After eight months of prep races, the 2025 Kentucky Derby has arrived, as 19 horses will head to the starting gate for the 6:57 p.m. ET post time at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The track is sloppy after rain has saturated Louisville for much of the past two days, so the 2025 Kentucky Derby betting outlook has shifted in the final moments for anyone making Kentucky Derby bets on sites like TwinSpires. Journalism is the 3-1 favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, but he has only raced on fast tracks in five career starts.
The same is true for other 2025 Kentucky Derby favorites like Sovereignty (5-1) and Sandman (6-1), so Kentucky Derby betting comes with added challenges this year. If you're making decisions on how to bet on the Kentucky Derby in the minutes leading up to post time, you might want to consider horses that have run in sloppy conditions in the past. American Promise, for example, won a race at Oaklawn in muddy conditions last December.
Identifying the winner is only part of building a Kentucky Derby betting strategy, as bettors will also want to take advantage of the top Kentucky Derby promo codes. Those interested can use the TwinSpires promo code to get online horse betting wagers in before post time. Details on the offer are below.
TwinSpires promo review
The TwinSpires promo offers new users up to $400 in bonus bets based on how much they wager in their first 30 days—perfect timing if you're looking to bet on the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes. Users can get $100 in bonus bets for every $400 wagered, so in order to maximize this promotion and receive $400 in bonus bets, $1,600 of wagering is required within the first 30 days.
Users need to be of legal age in a state where TwinSpires operates, and this offer cannot be combined with any other offer. Additionally, Show wagers do not count toward your playthrough amount.
Finally, note that bonus bets cannot be withdrawn, and when you use bonus funds to place a bet, the stake will not be returned if the bet wins.
Steps for how to sign up using the TwinSpires promo code
- Click the blue CLAIM BONUS button above to navigate to TwinSpires
- On the TwinSpires landing page, click the blue CLAIM NOW button.
- Complete the form with your first and last name, e-mail address and offer code and click Next.
- Complete the address form and click Next.
- Fill in a user name and password, then verify your identity with date of birth, last four of your SSN, and cell phone number.
- Click the Sign Up button.
You're ready to log in, deposit, wager and claim your bonus. All bonuses will be disbursed within 72 hours of bets settling.
TwinSpires promos for existing users
TwinSpires offers rewards points for existing users and VIP members. Users can get TSC Elite Points when betting on races, which can be redeemed later for wagering credit. Users earn four points per dollar wagered for races at Churchill Downs, Fairgrounds, Presque Isle, Ocean Downs, Arlington, Turfway Park and Miami Valley Raceway. They earn one point per dollar wagered for races at any other track. These points are valid for 12 months after they are issued, and a user's oldest points will be credited first whenever he or she chooses to redeem them.
VIP rewards members receive additional benefits, such as free admission to select racecourses, exclusive promotions, reward points multipliers, discounts on TwinSpires Handicapping Store products and Brisnet.com purchases, invitations to special VIP events, free daily programs and other services.
TwinSpires does offer profit boosts, free-to-play races and odds boosts for certain races. The platform also provides expert advice, articles and a schedule for upcoming races.
Kentucky Derby promotions
Here's a look at the promotions for the Kentucky Derby being run by TwinSpires, 1/ST BET and FanDuel Racing.
| TwinSpires | Up to $400 in bonus funds ($100 per $400 wagered) |
| 1/ST BET | Up to $250 in bonus funds ($25 per $100 wagered) |
| FanDuel Racing | $500 No Sweat First Bet |
The promotions for TwinSpires and 1/ST BET allow users to make multiple wagers to earn the associated bonus bets. TwinSpires is offering more in bonus funds than 1/ST BET, but requires users to wager more to access those funds. The 1/ST BET promo is a solid offering for those who are newer to horse racing and don't want to invest too much to get bonuses, while TwinSpires might be the better option for those who have some experience or are willing to invest more money. FanDuel Racing is offering the most in bonus bets at $500 but requires users to invest more up front in one race rather than wagering over an extended period of time. That could be appealing to those who want to wager big on the Kentucky Derby before getting into other races.
TwinSpires User Experience
| App Store | Number of Reviews | Average Rating |
| Apple | 76,000+ | 4.8 |
| Android | 1,280+ | 4.5 |
Despite the complexities of horse racing betting, it was relatively easy to see the payout structure on the TwinSpires app and website. TwinSpires has a list of all available races users can wager on and provides detailed payouts for all bets on a specific horse, including Win, Place and Show bets. All wagers are locked shortly before a race begins, but users do have the ability to cash out of a wager before a race locks. There could potentially be a small fee for the books and racecourses for their operational costs, but the option to cash out does exist.
