The chase for horse racing's Triple Crown begins on Saturday when the 2022 Kentucky Derby goes to post at 6:57 p.m. ET. The 2022 Kentucky Derby field is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years. Zandon, Epicenter and Messier are drawing much of the pre-race buzz, but it's tough to rule out any of the 2022 Kentucky Derby horses who are converging on Churchill Downs this week. Zandon is the 2022 Kentucky Derby favorite at 3-1, but five other 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders are listed at 12-1 or lower, including Epicenter at 7-2 and Messier at 8-1. No horse is going off at higher than 30-1 in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds, so oddsmakers are expecting an epic two minutes. With so much to consider while making your 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
Saturday will be the 148th Run for the Roses, but only 36 horses that have won the Kentucky Derby have also won the second leg of the Triple Crown. Only 13 horses have then managed to win all three American Classics. Justify was the last to do it in 2018, but his trainer, Bob Baffert, is serving a 90-day suspension after Medina Spirit was disqualified for failing a post-race drug test after crossing the line first at last year's Kentucky Derby. Louisville local Brad Cox was awarded the win with Mandaloun after Medina Spirit was stripped of the title.
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 three 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. 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 Zandon (3-1), he plans to hold tickets with Messier (8-1), Epicenter (7-2), 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.
2022 Kentucky Derby odds, field, contenders
| Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|
| Zandon | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Epicenter | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| Messier | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| White Abarrio | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Mo Donegal | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Taiba | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Smile Happy | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Crown Pride | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Charge It | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Simplification | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Cyberknife | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Zozos | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Happy Jack | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Summer Is Tomorrow | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Tiz the Bomb | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Pioneer of Medina | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Barber Road | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Classic Causeway | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Tawny Port | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Ethereal Road | 30-1 |
SEE PICKS |