Kentucky Derby Lines

Anybody familiar with the internationally renowned sport of horse racing will be no stranger to the Kentucky Derby, which is no doubt the biggest and most important Gr 1 flat thoroughbred horse race on the American horse racing calendar each year.

Run in the beginning of May by three-year-olds at Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky over 1 1/4 miles on dirt, the Kentucky Derby is the first of the three prestigious US Triple Crown of Races - the other two being the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in New York.

However, there is little doubt that of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby is the most coveted, and is considered by most race horse owners, trainers and jockeys as the race to win. It is also attracts a large number of betting fans each year, and not just from the United States and Canada, but from all over the world.

Kentucky Derby History

The inspiration for the Kentucky Derby is widely attributed to Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr, the grandson of the William Clark of the historical Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1872, while on a visit to England, Clark Jr watched the Epsom Derby where he started forming the idea to launch a similar race back in the United States.

Upon his return, Clark Jr was instrumental in founding the Louisville Jockey Club which was aimed at raising capital to build a racecourse just outside of Louisville. The resulting racing venue eventually evolved into Churchill Downs and just three years after his trip to England, Clark Jr realized his dream of launching a US version of the Epsom Derby.

The inaugural Kentucky Derby took place on May 17, 1875, which attracted a field of 15 runners. An estimated 10,000 spectators turned out for the big race which in those days - like the Epsom Derby - was contested over 1 1/2 miles. That race was won by a colt named Aristides, who romped over first in a time of 2:37.75, ridden by Ansel Williamson.

And the rest, as they say, is history. While the race distance of the Kentucky Derby was eventually changed to its current 1 1/4 miles, the race has managed to retain its patina as the most historical and important of all US horse races. Today, horse racing fans from all over the world descend on Churchill Downs to watch the Derby live in their tens of thousands.

Kentucky Derby Lines

Always a popular betting line at bookmakers, thanks to the advent of online sportsbooks and betting sites, wagering on the Kentucky Derby has never been easier or more convenient. The vast majority of reputable online sportsbooks these days offer a host of Kentucky Derby lines, with constantly updated odds. This means that Kentucky Derby betting fans are assured of receiving the best Kentucky Derby odds no matter when or where they choose to wager.

2012 Kentucky Derby Odds

With the 2012 Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 5, betting fans are expected to inundate online sports betting sites with their wagers. Although this race has attracted a strong field, it is considered to be wide open. That said, the early favorites have been laid as Bodemeister (9/2), Union Rags (9/2), Gemologist (7/1), Dullahan (8/1), Alpha (11/1) and Creative Cause (11/1).