A $100,000 bet has already been wagered for this weekend’s Kentucky Derby — and it’s on the favorite.
Fierceness is the clear favorite, coming in at 5/2 (roughly +250) on FanDuel Sportsbook; a $2 wager would receive a profit of $5.16.
The unidentified bettor — reported by Vegas Insider — hopes for more of the same in the horse racing world. Fierceness has dominated recently, winning three of his last five races.
When betting on the Kentucky Derby, sharps are mostly looking at past performances, training pedigree, and tea leaves in the lead-up to the race to decipher who may be in the best place to snag a win at the biggest race of the year.
Award-winning American thoroughbred horse trainer Todd A. Pletcher has seemingly been chomping at the bit to add to his resume with Fierceness.
Pletcher has won at Churchill Downs twice, with Super Saver and Always Dreaming taking home first prize.
Rags to Riches, Palace Malice, Tapwrit and Mo Donegal all won the Belmont Stakes and were each trained by Pletcher.
And while Fierceness has the best odds, only 40 horses since 1908 have won as the clear betting favorite.
Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps
- Check out the best sports betting sites
- Download the best sports betting app
With this year being the 150th Kentucky Derby, that’s a 27 percent hit rate for the betting favorite during the race’s history.
However, we could be due for a favorite to take home first prize; the last time a favorite won the Derby was in 2018 when Justify won the race.
Horse racing betting is done via pari-mutuel wagering, which is different than betting on regular sporting events.
“This means that the odds are based on how the public is wagering,” FanDuel reports. “If bettors on the whole put more money on a horse, the horse is a favorite and the odds are lower. If bettors put less money on a horse, that horse is a long shot, and the odds will be higher.