The 2025 Kentucky Derby promises plenty of excitement for horse racing fans everywhere. The Kentucky Derby is heralded as one of the most exciting sporting events in the world, serving as the first leg of horse racing's coveted Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby 2025 will get underway at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3, and only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, with Justify (2018) being the most recent. The favorite to win the first leg of the Triple Crown in 2025 is Journalism, a Michael McCarthy-trained horse coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 5.
Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds. Other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses include Sandman (8-1). Sovereignty (8-1), Rodriguez (10-1) and Tappan Street (10-1). Before making any 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Kentucky Derby picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta, which paid $1,268.20 for $2. In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez nailed 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 jackpot. This year, he hit the winner and exacta in the Holy Bull Stakes and the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby.
For the Run for the Roses, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Kentucky Derby field, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Menez' surprising 2025 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Sandman, even though he won the Arkansas Derby and is one of the top favorites. Sandman has experience at Churchill Downs, but he's yet to have success. He raced three times at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, but his best finish was a third-place showing in the Grade 3 Street Sense last October.
Sandman is trained by Mark Casse, who's never won a Kentucky Derby. Despite victories at the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, Casse's best finish at the Kentucky Derby came with Classic Empire (fourth) in 2017. At 8-1 odds, Menez doesn't see value in Sandman in this field and doesn't see him as the horse to break Casse's winless streak at the Kentucky Derby. See which 2025 Kentucky Derby horses he likes at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby bets, picks
Menez' top pick is a horse who "is bred to only get better with the added distance." He's also high on a double-digit longshot who owns "the most awesome turn of foot of any of the Kentucky Derby hopefuls." Menez is sharing who he likes over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2025, and which double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez' picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who called Mystik Dan as an 18-1 live longshot in last year's race.
2025 Kentucky Derby odds, futures
