Second to only The Grand National, the Kentucky Derby is the most well known and anticipated horse race in not only the United States but around the world. It is prestigious not only for those owners entering horses into this yearly race but also for those who visit the track. ‘Derby Day’ is an exciting day for all concerned. It is a day when even people who never gamble otherwise will risk a few dollars on their favorite horse. Though nothing compares to being there to see the race in person, it is a great day for those who are unable to attend to gather friends and family to party and watch the race live on television.

For serious gamblers the Kentucky Derby is a chance to win some serious money. Horse racing is in a gambling world of its own because it takes more than luck to win. It requires studying the form of the horses entered, checking their past racing history, and evaluating their chances of winning on a given track. Still, on the actual day, even armed with all of the relevant information, a gambler’s chosen horse may lose due to unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather and a muddy track.

Being able to place a bet on a horse running in the Kentucky Derby can be done from the comfort of home. The official website for the Kentucky Derby offers gamblers the opportunity to place their bets on their site. The site provides information about the horses entered and many other interesting details relevant to this grand race. An account is required and the site recommends that if a gambler wishes to place a bet on the Kentucky Derby that he or she signs up prior to race day so that they can bet quickly before the race starts and not experience any delays or disappointments. Once an account has been created account holders also have access to the full race schedule and betting on other races through the site. There are a number of reputable sites online that offer betting on the Kentucky Derby and many other horse races. Like any online gambling site these sites must be licensed in order to operate. Still, it is wise for any prospective gambler to put in a little time to research to ensure the site they are considering giving their money to is licensed, offers security for personal information, and has good customer service should they run into an issue. Sadly, with the growing popularity of online gambling, there are many sites being created that are not legal and offer little to no security for personal information. These sites pop up quickly, take a gambler’s money and then disappear.

There are 3 basic bets to place on the Kentucky Derby, and are as follows:

Win:
Just as it sounds, a ‘win’ means that the horse must come in first place. Place: A ‘place’ means that the horse must come in first or second place.
Show:
A ‘show’ means that the horse must finish in either first, second or third place. A win is the hardest to gauge and therefore provides the highest payoff. As a place and show are easier to win given there are two and three chances respectively the payoff is lower. For the more adventurous and seasoned horse racing gamblers, there are other exciting bets to make, but due to the lower chance of choosing the winning horse they come with a higher payoff. These are as follows:

Exacta: To win an exacta bet a gambler must choose two horses to win first and second places. It is imperative that the gambler choose not only the horses but which placement they will finish the race in. This can be extremely difficult to do but should a gambler be successful in doing so he or she will be rewarded with a generous amount of money.
Trifecta: This is the most difficult of all to win as the gambler has to choose three horses to win first, second and third places. Just as with an exacta bet the gambler must choose which horse takes each place in order to win. This is the bet that carries the highest payout of all of the betting options due to the level of difficulty.