With the news that Churchill Downs will host a virtual Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, odds for The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown have come out at select sportsbooks.
Although the actual Kentucky Derby won't take place until September due to COVID-19, race organizers have decided to put on a computer-simulated version of The Run for the Roses featuring former Triple Crown winners.
All thirteen Triple Crown winners will compete in this virtual event, which will use data algorithms of their historical Churchill Downs performances to project a winner.
The competition is part of a Kentucky Derby at home party planned by NBC Sports which will air on Saturday, May 2 at 3 p.m ET. And of course you can't have horse racing without horse race betting, so without further delay here are the odds to win the Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown.
Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown betting odds
| Horse | Triple Crown Showdown Odds To Win |
|---|---|
| Secretariat | +115 |
| American Pharoah | +200 |
| Seattle Slew | +300 |
| Affirmed | +400 |
| Justify | +600 |
| War Admiral | +800 |
| Omaha | +1,200 |
| Citation | +1,200 |
| Whirlaway | +2,500 |
| Assault | +2,500 |
| Sir Barton | +3,500 |
| Count Fleet | +4,000 |
| Gallant Fox | +4,500 |
Who is the favorite to win the virtual Kentucky Derby?
Secretariat is not only the most iconic name in horse racing history but he is also the favorite to win the virtual Kentucy Derby at +115. Secretariat set the track record at Churchill Downs in 1973, finishing in 1:59.4.
American Pharoah, who claimed the Triple Crown in 2015, is second on the virtual horse racing odds board at +200.
In what may be a case of recency bias, the five most recent winners of the Triple Crown have the five best odds of winning the Triple Crown Showdown. Here is a list of all 13 Triple Crown winners and their Kentucky Derby times.
Who was the fastest Triple Crown winner at Churchill Downs?
| Year | Horse | Kentucky Derby Time | Track Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Secretariat | 1:59.4 | Fast |
| 1978 | Affirmed | 2:01.2 | Fast |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | 2:01.4 | Fast |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | 2:02.2 | Fast |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 2:03.02 | Fast |
| 1937 | War Admiral | 2:03.2 | Fast |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | 2:04.0 | Fast |
| 2018 | Justify | 2:04.20 | Sloppy |
| 1935 | Omaha | 2:05.0 | Good |
| 1948 | Citation | 2:05.4 | Sloppy |
| 1946 | Assault | 2:06.6 | Slow |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | 2:07.6 | Good |
| 1919 | Sir Barton | 2:09.8 | Heavy |
Understanding horse racing betting odds
Horse racing bets usually fall under two categories: straight and exotic. A straight winner is focused on the performance of a single horse. While exotic bets require picking how multiple horses finish the race. The most common way to wager horse racing odds is to pick a straight winner. Which is exactly what it sounds like, you pick the winner of the race. Other straight betting options are to bet a horse to place (to finish first or second) and to show (to finish first, second or third).
Horse racing odds are most often displayed as fractions. And is essentially simple math: dividing one number by another and then taking that sum and multiplying it by your bet amount. For example, the favorite of a given race could be 3/1. The means a one dollar wager would return three dollars. In some instances, a heavily favored horse could be 1/3. Which means you would need to wager three dollars to win just one. If you don’t like fractions, try our odds converter tool to switch to American or decimal style odds.
Where can I bet on the virtual Kentucky Derby odds?
Since the Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown is a virtual horse racing odds market and not an actual competition with real horses, not every sportsbook will offer bets on this event. Check out some of the best sportsbooks available where you live and see if they have odds for the virtual Kentucky Derby.
