The first race of the Triple Crown series has arrived, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby set for Saturday at 6:57 p.m. ET. American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018) won the Triple Crown in the last decade, and the horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field have a chance to keep that dream alive for their 2025 Kentucky Derby trainers. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, followed by Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1). Should you include any of those 2025 Kentucky Derby horses in your 2025 Kentucky Derby wagers?
There are a whopping nine horses going off at 30-1 in the Kentucky Derby odds 2025, and the favorite has not won since Justify. Country House (65-1 in 2019) and Rich Strike (80-1 in 2022) both won as massive longshots in recent years, so that could entice some bettors to back the 2025 Kentucky Derby longshots on this year's board. 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 on betting sites like TwinSpires and 1/ST BET is up huge.
Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2025 Kentucky Derby betting 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 Rodriguez (12-1), who barely cracks the top 10 finishers in his 2025 Kentucky Derby projections. The Bob Baffert-trained colt clinched his spot in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field with a win in the Wood Memorial earlier this month, beating fellow Kentucky Derby entrant Grande. However, he previously lost to multiple 2025 Kentucky Derby horses in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and San Felipe Stakes.
Rodriguez finished a distant third behind Journalism in the San Felipe, and it will be even more difficult for him to succeed in a 20-horse field. He also finished behind Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis, so there are signs he cannot finish ahead of several horses in Saturday's 2025 Kentucky Derby lineup. See which other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Luxor Cafe, even though he is a 15-1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby odds 2025. Forever Young proved last year at the Kentucky Derby that although Japanese horses are winless in seven runs at the Kentucky Derby, they are coming, and it seems to only be a matter of time until that statistic changes. Forever Young finished third in last year's Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, and Demling believes Luxor Cafe can continue the ascent of Japanese horses on the Triple Crown stage.
Luxor Cafe has won four straight races, including three stakes events. Joao Moreira is considered one of the best jockeys in Hong Kong, but he'll be making his Kentucky Derby debut on Saturday. There are always unknowns around international horses, but even the most casual horse racing fan should recognize something about Luxor Cafe. His father, American Pharoah, won the 2015 Triple Crown and that bloodline and that pedigree plays to Luxor Cafe's advantage. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on a colossal double-digit longshot who is "generating buzz on the backside." 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 huge 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, post positions
| Post | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Citizen Bull | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Neoequos | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Final Gambit | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Rodriguez | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | American Promise | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Admire Daytona | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Luxor Cafe | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Journalism | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Burnham Square | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Grande | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Flying Mohawk | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | East Avenue | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 13 | Publisher | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 14 | Tiztastic | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 15 | Render Judgement | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 16 | Coal Battle | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 17 | Sandman | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 18 | Sovereignty | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 19 | Chunk of Gold | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 20 | Owen Almighty | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
