How to Bet $10 on the 2025 Kentucky Derby if I’ve Never Bet Before

Apr 25, 2025 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

The excitement is building. The 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs is rapidly approaching. You’re eager to watch the race, and now you want some skin in the game.

Your first bet on the Kentucky Derby doesn’t have to be large. As little as $10 can give you a realistic chance to cash a big payoff and earn bragging rights as the Kentucky Derby expert in your social circle.

If you’ve never bet on a horse race before, let’s walk you through the process of betting $10 on the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

How to bet $10 on the 2025 Kentucky Derby

While you can bet the Kentucky Derby on-track at Churchill Downs and many other brick-and-mortar locations throughout the country, the easiest way to play is to open an account at TwinSpires.com, the official online betting partner of the Kentucky Derby. You can skip the in-person lines at racetrack betting windows in favor of betting from the comfort of your home, and new players are eligible for a $200 signup bonus.

Once you’ve signed up and funded your account, it’s time to plan your bet(s). The favorite to win the 2025 Kentucky Derby is Journalism, a heralded colt with consecutive victories in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), San Felipe (G2), and Santa Anita Derby (G1) under his belt. Brisnet Speed ratings indicate Journalism has run the fastest of any horse in the Kentucky Derby field, and he’s only improving with experience and maturity.

Arguably, the simplest and safest strategy for betting $10 on the 2025 Kentucky Derby is to place a $10 win bet on Journalism. If you opt in to the Kentucky Derby Week $10 Money Back promotion on TwinSpires, you can receive refunds on win bets (up to $10) if your horse finishes second or third in any eligible race at Churchill Downs from April 26 through May 3 (Kentucky Derby Day).

🌹🐎KENTUCKY DERBY 151 🐎🌹

Our $10 @KentuckyDerby Week Money Back for 2nd & 3rd place is now LIVE!

Claim NOW👇https://t.co/6KEIKbbyDT pic.twitter.com/blk6pTQ729

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 14, 2025

Assuming Journalism wins, a $10 win bet should return around $35-$40, depending on his final odds. But a $10 win bet isn’t the only way to play the Kentucky Derby.

For example, you can break your $10 into multiple bets. Perhaps your head tells you to bet on Journalism, but your heart says this is the year Japan finally wins the Kentucky Derby courtesy of the red-hot Luxor Cafe. Why not bet $5 on them both? Your return will be smaller if Journalism wins (around $17-$20), but you’ll have two chances to cash instead of one.

You can also place five $2 bets and still stay within your $10 budget. Maybe you want a $2 win bet on the longest shot in the field, which this year might be Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Owen Almighty. In 2022, this strategy would have yielded $163.60 when Rich Strike upset the Kentucky Derby at 80-1 odds.

Or, you can take your $10 and play an exotic wager like the trifecta, which requires selecting the top three finishers in order. A trifecta is harder to hit than a win bet, but the potential return is much greater. A 50-cent trifecta can pay $50-$75 or more, even when favorites dominate.

If you play a 50-cent trifecta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby using Journalism on top, Luxor Cafe, Sovereignty, and Rodriguez for second place, and Luxor Cafe, Sovereignty, Rodriguez, Tappan Street, Final Gambit, Citizen Bull, and Grande for third place, you’ll cover 18 possible outcomes and spend only $9.

There are several ways to bet $10 on the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Your options are almost limitless. But the winning numbers are out there, and watching the Kentucky Derby is even more exciting when you have a vested interest in the outcome.