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For the average bettor, a few days before the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes is more than enough time to prepare for the Triple Crown.
For more accomplished horse bettors, the preparation before betting at the top betting sites is set into motion months ahead of the race, especially for the Kentucky Derby.
Recently, Bet365 started offering fixed-odds for their Colorado and with horse racing becoming more popular in the United States, it’s always good to have a guide like the one you’ll find below.Â
What Is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown is the most famous horse racing trophy in the United States, awarded to any horse that wins the following races in the same year:
- Kentucky Derby
- Preakness Stakes
- Belmont Stakes
The upcoming dates for the 2024 Triple Crown series are as follows: May 4th for the Kentucky Derby, May 18th for the Preakness Stakes and June 8th for the Belmont Stakes.
Winning the Triple Crown is very difficult, with only 13 horses having achieved this feat since 1919 when Sir Barton was the first one to do it. The most recent winner was Justify in 2018.
Fun Fact
The Triple Crown Trophy wasn’t commissioned until 1950 when it was awarded to all previous legitimate winners. Up to that point, only three-year-old Thoroughbreds had managed to accomplish this trifecta:
- Sir Barton (1919)
- Gallant Fox (1930)
- Omaha (1935)
- War Admiral (1937)
- Whirlaway (1941)
- Count Fleet (1943)
- Assault (1946)
- Citation (1948)
Secretariat, in 1973, was the first horse to be awarded the trophy in the same year that it won the races.
Getting Ready for the Kentucky Derby (Kentucky Oaks)
Most horse bettors don’t realize that to race in the Kentucky Derby, you have to earn points to be among the Top 20 to qualify.
The races commence the prior September with the Run for the Roses. Typically, the Top 5 finishers collect points in descending order starting with the winner.
Most points totals are relatively low until we get to February when we are three months from the race and the action heats up.
Many of the races grow five times in points starting in late February and early March, with graded races like the Rebel, Fountain of Youth, Gotham, San Felipe and Tampa Bay Derby.
The next wave, and generally the most important, doubles again in points by mid-March and later. For 2024, these are dates:
March 23rd
- Louisiana Derby
- Jeff Ruby Steaks
March 30th
- UAE Derby
- Arkansas Derby
- Florida Derby
April 6th
- San Anita Derby
- Blue Grass
- Wood Memorial
So, how do you make sense of all these horse races?
Don’t Overcomplicate It, Stick to the Fundamentals
If you are looking to improve your skill as a horse bettor, this is a tremendous learning opportunity.
First, spend very little time on fall races other than later using them as a reference point. If you are or are not betting on all the aforementioned Kentucky Derby prep races, you have to look over the results and attempt to determine what the results mean and how they might play in the future.
This requires finding information where you can watch the race, uncover info that explains where and why the horses finished in the order they did, or find articles that do something very similar from horse racing experts.
If you had success in finding this intel, the next step is basic horse racing. Study all the useful info you can find for the Derby, and later, the other two Triple Crown races and follow the path it leads you on.
1. Horse Breeding
The bloodline of a horse can offer valuable clues about its potential performance. Familiarize yourself with pedigree information to determine if a particular horse is destined to be a champion or just hit the board now and again.
2. Understanding Trainers
The number of trainers that owners seek out at the highest levels of this sport is a rather select group. For your betting analysis, find information that explains their success and what type of horses and tracks they do best on to maximize profits.
3. Evaluating Jockey Skills
A skilled jockey can significantly impact a horse’s performance on the oval and sometimes have the horse overachieve. Assessing jockeys’ abilities is crucial when researching potential winners. Consider factors such as their win percentage and experience with specific tracks or distances.
4. Studying Horses Form
This is where you want to know the recent performance of horses in races. This would include speed ratings (increasingly important), finishing position, running style and trip (simple or hard) and knowing what horses perform better on off-tracks (or perform poorly) should that happen.
Betting the ponies is not for the meek, but those willing to put in the time will reap the financial benefits.
