logical horse to back is Verrazano. This is a horse that has only run four times in his entire career, but at least all four of those races came as a three-year old. Verrazano is an undefeated horse, and you have to love that about him. Interestingly enough, of all of the horses in the Kentucky Derby field, the one that is the favorite to win the Triple Crown is Verrazano. The logic must be that this is an undefeated horse, and it is very unlikely that Orb comes to the Preakness Stakes if this race is lost. There is a good chance that Verrazano will go to the Preakness Stakes if he doesn’t win the Derby.

Full List Of Triple Crown Losers
2008 – Big Brown
2004 – Smarty Jones
2003 – Funny Cide
2002 – War Emblem
1999 – Charismatic
1998 – Real Quiet
1997 – Silver Charm
1989 – Sunday Silence
1987 – Alysheba
1981 – Pleasant Colony
1979 – Spectacular Bid
1971 – Canonero II
1969 – Majestic Prince
1968 – Forward Pass
1966 – Kauai King
1964 – Northern Dancer
1961 – Carry Back
1958 – Tim Tam
1944 – Pensive
1936 – Bold Venture
1932 – Burgoo King

However, we know that these aren’t the only two horses that have a shot at claiming the Run for the Roses. It is going to take a horse that has the speed and the distance to be able to win the last two legs of the Triple Crown, and that’s something that is going to be awfully difficult to find. Perhaps a colt like Java’s War might be in good shape. He’s 185 to 1 to be able to get the job done, and there is no doubt that if he finds a way to win the 1 1/4 mile race, he will once again be favored at the Preakness Stakes. This is the type of horse that has a really tough time winning the Belmont Stakes, though. We know that Java’s War is going to try to win any race that he is in from behind, as he puts in his best work in the final quarter mile of any run that he has.

And then of course, there is the other possibility that there won’t be a Triple Crown winner. If you think that there is any horse that has a shot at doing it, you can get 7 to 1 odds, but in all likelihood, this will be another year without a Triple Crown triumph. When you consider the fact that there are so many more quality horses now than there were 25 years ago, it’s no wonder why it is so difficult to win the Triple Crown. Add in the fact that there have only been 11 three-year old colts to ever win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, and it goes without saying that the best bet might be taking the -1100 that a horse won’t win all three legs of the Triple Crown.

Odds To Win The Triple Crown @ 5Dimes Sportsbook
Oxbow 325 to 1
Revolutionary 48 to 1
Golden Soul 550 to 1
Normandy Invasion 71 to 1
Mylute 235 to 1
Giant Finish 440 to 1
Goldencents 33 to 1
Overanalyze 92 to 1
Palace Malice 235 to 1
Lines of Battle 235 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 95 to 1
Falling Sky 475 to 1
Verrazano 18 to 1
Charming Kitten 325 to 1
Orb 20 to 1
Will Take Charge 210 to 1
Frac Daddy 430 to 1
Java’s War 185 to 1
Vyjack 165 to 1
Any Horse Wins Triple Crown 7 to 1

Listed below are the current 2013 Kentucky Derby odds for the entire field!

Click Here For The Kentucky Derby Daily Racing Form Including Kentucky Derby Past Performances

The 2013 version of the Run for the Roses is nearly here, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are making our 2013 Kentucky Derby picks and predictions, along with trying to break down the Kentucky Derby odds on the board at our featured sportsbooks!

2013 Kentucky Derby Predictions & Info
2013 Kentucky Derby Date: Saturday, May 4th, 2013
2013 Kentucky Derby Post Time: 6:25 p.m. (ET)
2013 Kentucky Derby Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
2013 Kentucky Derby TV Coverage – Network: NBC

