The Kentucky Derby odds have seen about 24 hours of wagering action, and while 3-1 morning-line favorite Journalism has drifted up slightly to 7-2, he is still the public's choice on race day morning.
Let's take a look at the early line movement and latest news ahead of the 2025 Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 3, including the possibility for rain muddying up proceedings.
Kentucky Derby odds
Horses are listed here by their Kentucky Derby morning line odds set by Churchill Downs' Mike Battaglia, with their Kentucky Derby post positions on the left.
| Post | Horse |  * |
 ** |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Journalism | +300 | 3-1 | +300 |
| 18 | Sovereignty | +500 | 5-1 | +500 |
| 17 | Sandman | +600 | 6-1 | +600 |
| 9 | Burnham Square | +1200 | 12-1 | +1200 |
| 21 | Baeza | +1200 | 12-1 | +1200 |
| 7 | Luxor Cafe | +1500 | 15-1 | +1500 |
| 1 | Citizen Bull | +2000 | 20-1 | +2000 |
| 12 | East Avenue | +2000 | 20-1 | +2000 |
| 13 | Publisher | +2000 | 20-1 | +2000 |
| 14 | Tiztastic | +2000 | 20-1 | +2000 |
| 2 | Neoequos | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 3 | Final Gambit | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 5 | American Promise | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 6 | Admire Daytona | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 11 | Flying Mohawk | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 15 | Render Judgement | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 16 | Coal Battle | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 19 | Chunk of Gold | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
| 20 | Owen Almighty | +3000 | 30-1 | +3000 |
*FanDuel Racing odds available in AZ, CO, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, WY
**bet365 Kentucky Derby odds are not available in the United States
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Journalism still the favorite
The wagering action continues to be strong on Journalism. He opened at 3-1 and quickly drifted to 7-2, and that where he sits as of 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, Sandman, who was the 6-1 third-choice on the morning line, is now the 9-2 second choice. He surpassed Sovereignty, who has gone from 5-1 to 9-1.
Longer shots taking action include Citizen Bull (20-1 to 13-1), Final Gambit (30-1 to 15-1), and American Promise (30-1 to 12-1). Notable runners that have drifted up include East Avenue (20-1 to 37-1) and Baeza (12-1 to 17-1).
Imputed Derby win odds from the Oaks/Derby double. $3.3m bet. pic.twitter.com/ejDFtjycni
— Marshall Gramm (@marshallgramm) May 2, 2025
There is over $5.9 million in the win pool as of Saturday morning, but there was over $100 million in last year's win/place/show pools for the Kentucky Derby, so there's still plenty of odds movement to come. The Kentucky Oaks-Derby double will-pays should give some indication of where that money might be headed.
Kentucky Derby betting resources
- Kentucky Derby Win, Place, Show predictions
- Kentucky Derby AI predictions
- Kentucky Derby post positions
- How to bet on the Kentucky Derby
- Kentucky Derby Trifecta, Superfecta & Exacta predictions
Here comes the rain?
A thunderstorm served to muck up Kentucky Oaks Day proceedings, as racing was delayed about 10 minutes and the Churchill Downs main oval went from super-fast (a track record was broken in an earlier stakes race) to sloppy.
Conditions are "fast" once again as of 9:00 a.m. ET, but the National Weather Service is calling for between 0.25 and 0.5 inches of rain before the 6:57 p.m. ET post time for the Kentucky Derby.
Muddy tracks can serve as a great equalizer in horse racing. Who can forget Mine That Bird's dramatic upset win in the slop in 2009? Journalism, among several other contenders, has never run on a wet track.
Grande joins Rodriguez on the sidelines
Less than 24 hours after Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez was withdrawn from the 2025 Kentucky Derby due to a foot bruise, Wood Memorial runner-up Grande was scratched due to the same exact ailment.
The defection of Grande continued a heartbreaking trend for owner Mike Repole, who has seen Uncle Mo and Forte scratch as the morning-line favorite in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Grande was trainer Todd Pletcher's lone entrant in this year's Run for the Roses. He'll be out of the race entirely for the first time since 2003.
