The 2025 Kentucky Derby features 20 of the world’s top three-year-old horses. The 2025 Kentucky Derby Field was announced last Saturday and was set for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Post Position. Journalism is a 3-1 favorite at the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, running from the 8th post. He is followed by Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1) depicting Gate No. 18.
Which horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby should return with a 2025 Kentucky Derby bet? Before you create the 2025 Kentucky Derby Pick, be sure to check out horse racing predictions and future bets from Sportsline’s elite horse racing expert Jodidemling.
Demling, a horse racing world fixture that has written, talked and gambled about races for years, has nailed the Kentucky Oaks Derby 11 times over the past 16 years. He also predicted the winners of the Belmont Stakes for four years of the past seven years, calling 10 out of the past 20 Preakness winners, including 2023, a hit in 2023.
Currently, with the 2025 Kentucky Derby Post Position set on the board and odds set, Demling shares the 2025 Kentucky Derby forecasts on the Sportsline. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Kentucky Derby Prediction
One of the amazing 2025 Kentucky Derby picks of demoing: he’s waning Rodriguez (12-1), who barely cracks a top-10 finisher in the 2025 Kentucky Derby forecast. Rodriguez makes his Churchill Downs debut after not coming to the legendary Kentucky track in any of his previous five races. Plus, the Kentucky Derby 2025 is just the second race outside of California. Bob Baffert-trained Rodriguez has not been challenged in Grade 1 stakes races.
Buffert is tied to the most wins (6) of the Kentucky Derby, but only one of the horses who has never run in a Grade 1 race before running to Roses is tied up. Even Medina Spirit, which first crossed the finish line in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, experienced a previous Grade 1 stakes experience before being disqualified for a failed drug test. With an odds of 12-1, Demling suggests he will leave Rodriguez in 2025 with a Kentucky Derby bet. Check out other 2025 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid on the sports line.
Another shock: Despite being a 15-1 long shot at the Kentucky Derby odds in 2025, Demon Ring is up high at Luxor Cafe. Luxor Cafe won the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby and was defeated in the 2025 Fuzhou stake in late March at Kentucky Derby Field. He brings Churchill Downs a four-race winning streak, including a victory over admiring Daytona, the winner of the UAE Derby.
Luxor Café was held by the American Pharaoh, who won the 2015 Triple Crown and was named horse of the year. The descendants of American pharaohs have yet to affect the Triple Crown, but that could change in Luxor Café. After Demling praised Daytona’s UAE Derby victory, which is not properly explained in the 2025 Kentucky Derby betting odds, Luxor Cafe’s resume looks particularly impressive. See which other horses will return on the sports line.
How to make a 2025 Kentucky Derby Pick, betting
Demon rings are especially high in the huge double-digit long shots that “create the buzz behind the scenes.” Demling shares which horse it is along with the entire Sportsline 2025 Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.
Which horses won the Kentucky Derby 2025 and which huge double-digit long shots are a must-see? Check out the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds below, then head over to the Sportsline to see Kentucky Derby Demling picks from experts who nailed the 11 Derby Oaks doubles.
