The 2022 Kentucky Derby is set to take place on Saturday, May 7 at 6:57 p.m. ET. And unlike in years past, the field for the 148th Kentucky Derby is quite deep and it truly is a wide open race.

On paper, this year’s Kentucky Derby should be wide open and that is good news for punters who prefer to throw some money down on longshots. Odds for a horse race are fluid, so this will change, but after the draw, there are only three horses in the field of 20 with single-digit odds: No. 10 Zandon (3-1), No. 3 Epicenter (7-2) and No. 8 Messier (8-1). The other 17 entrants are all currently sitting between 10-1 and 30-1. This truly is anyone’s race and will only become harder to call if Mother Nature gets involved.

Kentucky Derby 2022 Betting: Everything you need

In fact, the betting for this year’s Run for the Roses could shake out similarly to what we saw in 2019 when Country House was tabbed as the winner at 65-1 odds after Maximum Security (10-1) was disqualified. That field was also considered wide open, especially after Omaha Beach, who was the 4-1 morning-line favorite, was scratched.

With a 65-1 horse at the top, the payouts for the 2019 Kentucky Derby were massive. A $2 exacta paid out over $3,000 three years ago, and while it’s unlikely we see something that robust this time around, it’s something bettors should keep in mind with a similarly open field.

A repeat of what we saw in the 2019 Derby is highly unlikely, the point remains that in a field like this it behooves bettors to try and beat at least one of the favorites and then include some longshots in exotics and vertical wagers like Pick 4’s and Pick 5’s.

2022 Kentucky Derby Odds

Kentucky Derby Picks:

Win Bets:

No. 1 Mo Donegal (7-1): Sometimes folks get too caught up with the draw in headline-grabbing races and that could put Mo Donegal at a decent price. Irad Oritz Jr. is one of the sport’s best jockeys and figures to have Mo Donegal where he needs to be to contend with this field.

No. 16 Cyberknife (20-1): There is a bit of buzz around Cyberknife, who is coming off a victory at the Arkansas Derby in April. With the hype, we’ll likely see this number shorten, but this Brad Cox charge should still be in rage for a win-bet in the double-digits. 

Longshots to use in exotics:

No. 19 Zozos (20-1): Another Brad Cox trainee that could end up going off at a good price, Zozos could be set up down the stretch if jockey Manuel Franco can work out the right trip for a horse that can stalk the pace. Zozos finished second to Epicenter in the Louisiana Derby.

No. 14 Barber Road (30-1): Already a longshot at 30-1 on the morning-line, Barber Road could end up going off at even longer odds on Saturday. And if we’re expecting a hot pace, Barber Road could be set up to pass plenty of tired horses late to hit the board. He finished second to Cyberknife at the Arkansas Derby and has hit the board in every start during his 3-year-old season.

No. 11 Pioneer of Medina (30-1): The weather forecast for the Kentucky Derby looks ominous and, after a full day of rain on Friday, there’s a solid chance we see the Derby run over a muddy or sloppy track. If that is the case, the handicap completely changes and all of a sudden Pioneer of Medina becomes very interesting at a big price. Pioneer of Medina seems to always run better than his odds and has the pedigree to handle the conditions. Only three of the 20 horses in this field have ever raced on a sloppy, muddy or wet track, which means we could see chaos. Todd Pletcher’s “other horse” in the field could add a huge price to your ticket if that is the case.