TwinSpires welcomes California residents but you must provide your social security number unlike websites like BetUS (in business since 1994), which do not report your winnings.  18 and up are welcome. 

California Horse Racing

California is a horse racing-friendly state with plenty of tracks and big races.

Santa Anita Park

Santa Anita Park occasionally hosts the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. It is also home of the Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Handicap.

This track hosts one of the premier prep races for the Kentucky Derby, The Santa Anita Derby.

This Grade I race is run annually in April in Arcadia, California with qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale, with the winner virtually guaranteed a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

As of 2024, 11 horses have won both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

Here’s a list of those horses:

•     Hill Gail (1952)
•     Swaps (1955)
•     Lucky Debonair (1965)
•     Majestic Prince (1969)
•     Fusaichi Pegasus (2000)
•     Sunday Silence (1989)
•     Winning Colors (1988)
•     Affirmed (1978)
•     I’ll Have Another (2012)
•     California Chrome (2014)
•     Justify (2018)

Justify would go on to win the Triple Crown in 2018.

Del Mar Racetrack

Del Mar runs a number of important prep races for the Breeders’ Cup.  It is considered among the most popular horse tracks in the United States.

Golden Gate Fields

Los Alamitos Race Course

One of the most important quarter horse race tracks in the country. The Champion of Champions, a $1 million Quarter Horse event, is run annually at Los Alamitos.

2025 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds

Rot     To Win The Kentucky Derby 2025     Moneyline

• Citizen Bull         +1200
• Sandman         +1000
• Journalism         +350
• Tappan Street         +1100
• Madaket Road         +2400
• Built         +4000
• Rodriguez         +1200
• East Avenue         +2100
• Burnham Square         +1450
• Sovereignty         +700
• Coal Battle         +2000
• Tiztastic         +2000
• River Thames         +2400
• Baeza         +2400
• Luxor Cafe         +950
• Grande         +2400
• Final Gambit         +2900
• American Promise         +2400
• Flying Mohawk         +3900
• Neoequos         +5000
• Publisher         +2400
• Chunk Of Gold         +3000
• Admire Daytona         +3000