Kentucky Derby Betting Expert Picks

Colors of Derby Winners

So far, bay horses have been the most successful in the Derby, taking home the trophy for their happy connections 55 times. Chestnuts checked in as runner-up with 48 winners, brown runners have been victorious 17 times to complete the color trifecta, while dark bay/brown runners have crossed the wire in front 11 times. Grays/roans have won eight times, four times for black and three for dark bays.

The last bay to win the Derby – Authentic, 2020

The last chestnut to win the Derby — Country House, 2019

The last dark bay/brown to win the Derby — Always Dreaming, 2017

The last gray/roan to win the Derby – Giacomo, 2005
The last black to win the Derb — Flying Ebony 1925

In 1962, the Jockey Club merged the dark bay & brown color classifications to dark bay/brown. In 1993, gray and roan were merged to gray/roan.

There’s an old saying in racing about betting gray horses on rainy days but this year, without any rain likely in Louisville on Saturday, the old adage will likely be on the shelf. However, since 1930, 107 gray horses have started, producing the aforementioned eight winners for a 7.5 percent strike rate. Both 1968 and 1981 had the most gray starters with five a piece. This year, two of the probable starters are gray, including champion and favorite Essential Quality and Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Soup and Sandwich.

Related:Kentucky Derby Winners Bought and Bred, Handicapping, Best Bet

What’s In A Derby Name: Alphabet Edition

In the 146 previous runnings of the Kentucky Derby a total of 1,938 3-year-olds have loaded into the Churchill Downs starting gate on the first Saturday in May, with names representing each letter of the alphabet, except X. Horses beginning with “S” lead the way with 19 winners, while there haven’t been any winners at all whose names begin with the letters “Q” or “Y’. This year, 13 letters are represented in the field of probables, four are “H”, three are “K”, three are “M” and three are “S”.

Following are the letters representing Derby winners, number of starters for each letter and the most recent horse to win with that letter.

Letter Wins     Str       Last Winner, Year

A          12        99        Authentic, 2020

B          13        192      Big Brown, 2008

C          13        149      Country House, 2019

D          7          109      Dust Commander, 1970

E          2          51        Exterminator, 1918

F          7          92        Funny Cide, 2003

G          8          87        Giacomo, 2005

H          5          85        Hill Gail, 1952

I           2          41        I’ll Have Another, 2012

J           5          47        Justify, 2018

K          2          34        Kauai King, 1966

L           7          81        Lil E. Tee, 1992

M         9          121      Mine That Bird, 2009

N          3          42        Nyquist, 2016

O          4          45        Orb, 2013

P          7          114      Pleasant Colony, 1981

Q          0          7

R          5          94        Real Quiet, 1998

S          19        206      Super Saver. 2010

T          5          110      Thunder Gulch, 1995

U          1          16        Unbridled, 1990

V          2          36        Venetian Way ,1960

W         7          70        War Emblem, 2002

X          0          0

Y          0          3

Z          1          7          Zev, 1923