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The 2025 Kentucky Derby promises plenty of excitement for horse racing fans everywhere. The Kentucky Derby is heralded as one of the most exciting sporting events in the world, serving as the first leg of horse racing’s coveted Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby 2025 is set to get underway from Churchill Downs on Saturday, and only 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, with Justify (2018) being the most recent. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite, according to the latest 2025 Kentucky Derby odds. Other 2025 Kentucky Derby contenders include Sovereignty (5-1), Sandman (6-1) and Rodriguez (12-1).

Should you back one of the favorites with your 2025 Kentucky Derby bets, or should you target 2025 Kentucky Derby longshot picks like Publisher (20-1), Final Gambit (30-1) or Admire Daytona (30-1)? 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, 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 broke his maiden in January at Santa Anita before coming up short in his first two graded stakes races. He lost to Kentucky Derby contender Citizen Bull in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and fell to Derby favorite Journalism in the San Felipe Stakes.

Rodriguez is coming off his first graded stakes victory, winning the Wood Memorial at the beginning of April. However, he desperately needs to make the lead, and there are a host of other talented 2025 Kentucky Derby horses looking to run this race on the front. Even if he can take the lead early in the race, he would have to stave off multiple deep closers. 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 five starts in his career, winning four of those races. He’s coming off a victory at the Santa Anita Derby in April, which is run over 1 1/8 miles. The winner of the Santa Anita Derby has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby 10 times.

Journalism is trained by Michael McCarthy, who will try to claim his first Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday. McCarthy is coming off his first Kentucky Derby appearance after Endlessly finished ninth in 2024. 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.

2025 Kentucky Derby odds, post positions