The 2025 Kentucky Derby goes to post at 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday from Churchill Downs. At the conclusion of the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby 2025, the winner will be awarded a lush blanket of red roses and the Kentucky Derby Trophies. The winning owner will receive a 22-inch gold trophy, while the victorious trainer, jockey and breeder will receive silver half-size replicas. Journalism is the favorite to win in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds at 3-1. The favorite, however, hasn’t won the last six years, so it’s no guarantee that Journalism will leave Churchill Downs with the prize.
Other 2025 Kentucky Derby contenders include Sovereignty (5-1), Sandman (6-1), Rodriguez (12-1) and Burnham Square (12-1). Before making any 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and 2025 Kentucky Derby futures bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling, considering his domination of this race.
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 on sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET is up huge.
Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2025 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions, expert analysis
One surprise: Demling is fading Sandman, even though he is third in the Kentucky Derby odds 2025 at 6-1. After winning just two of his first seven starts, Sandman’s trainer, Mark Casse, said the horse was better suited for longer distances. That proved to be correct after he claimed the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby in his last start. That was an impressive victory, as Sandman beat two other horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field, though just one horse over the last 20 years has won the Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby.
Sandman’s father, Tapit, was a Grade 1 thoroughbred who has sired four Triple Crown race winners, however, none of those wins came at Churchill Downs. Trainer Mark Casse is well-versed with the Kentucky Derby, having 10 previous starts, while jockey Jose Ortiz has nine previous rides in the Run for the Roses. While that lengthy experience is no doubt a positive, it’s also worth pointing out that neither Casse nor Ortiz has won the Kentucky Derby across their 19 combined starts. See which other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Demling also locked in his 2025 Kentucky Derby prediction for Sovereignty. The second-place finisher in the Florida Derby is the oddsmakers’ second choice at 5-1 odds, behind only Journalism (3-1). He lost by a length-and-a-quarter to Tappan Street, who was ruled out of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby 2025 field due to injury.
Sovereignty is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and enters with two wins and two second place finishes in five career starts. Under regular rider Junior Alvarado, the three-year-old colt could be flying from the back as the horses come down the stretch. With a projected speed dual up front, he may be able to pass tired horses late and finish near the top.
Demling has also locked in his 2025 Kentucky Derby picks for Journalism, the 3-1 favorite. He is the son of Curlin, who ran often and won 11 of 16 career races, never finishing worse than fourth.
Journalism debuted to a third-place finish in a maiden race at Santa Anita last October. However, he hasn’t lost since, breaking his maiden at Del Mar three weeks later and announcing himself as a serious contender by winning the Los Alamitos Futurity in December. During his three-year-old season, he has added wins at the San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on a huge double-digit longshot who is “generating buzz on the backside.” Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2025, and which huge double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed 11 Derby-Oaks doubles.
2025 Kentucky Derby odds, post positions
2025 Kentucky Derby horse profiles
1 Citizen Bull | 2 Neoequos | 3 Final Gambit | 5 American Promise | 6 Admire Daytona | 7 Luxor Cafe | 8 Journalism | 9 Burnham Square | 11 Flying Mohawk | 12 East Avenue | 13 Publisher | 14 Tiztastic | 15 Render Judgment | 16 Coal Battle | 17 Sandman | 18 Sovereignty | 19 Chunk of Gold | 20 Owen Almighty | 21 Baeza