It’s All About Betting the 2022 Kentucky Derby Online
Just a few short years ago the only realistic way to make bets on the Kentucky Derby was to attend the race in person or to visit a live racebook. Today, the majority of people who wager on the Run for the Roses will be doing so with an online horse betting site.
If you don’t yet have an online racebook account, there is still plenty of time to get in the game. We would suggest an online racebook like Bovada or 5 Dimes. When you sign up with these racebooks you may be given a welcome bonus on your first deposit. You may also be given a free bet on the Kentucky Derby. Different online racebooks have various promotions for betting the Kentucky Derby.
The real reason that you need to be signed up now for betting horses online is access to handicapping information. An online racebook will give you access to the race replays for all the prep races which lead up to the Derby. You can watch the contenders compete before they take to the track at Churchill Downs.
Evaluating Kentucky Derby Contenders
There are only 20 horses maximum which are allowed to compete in the Kentucky Derby each year. These horses are required to earn their way into the race by earning points in prep races. Some prep races seem to hold more weight than others.
Races like the Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby have produced good runners for the race in Kentucky. The Santa Anita Derby and the Wood Memorial are other races to watch. You may have also had your eye on certain Derby hopefuls since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year. Follow the horses that you like, but stay in the loop with their training activities.
It would benefit you to keep a list of contenders in a notebook. You can make notes regarding their latest performances, workouts, and any changes that may have been made to their equipment. There may be other specific things that you want to look for.
Pay attention to how the horses you are considering have been running in the prep races. There can be excuses made for a single poor performance. A steady decline is another matter altogether. Horses that are falling down steadily may be too tired to hold up to the grueling Triple Crown schedule. They may be dealing with some unknown medical issue that you are unaware of.
Eventually your own analysis will begin to yield certain patterns that may be helpful in your handicapping of the race. What you want to do is narrow down the field of horses to a few solid choices that can be bet on race day.
Narrow the Kentucky Derby Field
As we mentioned earlier, there are 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby in most years. Sometimes there will be a scratch on race day and a horse will be withdrawn. With so many horses entered in the race, narrowing down the field is a must for betting the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Instead of beginning by identifying a winner, you might want to start with looking at horses you feel are not capable of winning. Every year there is one winner of the Derby and 19 losers. If you can spot some of those losers before the race begins, your job of picking the winner will be much easier.
Remember, these horses are young animals that are being asked to do something that they have never done before. They will be running 1 ¼ miles for the first time in their career. You need to look at their previous efforts to make an assessment of speed.
Some horses in the 2022 Kentucky Derby will not be fast enough to win. You can see this clearly in their speed figures when compared with the speed figures of other horses in the race. A horse that has never ran within 20 points of another Derby horse when it comes to speed is unlikely to do so in the race.
What you have to be careful with are horses that are improving. Watch out for the horse which has been steadily increasing its numbers over its past few races. Young horses that are still developing have every right to improve as they get stronger. It is not uncommon for a horse to run a lifetime best speed figure in the Kentucky Derby.
Look For Four Kentucky Derby Contenders
We would recommend that bettors try to focus on picking four horses which have a chance to win. The reason for this is that four contenders will give you a chance to play the exotic bets which are so popular on race day. You will have chances to win the trifecta, superfecta, and more if you have a few favorites.
Picking 4 qualified horses out of 20 may seem like a daunting task, and we are not going to lie. It is. This is what makes betting the 2022 Kentucky Derby an intellectual challenge. It will bring out the best in your skills as a handicapper.
Decide on your four horses and keep them written down in a notebook. Prepare to watch their workouts leading up to the race. Watch the news for any breaking information that may have an impact on how they will perform on race day. Eat, sleep, and drink these four horses as you approach the Kentucky Derby.
2022 Kentucky Derby Betting Strategies
Before the morning of the race you need to be prepared with an overall betting strategy. If you find yourself with no betting plan as the race is about to begin, you are probably in trouble. This is not a horse racing event that you can just approach like throwing darts at a board.
A good betting plan will include the bankroll that you will plan on using. The size of your bankroll is dependent on how many bets you intend to make. It also depends on the size of your betting unit. For a minimum, about $200 would be a good bankroll for the casual bettor.
The more money that you have, the more chances you will have to be a winner. There is nothing worse than not being able to take advantage of special betting opportunities because you don’t have the money.
A good strategy is also having down the bets you want to make in a notebook. You can plan out how to play your exotics and which horses will be your keys. When it comes time to make your bets at the online racebook, you will be prepared for betting the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Check our Bovada racebook review, or AmWager review & 5Dimes review for folks outside the US as 5 dimes does not have a U.S.A license yet! You can also read other reviews such as Twinspires review, Betamerica review.
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