TwinSpires has an extensive library of resources on its website and application, which is available to both iOS and Android users. Overall, the user experience was fairly seamless on the website. The mobile application did occasionally slow down, but it was still easy to navigate.
Horse racing betting markets
With TwinSpires, you'll find all of the bets you'd expect to be able to make on any horse race:
- Basic horse racing bets
- Win - a bet on the winning horse
- Place - a bet on a horse to finish first or second
- Show - a bet on a horse to finish first, second or third
- Win/Place, Win/Place/Show - combining two of the bets above into a sort of parlay
- Exotic bets
- Exacta - choose the horses that will finish first and second, in that order
- Quinella - choose the horses that will finish first and second, in any order
- Trifecta - pick the first three finishers
- Superfecta - pick the first four finishers
- Super Hi-5 - pick the first five finishers
- Daily Doubles and multi-race bets
- Daily Double - pick the winners of back-to-back races
- Pick 3 - pick the winners of three consecutive races
- Pick 4 - pick the winners of four consecutive races
- Pick 5 - pick the winners of five consecutive races
- Pick 6 - pick the winners of six consecutive races
TwinSpires Banking Options
Here's a look at the deposit and withdrawal options at TwinSpires.
| Method | Fee | Processing Time | Minimum Deposit |
| Online Banking | None | Up to 4 days | $10 |
| Credit Card (VISA or MasterCard) | $5 per deposit | Instantly | $10 |
| PayPal | None | Once account is linked | $10 |
| Green Dot (at Register) | $4.95+ per deposit depending on merchant | Instantly | $10 |
| Moneygram | $3.95+ per deposit depending on merchant | Instantly | $10 |
| PayNearMe | $3.99+ per deposit depending on merchant | Instantly | $1 |
| Apple Pay | $5 per deposit | Instantly | $10 |
| Bank Wire Transfer | $10 for transfers under $1,000, free for transfers over $1,000 | Instantly | $10 |
| On-Site Deposit | None | Instantly | $10 |
| Check/Money Order | None | Up to 5 days | $10 |
PayNearMe also has a maximum deposit limit of $500, and a daily deposit limit of $500.
| Method | Fee | Processing Time | Max Withdrawal |
| Online Banking | None | Up to 5 days | None |
| PayPal | None | Up to 5 days | None |
| On-Site Withdrawal | None | Instantly | None |
| Check | None | Up to 15 days | None |
Withdrawals made through the app or website will be paid out online through the bank account or PayPal account associated with a user's account. Withdrawals can also be made over the phone. Once the user's identity is verified and the withdrawal is approved, the user will receive a check in the mail. In-person withdrawals can be made at select sites. This requires two forms of identification, one of which is a government-issued identity card. Once the user's identity is verified and the withdrawal is approved, the user will receive cash.
Responsible Gaming
TwinSpires has a page dedicated to responsible gaming and encourages users who need assistance to set deposit and activity limits, balance gambling with other leisure activities and avoid chasing losses. TwinSpires has information for national helplines and state-specific resources for users requiring further assistance.
TwinSpires promo code final verdict
TwinSpires has a strong promotional offer for users who might have some experience betting on horses, but could be potentially problematic for those who are true novices to the sport. The offer requires users to spend more to acquire more bonus funds, and a potential $1,600 investment over a month is sizable to get $400 in bonus funds. The app and website are fairly easy to navigate, though the app did occasionally have some lag. Navigating the races available to bet on was fairly straightforward, and all the payouts for different types of bets were listed below the bet slip when picking horses.
One big strength for TwinSpires is the expert analysis and articles available for users, especially since it's likely those who sign up for the promotional offer will be new to betting on horse racing. This allows users to gain more knowledge about the sport and read up on particular races which aren't as well-known as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont.
Although all the payouts are listed clearly for each type of bet, it can sometimes get confusing which horse is being picked to finish in what position for Win/Place/Show wagers. This is cleared up on the expanded bet slip on the app when a user is making his or her wager, but it isn't as detailed on the website when selecting horses. This is something which could be improved to further enhance the user experience.
Rules and responsible gaming
Responsible gambling is taken very seriously across all racebooks. All provide the necessary resources and contact information if you or someone you know may have a gambling problem. The minimum age is 18 for horse racing betting in most states, but it is 21 in some states.
Responsible gambling resources include the National Council for Problem Gambling (NCPG) and Gamblers Anonymous.
Be smart. Bet smart. Wager responsibly. Those in need of help can also call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Help is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
