Jody Demling has revealed his win, place and show picks for the Kentucky Derby 2025 on Saturday, May 3
Jody Demling has revealed his win, place and show picks for the Kentucky Derby 2025 on Saturday, May 3
Bob Baffert thought he had broken the record for most Kentucky Derby wins by a trainer in 2021 when Medina Spirit crossed the line in first. However, the horse failed post-race drug test, which led to the crown eventually being stripped. Baffert was handed a three-year suspension by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Now, Baffert will make his return to Churchill Downs on Saturday for the 2025 Kentucky Derby with two 2025 Kentucky Derby horses in the field to give him a chance at a seventh title again. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull drew the rail at last weekend’s 2025 Kentucky Derby post draw and is 20-1 in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds.
Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez is priced at 12-1 out of Baffert’s stable. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite and is followed in the 2025 Kentucky Derby betting odds by Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1). Post time is set for 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.
There are six 2025 Kentucky Derby trainers with previous wins in the Run for the Roses. Baffert’s six wins are the most among active trainers, but 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas has a chance to reach exalted status with American Promise, who romped to a 7 3/4-length win at the Virginia Derby to qualify. Lukas has saddled 50 horses in the Kentucky Derby, second-most in history behind Todd Pletcher, who has sent 65 to the starting gate. Pletcher will have a chance to win his third Run for the Roses with Grande, who finished second in the Wood Memorial despite receiving a wide trip. Baffert, Lukas and Pletcher are the only trainers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field with multiple Kentucky Derby wins, but Brad Cox, Bill Mott and Kenny McPeek could all join that club with a win.
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
| 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 |