2013 Kentucky Derby Post Draws & Kentucky Derby Morning Line Odds

Verrazano might be the only undefeated horse in the field, but he isn’t the only horse that is unbeaten as a three year old. Orb (2013 Kentucky Derby Odds: 5 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) went through the Florida circuit this year, and he was one of the most impressive horses that we have seen in the prep races thus far. We do see a few problems with Orb, though. The biggest is that he hasn’t had a Beyer Speed Rating beyond a 97 yet in his career. Yes, he was impressive at both the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, but in both races, he only managed a 97 speed rating. The other issue is that his style of running from off of the pace often provides issues for some of the top dogs in the field. Orb isn’t going to settle into 5th or 6th place at the outset like he has in a number of races in the past, and if he does, it’s only going to be because he put out a ton of energy in doing so. Instead, he is going to have to get out of the way of a number of horses down the stretch to be able to run down the leaders, perhaps of which Verrazano could be one. It’s a scary situation for sure to be in if you’re an Orb supporter, but you have to be wowed by what he has accomplished thus far this year regardless.

Past Kentucky Derby Winners (Since 2000)
2012 Kentucky Derby Winner: I’ll Have Another
2011 Kentucky Derby Winner: Animal Kingdom
2010 Kentucky Derby Winner: Super Saver
2009 Kentucky Derby Winner: Mine That Bird
2008 Kentucky Derby Winner: Big Brown
2007 Kentucky Derby Winner: Street Sense
2006 Kentucky Derby Winner: Barbaro
2005 Kentucky Derby Winner: Giacomo
2004 Kentucky Derby Winner: Smarty Jones
2003 Kentucky Derby Winner: Funny Cide
2002 Kentucky Derby Winner: War Emblem
2001 Kentucky Derby Winner: Monarchos
2000 Kentucky Derby Winner: Fusaichi Pegasus

If you’re going to be the best three-year old colt in the world, you’d better be able to stand toe to toe with the best in the biz. That’s why we think that Normandy Invasion (2013 Kentucky Derby Lines: 10 to 1 at BetOnline Sportsbook) is particularly intriguing. We don’t know if the 10 to 1 odds that we see on the board are quite as good as we will see come post time on Saturday, but we do know that this is a horse that we are very interested in. Rarely this late in their careers to the oddsmakers get it wrong with these horses. There’s a reason that Normandy’s Invasion was considered one of the favorites on the odds to win the Wood Memorial this year, and there’s an even better reason that this race ended up being so close. We haven’t seen Normandy Invasion win but once in his career, and though that doesn’t bode well for the Run for the Roses, we still think that this could be one of the sneakiest horses that the race has to offer.

There is a heck of a lot of talk about Blue Grass Stakes winner Java’s War as the best closer in this race, but we aren’t so sure that he was even truly the best closer at Keeneland that day. Palace Malice (2013 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds: 30 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) really stood toe to toe with Java’s War down the stretch of that race, and though he didn’t run well at the outset, Palace Malice definitely was a horse to contend with. We think that this is a colt that has gotten a rough break in his career, as he had a rough run at the Louisiana Derby and was outkicked at the Rising Star. However, at 5 to 1 in the Blue Grass Stakes, which was the second highest price that this horse has ever had in his career, he only lost by a neck to Java’s War, and he certainly was good enough to win the race. Palace Malice has some awesome bloodlines as well, probably amongst the best that we see at the Derby, and he definitely has the combination of the speed and the distance to be able to win the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

The third place horse in the Blue Grass Stakes might be one to watch as well. Charming Kitten (Odds To Win The Kentucky Derby: 40 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) has a great price on his head right now. This colt ran a whale of a race at the Blue Grass Stakes, and even though he finished third, he was right there making the charge with Java’s War as well. This is a well race horse that has ties to some great tradition of horse racing. He also has a great trainer in Todd Pletcher as well, and Pletcher isn’t bringing a horse to the Derby just for the sake of entering him. Charming Kitten has never run faster than an 88 Beyer Speed rating, but up until the Blue Grass, he was favored everywhere that he went. Don’t be shocked if this is one of these Mine That Bird type of horses that comes out of absolutely nowhere to ultimately get on the podium at the Derby.

