DraftKings, for the first time, is offering fixed odds on a horse race: Saturday’s Haskell Invitational

With Maximum Security expected to dominate, the head-to-head prop has one expert leaning toward Mucho Gusto.

Jockey Luis Saez prematurely celebrates Maximum Security's win in the Kentucky Derby. Saez will get another chance to show he has the best 3-year-old at Saturday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.Read moreKiichiro Sato / AP

Published Jul. 19, 2019, 5:33 p.m. ET

The DraftKings’ app is taking action on five races on Saturday at Monmouth Park, a first for the sportsbetting giant.

The odds will be fixed and the only bets are either “to win” a particular race or on individual matchups between two horses in the races.

This assumes, of course, that Monmouth doesn’t cancel its Saturday card due to the weekend’s oppressive heat, which already has caused other tracks, such as Saratoga, to close.

If the show goes on, DK sportsbook director Johnny Avello is hoping to gain regulatory clearance to offer the same five races at DraftKings’ sportsbook at Resorts Casino on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.

“This just gives us one more thing to offer," Avello said.

In our area, this is just for the folks who are physically in New Jersey. DraftKings does not have a mobile presence in Pennsylvania or Delaware.

By Monmouth number, DK has posted odds and matchups on races 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12. The Borgata is the only casino to still offer pari-mutuel wagering in Atlantic City, so head to the marina district or online to play exactas, trifectas and other exotics.

The Haskell, the 12th race, is the main event of the day. Maximum Security, which was disqualified after winning the Kentucky Derby, is favored at even-money odds by DraftKings and opened at 8-5 at the track. Saturday’s post time for the Haskell is 5:47 p.m., with NBC covering.

The head-to-head wager is between Mucho Gusto (+100) and King For A Day (-125), which intrigued longtime Philadelphia horse-racing writer Dick Jerardi.

“That’s a good prop bet,” he said. “If Maximum Security runs his best race, neither one of them will beat him. I’d go with the [Bob] Baffert horse, Mucho Gusto, based on the way the race is going to be run.”