The Run for the Roses has finally arrived and the field is set for the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday. New Jersey-born jockey Joe Bravo is looking for his first Kentucky Derby victory in his fourth overall appearance, previously placing third in the 2014 edition aboard Danza. Bravo will be aboard Pioneer of Medina at the Kentucky Derby 2022, a 47-1 long shot entering Saturday’s Kentucky Derby lineup. Pioneer of Medina will start out of the No. 11 post, which last produced a winner in 1988 (Winning Colors). Zandon is 8-1 in the latest Kentucky Derby odds, with Epicenter (5-1), Taiba (5-1), Messier (7-1) and Mo Donegal (8-1) coming in as notable 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders. Churchill Downs will host the 148th Kentucky Derby with a post time scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET. With so much to consider while making your 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The Kentucky Derby began in 1875 with Aristides winning the 1 1/2-mile race in front of roughly 10,000 spectators at what is now Churchill Downs. Now, the race is run at 1 1/4-mile and with full capacity crowds returning after two years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, there are expected to be over 150,000 fans in attendance on Saturday for the 148th Run for the Roses. Last year, Brad Cox became the first Louisville native to win the Kentucky Derby as a trainer. Cox grew up two blocks from Churchill Downs and was awarded the win with Mandaloun after Medina Spirit was disqualified for failing a drug test. Cox will have three entries in the 2022 Kentucky Derby field: Cyberknife (14-1), Zozos (39-1) and Tawny Port (67-1).
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 2022 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 been on-point with his horse racing bets. He hit the exacta in the Wood Memorial in April. Last year, he hit the exacta, trifecta and superfecta in the Belmont Stakes. This is the same handicapper who hit the Derby-Oaks double at Churchill Downs nine times in the last 13 years. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but four times in his last 13 tries.
In addition, at one point in 2020, he picked the winners of six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes. On Friday, he nailed the exacta in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks. Anyone who has followed him on these races is way up. Now, he’s sharing all of his 2022 Kentucky Derby bets here.
Top 2022 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 $503 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit and Mandaloun.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $1,696.90 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, and Hot Rod Charlie.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $9,456.40 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and Essential Quality.
While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Epicenter (5-1) and Taiba (5-1), he plans to hold tickets with Messier (7-1), Zandon (8-1), as well as four double-digit underdogs who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2022 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2022. 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 2022 Kentucky Derby.
