Nothing signals that summer is right around the corner like the May tradition of the Kentucky Derby. So get your mint juleps made, put on your fancy hat, and get ready for the best horse race of the year.
Kentucky Derby Positions and Odds
- Known Agenda (6-1)
- Like the King (50-1)
- Brooklyn Strong (50-1)
- Keepmeinmind (50-1)
- Sainthood (50-1)
- O Besos (20-1)
- Mandaloun (15-1)
- Medina Spirit (15-1)
- Hot Rod Charlie (8-1)
- Midnight Bourbon (20-1)
- Dynamic One (20-1)
- Helium (50-1)
- Hidden Stash (50-1)
- Essential Quality (2-1)
- Rock Your World (5-1)
- King Fury (20-1)
- Highly Motivated (10-1)
- Super Stock (30-1)
- Soup and Sandwich (30-1)
- Bourbonic (30-1)
Running in the middle from the 14th position is the odds on favorite, Essential Quality. According to the oddsmakers, this is his race to lose. He’s had success at Churchill Downs, with a win at the Blue Grass Stakes and Breeders’ Futurity, and it’s worth noting that the betting favorite has finished either first or second in eight of the last ten Triple Crown races.
Running next to Essential Quality is a turf horse turned dirt, Rock Your World. Suppose you are looking for a favorite that isn’t THE favorite, then you can’t do much better. He ran at the Santa Anita Derby on April 3 and absolutely dominated the field, running from the front the majority of the race and cruising to a pull-away win.
Darkhorse Candidates
It is Kentucky, and the mint julep is made with bourbon, so keep an eye on Midnight Bourbon, running at 20-1. He’s looked great in workouts and is being ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
Another of the Kentucky whiskey-named horses is Bourbonic, running at 30-1. Posted on the outside, he will be free of traffic, and no doubt trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time winner at the Derby, will have him ready to run. He also just won the Wood Memorial to begin the month of April at 72-1, so don’t expect Saturday’s odds to bother jockey Kendrick Carmouche.
Underdogs
You never go in expecting a win from the longest of shots, but there are a few that could sneak onto the board.
Paying 50-1, Helium was a victor at the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby back in March. He hasn’t been tested much, but he’s trained by Mark Casse, who always has his horses properly conditioned.
Another Todd Pletcher trained horse is Sainthood, on the board at 50-1. In his most recent race, he finished in second place at the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks but was closing at the finish and showed real promise for the future.
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Another horse to keep an eye on is Highly Motivated. At 15-1, he is in the long shot territory, but he’s running much better than that. On April 3 at the Blue Grass Stakes, he ran stride-for-stride with Essential Quality before getting beaten at the wire. He also has a victory at the Nyquist Stakes and a third-place at the Gotham Stakes.
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