Updated Kentucky Derby odds: No clear favorite with nearly $30 million in the win pool

The 148th Kentucky Derby is scheduled for a post time of 6:57 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, and official betting on the race began Friday.

As of 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, the Derby favorite is Epicenter, winner of the Louisiana Derby in his last start. Epicenter and Taiba are both at 5-1 and have been trading favorite status for most of the day. Epicenter has the lead in the win pool with $3,641,754 compared to Taiba’s $3,457,962. Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba is making just his third career start.

Messier, who finished second to Taiba last time out, was next at 6-1, with Blue Grass Stakes winner Zandon right behind him, also at 6-1. Zandon was the 3-1 morning-line favorite, and he was as high as 8-1 earlier in the day. Wood Memorial winner Mo Donegal is 9-1. Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife is at 12-1, and Florida Derby winner White Abarrio rounds out the top tier of favorites at 13-1 odds.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, there was over $20 million in the win pool.

(This story will be updated regularly with the latest Derby odds).

Updated Kentucky Derby odds

As of 5 p.m. Saturday with $28,338,215 in the win pool.

1. Mo Donegal — 9-1

2. Happy Jack — 20-1

3. Epicenter — 5-1

4. Summer Is Tomorrow — 32-1

5. Smile Happy — 14-1

6. Messier — 6-1

7. Crown Pride — 17-1

8. Charge It — 14-1

9. Tiz the Bomb — 27-1

10. Zandon — 6-1

11. Pioneer of Medina — 52-1

12. Taiba — 5-1

13. Simplification — 35-1

14. Barber Road — 53-1

15. White Abarrio — 13-1

16. Cyberknife — 12-1

17. Classic Causeway — 77-1

18. Tawny Port — 75-1

19. Zozos — 42-1

21. Rich Strike — 87-1

Note: Ethereal Road, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was scratched from the Derby on Friday morning.

Check out the chart below for jockey and trainer information, along with each contender’s morning-line odds before the betting began.

This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 4:12 PM.

Ben Roberts

Lexington Herald-Leader

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Ben Roberts is the University of Kentucky men’s basketball beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He has previously specialized in UK basketball recruiting coverage and created and maintained the Next Cats blog. He is a Franklin County native and first joined the Herald-Leader in 2006. Support my work with a digital subscription