Current 2013 Kentucky Derby Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 5/4/13):
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Oxbow 40 to 1
Revolutionary 8.50 to 1
Golden Soul 60 to 1
Normandy Invasion 10 to 1
Mylute 22 to 1
Giant Finish 45 to 1
Goldencents 6.25 to 1
Overanalyze 16 to 1
Palace Malice 30 to 1
Lines of Battle 32 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 14 to 1
Falling Sky 55 to 1
Verrazano 5.50 to 1
Charming Kitten 40 to 1
Orb 5 to 1
Will Take Charge 30 to 1
Frac Daddy 35 to 1
Java’s War 25 to 1
Vyjack 30 to 1

Top 3 Finish at Kentucky Derby
All Odds Available From 5Dimes.eu
Oxbow 8.50 to 1
Revolutionary 2 to 1
Golden Soul 14 to 1
Normandy Invasion 2.65 to 1
Mylute 7.75 to 1
Giant Finish 14 to 1
Goldencents 1.75 to 1
Overanalyze 3.50 to 1
Palace Malice 7.50 to 1
Lines of Battle 7.50 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 3.20 to 1
Falling Sky 12 to 1
Verrazano 1.10 to 1
Charming Kitten 10 to 1
Orb 1 to 1.05
Will Take Charge 6 to 1
Frac Daddy 8.50 to 1
Java’s War 5.75 to 1
Vyjack 5.75 to 1

Current 2013 Kentucky Derby Lines @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 5/4/13):
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Oxbow 30 to 1
Revolutionary 8 to 1
Golden Soul 50 to 1
Normandy Invasion 8 to 1
Mylute 30 to 1
Giant Finish 50 to 1
Goldencents 7 to 1
Overanalyze 12 to 1
Palace Malice 18 to 1
Lines of Battle 16 to 1
Itsmyluckyday 10 to 1
Falling Sky 40 to 1
Verrazano 4.50 to 1
Charming Kitten 30 to 1
Orb 4 to 1
Will Take Charge 25 to 1
Frac Daddy 40 to 1
Java’s War 16 to 1
Vyjack 20 to 1

Kentucky Derby Matchups @ Bovada Sportsbook (as of 5/4/13):
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Orb -135 vs. Verrazano +105
Goldencents -120 vs. Revolutionary -110
Normandy Invasion -160 vs. Mylute +130
Goldencents -155 vs. Normandy Invasion +125
Verrazano -140 vs. Goldencents +110
Normandy Invasion -150 vs. Vyjack +120
Revolutionary -145 vs. Overanalyze +115
Frac Daddy +110 vs. Lines of Battle -140
Mylute +105 vs. Itsmyluckyday -135
Palace Malice -140 vs. Charming Kitten +110
Goldencents +130 vs. Orb -160
Will Take Charge -110 vs. Oxbox -120
Frac Daddy -130 vs. Falling Sky +100
Java’s War -115 vs. Vyjack -115
Itsmyluckyday -105 vs. Overanalyze -125
Oxbow -115 vs. Lines of Battle -115
Palace Malice +100 vs. Will Take Charge -130
Charming Kitten +150 vs. Mylute -180
Giant Finish -125 vs. Golden Soul -105
Charming Kitten +120 vs. Will Take Charge -150
Verrazano -160 vs. Revolutionary +120
Verrazano -175 vs. Normandy Invasion +135
Verrazano -245 vs. Overanalyze +175
Verrazano -230 vs. Itsmyluckyday +170
Verrazano -310 vs. Java’s War +230
Verrazano -245 vs. Vyjack +175
Verrazano -365 vs. Lines of Battle +255
Verrazano -335 vs. Will Take Charge +245
Verrazano -365 vs. Palace Malice +255
Verrazano -310 vs. Mylute +230
Verrazano -410 vs. Oxbow +290
Verrazano -410 vs. Charming Kitten +290
Verrazano -510 vs. Falling Sky +340
Verrazano -410 vs. Frac Daddy +290
Verrazano -460 vs. Giant Finish +320
Verrazano -565 vs. Golden Soul +375
Orb -185 vs. Revolutionary +145
Orb -215 vs. Normandy Invasion +165
Orb -320 vs. Overanalyze +240
Orb -300 vs. Itsmyluckyday +220
Orb -420 vs. Java’s War +300
Orb -320 vs. Vyjack +240
Orb -530 vs. Lines of Battle +350
Orb -475 vs. Will Take Charge +325
Orb -530 vs. Palace Malice +350
Orb -420 vs. Mylute +300
Orb -600 vs. Oxbow +400
Orb -600 vs. Charming Kitten +400
Orb -900 vs. Falling Sky +500
Orb -600 vs. Frac Daddy +400
Orb -750 vs. Giant Finish +450
Orb -1050 vs. Golden Soul +550

