The Kentucky Derby has seen plenty of drama in recent years. The 2020 version was moved to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 2021 winner Medina Spirit was disqualified. Legendary trainer Bob Baffert also served a three-year suspension from 2022 to 2024. The 2025 Kentucky Derby, however, could have a sense of normalcy with Baffert back in the mix and no other dustractions as it approaches on Saturday at 6:57 p.m. ET. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds. The Michael McCarthy-trained horse enters the Kentucky Derby 2025 on a four-race win streak.
Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1) are among the other top 2025 Kentucky Derby favorites. 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 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 Rodriguez (12-1), who barely cracks the top 10 finishers in his 2025 Kentucky Derby projections. Rodriguez has a pair of career wins, most notably taking the Wood Memorial, a key prep race, in April. He held off fellow Kentucky Derby horse Grande to win that race at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York.
His Wood Memorial win is getting most of the attention, but he also had a bit of a concerning third-place run at the San Felipe Stakes and a runner-up finish at the Robert B. Lewis Stakes against a mediocre field. Demling has found nine other horses he likes better, including several with significantly longer odds, so Rodriguez is one of the 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to fade. See which other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Demling just revealed in his 2025 Kentucky Derby prediction for Sandman, who is third in the Kentucky Derby odds 2025 at 6-1. Sandman is coming off his best performance, winning the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on March 29. He showcased tactical and closing speed in that race, defeating a quality field to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby 2025.
Sandman did not win either of his other two graded stakes races, finishing second in the Southwest Stakes and third in the Rebel Stakes. He is trained by Mark Casse, who won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 2019, but is still seeking his first Kentucky Derby victory. Sandman is a deep closer who wants a fast early pace in the Run for the Roses.
Demling has also locked in his 2025 Kentucky Derby picks for Journalism, the 3-1 favorite. Journalism has won four straight races, including three graded stakes, and is coming off a victory at the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5. Journalism is the son of Curlin, who had one of the most dominant extended 20-month runs in horse racing history. Curlin often ran and won 11 of 16 career races and never finished worse than fourth. Curlin competed in all three legs of the 2007 Triple Crown and finished in the top three each time, including winning the Preakness Stakes. Twelve of his 16 career races were Grade I stakes.
Journalism’s father’s success is undeniable, but the 3-year-old can secure his own legacy. The Santa Anita Derby was his only Grade I race in five career events and the Kentucky Derby will be his toughest field yet by a significant margin. He’s ran in five-horse fields in each of his first five career races, so with as many as four times as many horses expected to run in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, it’s unknown how the favorite will respond surrounded by a bevy of other horses. 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.