The 2025 Kentucky Derby will kick off the American horse racing Triple Crown when it gets underway on Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby 2025 will mark the 151st edition of the Run for the Roses and serve as the first leg of the Triple Crown. The 2025 Kentucky Derby field is beginning to materialize, and will continue to take shape as races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby continue. Barnes (8-1) and Citizen Bull (9-1), both trained by Bob Baffert, are the top two favorites in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds. This will mark the first year Baffert is eligible to return from his three-year suspension. Should you target either horse when making your 2025 Kentucky Derby prediction? Before making any 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
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 is up huge.
Now, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby futures already on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Demling's surprising 2025 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading John Hancock, even though he is undefeated and coming off a win in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. The three-year-old colt made his debut at the MSW at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 8, where he won with a speed figure of 113, but that wasn't enough to convince Demling he has the pedigree to win at Churchill Downs. The Sam F. Davis Stakes, while prestigious in its own right, has yet to produce a winner in the Run for the Roses.
With that being the case, Demling is backing other horses in his Kentucky Derby futures bets at this point. John Hancock isn't as battle-tested as some of the other top contenders in the field, and Demling needs to see more from the Brad H. Cox-trained colt. "The Brad Cox-trained colt is 2-for-2 and won the Sam F. Davis Stakes in his last start," Demling told SportsLine. "Solid, but still has a lot of room for improvement." See which other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Burnham Square, even though he is a 15-1 longshot in the latest Kentucky Derby odds 2025. The horse has finished in the money in four of five starts, ending 2024 by breaking maiden and then beginning 2025 with a victory at the G3 Holy Bull Stakes. This 3-year-old gelding is trained by Aussie, Ian Wilkes, who has just one prior Kentucky Derby start under his belt (eighth place in 2017), but Wilkes has multiple G1 wins on his resume, including at the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Speaking of G1 wins, Burnham Square's pedigree has plenty of those, indicating the horse has the genetics to get one himself. Both his sire and grandsire collected multiple Grade I victories, while his dam, Linda, had a G2 win at Churchill Downs in 2016. Burnham Square is a horse on the rise, as Demling says, "He has gotten better and better each start" so now could be the time to jump on him with Kentucky Derby 2025 bets. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who has "lots and lots of potential." 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 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, futures
| Horse | Odds | Projection |
| Barnes | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Citizen Bull | 9-1 | SEE PICKS |
| All other 3-year-olds | 9-2 | SEE PICKS |
| Burnham Square | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Sandman | 16-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Sovereignty | 17-1 | SEE PICKS |
| East Avenue | 18-1 | SEE PICKS |
| John Hancock | 21-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Chancer McPatrick | 23-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Rodriguez | 29-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Disco Time | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Captain Cook | 35-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Patch Adams | 37-1 | SEE PICKS |
| River Thames | 38-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Built | 43-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Tappan Street | 46-1 | SEE PICKS |
| First Resort | 49-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Getaway Car | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Hypnus | 51-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Coal Battle | 58-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Grande | 61-1 | SEE PICKS |