Kentucky Derby 2025 predictions, betting odds: Top win, place, show, trifecta, superfecta expert picks​on May 3, 2025 at 12:05 am

Steve Asmussen has more victories than any other trainer one-third of the way through the calendar year entering the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Still, one of the world’s top trainers is still seeking his first Churchill Downs victory in a Triple Crown race. Asmussen has two chances at changing that at the Kentucky Derby 2025 with two 2025 Kentucky Derby horses. Publisher (20-1) and Tiztastic (20-1) are trained by Asmussen and although both may be 2025 Kentucky Derby longshots, they’ve had previous success.

Publisher finished second at the Arkansas Derby and Mystik Dan, last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, was an Arkansas Derby starter and finished third in that race. Tiztastic is coming off a win in the Louisiana Derby, so should you include either of these horses in your 2025 Kentucky Derby bets? Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds with the first leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday with a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET. With so much to consider while making your 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.

Post No. 1 has earned the nickname “The Dreaded Rail” at the Kentucky Derby, as the horse taking off from the first post often gets trapped inside in the huge 20-horse field and never gets a chance to break out for a victory. No horse since 1986 has won the Kentucky Derby from Post No. 1. No horse has ever won from Post No. 17 in 45 starts, and post positions are one factor you’ll want to factor when seeking out a 2025 Kentucky Derby betting guide. Post No. 5 has produced the most winners (10), so where you start has made a difference throughout Kentucky Derby history.

Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2025 Kentucky Derby picks possible.

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 could be up huge at sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, and 1/ST BET.

Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2025 Kentucky Derby betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2025 Kentucky Derby expert picks

Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:

Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $258.56 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone.

Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $1,113.84 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Forever Young.

Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $8,254 at the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, Forever Young and Catching Freedom.

While Demling has no quibbles about the favorite status of Journalism (3-1), the Michael McCarthy-trained colt isn’t his top pick. Instead, he is building his tickets around Luxor Cafe (15-1) and an even bigger longshot who is “generating buzz on the backside,” spicing up his 2025 Kentucky Derby exotics. You can see his picks here. 

How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby bets

Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2025. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.

So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

2025 Kentucky Derby odds, futures, horses, post positions