This will be the first edition of a set of weekly articles that will come out just before every weekend breaking down the best proposition bets for the weekend. Basically, we will break down some of the most interesting and intriguing prop bets heading into the weekend for you to consider placing bets on to earn some cash on your days off work. We will be reviewing and studying every sport to give the best prop bet at the right time for your money while also trying to include the always popular prop bets as well. Take a look at these Top 3 Prop Bets for you to consider heading into the weekend..

Bet #1 – PGA Golf (The Masters)
Head to Head – Paul Casey (-130) vs. Sergio Garcia (Even) (Thursday)
The PGA Tour will make a stop in Augusta, Georgia this weekend to tee off for the first Major Tournament of the 2009 campaign. The Masters has been one of the most beautiful and exciting golf spectacles for many years now providing some great action for the PGA Tour’s first big event. Bodog Sportsbook has many great betting actions on the event from head to head matchups, opening round group odds, and more. We found a very interesting match-up between Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia. Garcia made the news earlier this season as he closed in on Tiger Woods number 1 ranking while Woods was still recovering from knee surgery. However, Garcia has been playing anything but strong over the past few weeks heading into the Masters. Garcia has played in 4 events and has not been in the top 10 once including a 77th finish in the Shell Houston Open last week. Casey on the other hand won the Shell Houston Open making it his first victory in the United States and jumped from 12th to 6th in the world rankings. Garcia has never been consistent at Augusta National and we expect some more of the same type performance this weekend. While Casey will be riding a wave of confidence and we expect him to play well. Consider placing an above average type bet on Casey. Pick – Casey -130

Bet #2 NBA (Denver at Los Angeles) (Thursday)
The Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets late Thursday night at home in a showdown of front runners in the Western Conference. The Lakers are winners of 4 straight games and own a 2-1 record against the Nuggets so far this season. However, Denver is playing better than any team in the league perhaps winning 12 of their last 13 games and 7 straight. In the previous meetings these games have stayed unpredictably low in scoring despite both teams tendency to have high scoring averages. While nearly all indications point to the Lakers having a big night considering they are playing at home where they are 33-5 this season and Andrew Bynum will possibly return to the lineup. However, we are going to take Denver in this game considering how well they have been shooting the ball to be the spoiler this Thursday. J.R Smith and Carmelo Anthony have led the team in scoring every game since the middle of March. Both standouts are averaging right at 20 points per game over the winning streak. Even though Kobe Bryant has been stellar against the Nuggets this season, we expect Denver to have a similar outcomes as they did back in the previous meeting back in February when they got the victory 90-79 except this time there will be more points scored. Pick – Denver

Bet #3 – Kentucky Derby (May 2nd)
Whether you are a fan of horse racing or not, one thing is for sure that when you hear the Kentucky Derby you know it means something special. While most bettors tend to shy away from Horse Racing bets because they simply may not keep up with the sport, betting on a horse race may be the most profitable sport to bet on considering you always get great odds. The 2009 run for the roses is being hyped to be a very exciting spectacle mainly because there are so many great horses with legitimate shots to win this year. One of the horses to have your eye on is “I Want Revenge.” This California bred horse is a proven runner who captured a win just a few weeks back at the Gotham at Aqueduct. I Want Revenge is being posted as a 7/2 favorite to win the entire event this weekend. The horse is quickly emerging as the leading favorite to be covered in the blanket of roses after the most famous dash in horse racing on May 2nd. However, go ahead and get the odds while they are still reasonable and if you do not feel comfortable picking I Want Revenge as a winner be sure to place the horse for a bet to be a top 3 finisher. Pick – “I Want Revenge” (7/2)