Best horse racing betting sites: How to bet on the 2026 Kentucky Derby and horse racing

Learn how to bet on horse racing online, including for the Kentucky Derby on May 2. Discover top horse racing betting sites and tips.

Robby Kalland

Apr 8, 2026

1:03 pm ET

•

17 min read

The best horse racing betting sites may not be where you think. In the United States, state laws separate sportsbooks and racebooks. Even though you cannot bet on horse racing on sports betting apps, there are many racebook apps with promos currently available. On this page, we will offer an introduction to horse racing betting before the 2026 Kentucky Derby on May 2, including the best apps for online horse betting, like TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, and 1/ST BET.

Best horse racing betting apps

Comparing the best horse racing betting sites and promos

Three of the major horse racing betting sites are FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET. Each one offers promos and bonus offers for both new and existing users.

Using multiple racing books can allow you to take advantage of each book's offers and promos to try and maximize your returns.

BrandPromoPromo CodeFanDuel RacingNo Sweat First Bet up to $500No code requiredTwinSpiresUp to $400 in Bonus Funds ($100 per $400 wagered)CBSSPORTS1/ST BETUp to $500 Sign-Up Bonus ($20 per every $100 wagered) 500BET FanDuel Racing promo: No Sweat First Bet up to $500

FanDuel Racing is currently offering a No Sweat First Bet. If your first win bet loses, get racing credits up to $500. Just click the link in the table above if interested in claiming now. No special FanDuel Racing promo code is required.

For those who may bet on sports with FanDuel, FanDuel Racing is a separate entity that requires creating a separate account.

TwinSpires promo: Up to $400 Sign-Up Bonus

TwinSpires is offering up to $400 in bonus credits for new users. Get a $100 bonus credit for every $400 wagered, with a maximum of $400 in bonus credits available for this welcome offer. No TwinSpires promo code is required. Those interested can click the link in the table above.

After $400 in wagers settle (after races finish and results are official), TwinSpires will add a $100 bonus credit to your account balance. If you wager $800, another $100 will be added for a total of $200 in bonus credits. Bonus credits pay out the same as cash wagers on winning bets.

1/ST BET promo: Up to $500 in wagering credits

New users can get up to $500 in bonus bets with 1/ST BET by using the promo code "500BET" when signing up. New users will receive a $20 wagering credit for each $100 wagered on the app in their first 60 days. The maximum in wagering credits that can be accrued is $500, which would require wagering $2,500.

Kentucky Derby betting and the Road to the Kentucky Derby

The most famous race in horse racing is the Kentucky Derby. How to bet on the Kentucky Derby is the same as any other horse race, with one twist that makes it more unpredictable.

Typically, there are a maximum of 20 horses that will run in the Kentucky Derby. Horses must be nominated and also collect enough points through various qualifying series to get a starting gate. The biggest of those is the Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying series that begins the year prior and includes events nationwide.

There are 36 races in the primary Road to the Kentucky Derby series in 2026, with two separate prep-race series for international horses leading up to Derby 152. The races scheduled closest to the Derby are part of Championship Season, where horses can earn the most points towards qualification for the coveted Kentucky Derby field.

The Championship Season is headlined by major Grade-1 Stakes races like the Louisiana Derby, Arkansas Derby, Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes.

There are also opportunities for horses overseas to qualify through the Euro/Mideast Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, with the winners from each series getting a Derby post position.

Notable 2026 Kentucky Derby horses

The biggest Kentucky Derby prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule awarded 100 points to each winner. That point total makes it a win-and-in scenario, barring injuries before the race. Here are each of the horses that won a major prep race this season.

- Albus - Wood Memorial winner

- Commandment - Florida Derby winner

- Emerging Market - Louisiana Derby winner

- Fullefort - Jeff Ruby Steaks winner

- Further Ado - Blue Grass Stakes winner

- Renegade - Arkansas Derby winner

- So Happy - Santa Anita Derby winner

- Wonder Dean - UAE Derby winner

How to bet on horse racing: Most popular types of wagers

There are a number of different wagering options available on each race, and here we will go through the three traditional bets – Win, Place and Show – as well as the combinations of each.

Each horse will have different odds for each bet type. These odds let you know what the expected return on that horse w