It’s difficult trying to sift through the information on all 20 of the horses in the Kentucky Derby field. Fret not. We’ve been following these three-year old thoroughbreds throughout their entire careers, and know more than a thing or two about them. Betting nuggets that can help you handicap the 143rd Run for the Roses.
(Odds courtesy of Bookmaker.eu)
1: Lookin At Lee (20/1)
He’s never won a graded stakes race in his career, but this is going to be his seventh such race and his fourth at the Grade 1 level. The added distance should help give him a legit shot at this upset.
2: Thunder Snow (20/1)
The UAE Derby champ has never had great luck at the Kentucky Derby, but this field back in March was considered to be one of the best in the history of the big day in Dubai.
3: Fast and Accurate (50/1)
Sure, he ran a great race at the Spiral Stakes, but Fast and Accurate couldn’t even keep his jockey. Tyler Gaffalione isn’t a known commodity, and he elected to get off of Fast and Accurate for Patch. What does that tell you?
4: Untrapped (30/1)
Probably an undervalued horse, but one that probably can’t actually win the Derby. He’s only won a maiden in his career, and he’s never broken a 96 Beyer.
5: Always Dreaming (5/1)
The John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher jockey/trainer combo has been clutch over the years, so there’s clearly something here. Always Dreaming has won his last three races by a combined 20 lengths.
6: State of Honor (30/1)
A rare Canadian pony in the Derby! State of Honor’s last five races: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd. That’s generally not a recipe for winning against a field double the size of what a colt is used to.
7: Girvin (15/1)
Girvin won both the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star Stakes, but there isn’t much respect given anymore to these horses who ran at the Fair Grounds. We’ve seen better put up horrible races at Churchill Downs.
8: Hence (15/1)
An interesting colt. He was 11 to 1 at the Sunland Derby which, in itself is scary for his prospects in the Derby. But there’s no denying the fact that that might have been the most impressive of all of the prep races.
9: Irap (20/1)
Mario Gutierrez is getting the mount on Irap, a horse who pulled off a 31 to 1 upset at the Blue Grass Stakes against a really good field. But he’s been raced a ton lately (four times since February 4), and fatigue might catch up.
10: Gunnevera (15/1)
Some of the best value on the board here. Gunnevera was the near odds-on favorite at the Florida Derby. He wasn’t bad in that race, but he was outgunned by Always Dreaming. There’s not much separating these two as we see it.
11: Battle of Midway (30/1)
Battle of Midway was all the rage after he blew through his maiden at Santa Anita. Since then? Nothing to write home about, though a second place finish at the Santa Anita Derby was good enough to get him to Churchill Downs.
12: Sonneteer (50/1)
The Kentucky Derby qualifying system is broken if a horse who has run in 10 races, has zero wins and has only hit the board six times can get into the field.
13: J Boys Echo (20/1)
That 104 Beyer Speed Rating J Boys Echo put together at the Gotham Stakes remains one of the best displays of a three-year old thoroughbred this year and should make him one to consider.
14: Classic Empire (4/1)
The connections between Classic Empire and American Pharoah are strikingly similar. Will the favorite to win the Derby this year have the same fate as the favorite from the 2015 Derby? If so, we’ll have a bunch of history to talk about.
15: McCraken (5/1)
Everyone is on the McCraken bandwagon thanks to the fact that he’s been a huge favorite everywhere he’s gone this year. But we hate Brian Hernandez as the jockey for this horse on this big stage.
16: Tapwrit (20/1)
More good value, though we’re not sure that Tapwrit will actually win the Derby. His 87 Beyer in the Blue Grass is a big concern.
17: Irish War Cry (6/1)
He won the Wood Memorial and has four wins in five tries, but Irish War Cry seems to be a bit of a prima donna. The one race that he lost, he simply gave up at the Fountain of Youth and finished in seventh against a 10 horse field.
18: Gormley (15/1)
It’s not often that the Santa Anita winner is a 15 to 1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby, but most recognize the fact that the field on the West Coast this year was relatively weak. Still, Gormley is a legit contender with Victor Espinoza onboard.
19: Practical Joke (20/1)
This is the fourth Grade 1 race of Practical Joke’s career. He’s never finished worse than third in a race, but he doesn’t seem to be budding the way most figured after he won both the Hopeful Stakes and Champagne Stakes as a two-year old.
20: Patch (30/1)
Patch has only been raced three times in his career, but he has proven that he can come from off the pace and scoot in a hurry in the stretch. A great five furlong workout in a minute flat should serve notice that he might be a deep sleeper.
Check out the latest Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown odds.
