The month of May marks the start of the Triple Crown horse racing series for the top three-year old thoroughbreds in the nation. The crown jewel of this three-race affair is the annual Kentucky Derby. This race is traditionally run the first Saturday in May at fabled Churchill Downs. Touted as the most exciting two minutes in sports, this is also the single-biggest betting event of the year for horse racing.
The Benefits of Betting on Horses at an Online Sportsbook
One of the easiest things to do in the US gambling industry is betting on horses. Along with the 80 plus tracks that are scattered across North America, many states offer legal off-track betting venues for both horse and dog racing. There are numerous betting sites geared toward booking bets for horse races that are more than happy to take your action.
While anyone of these outlets makes it easy to bet this year?s Kentucky Derby, the best outlet is still the online sportsbook. Just about every online sportsbook has its own racebook for betting on horses. This combines to give bettors the best of both worlds when big events such as the Kentucky Derby roll around.
By betting the race through the sportsbook, you can lock in guaranteed odds that are not subject to change given the money coming in on the race. For example, Game Winner is one of the popular favorites to win this year?s Kentucky Derby. His current odds on the board at a few of the biggest online books is +600 as the second favorite.
The pre-race draw a few days before the actual race will not only determine the starting position for each horse in the field, it will also be the basis for the morning line which sets the early betting odds. Game Winner may open at 5/1 or less when the morning line is set. That number will then go up or down depending on the wagers coming in. If you bet him at the track, you will get his odds at post time. Locking him in now at your favorite online sportsbook could turn out to be the best betting value.
Horse Racing Betting Head-to-Head Matchups
Another big reason why you should bet the Kentucky Derby at an online racebook is diversity. Racebooks and other online horse betting venues normally do not have a grocery list of prop bets to add even more action to the race. Online books let you bet on any number of props tied to the actual race on the track. You can bet the OVER/UNDER on the winning time. You can bet on the margin of victory. You can even bet on who the winning trainer will be.
When it comes to overall betting value, the best way to bet on any major graded stakes race is head-to-head matchups. Another favorite for this year?s Kentucky Derby is Roadster. He recently won the Santa Anita Derby ahead of Game Winner. You could bet on another head-to-head matchup between the two at Churchill. It does not matter where each horse ends up as long as the one you bet on finishes at least one position better than the other.
How to bet guide for questions regarding horse betting tips and advice
If you do decide to bet the Kentucky Derby through an online book?s racebook, many of the top sites offer a rebate incentive on your total betting activity, win or lose. The entire card at Churchill on Derby Day is loaded with some big money races, so you can make a day of it betting just this track.
Racebooks also offer access to every North American and many international tracks running a daily race card. Getting in on all the action is as easy as transferring some money from your sports betting account into your horse racing account for the day.
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