Though he broke his maiden for a claiming tag, he has hit the board in five stakes races, including all four along the always-live Arkansas spur of the Derby trail.
From Mandaloun to Country House, back to Lookin at Lee and Commanding Curve, someone will rise to the challenge at a price.īarber Road: Consistency, thy name is Barber Road. And, though most horses do not publish workouts within four days of the Kentucky Derby, Tim Yakteen made the smart move of working him an easy three furlongs over the local course on Wednesday.Īs formful as the Kentucky Derby has often been during the points era, it always makes sense to use a longshot or two, especially in the exotics. However, he could not have been more impressive in that 100-point prep, tracking the pace and leaving the talented and more experienced Messier flailing in his wake. Taiba is a new face: the Gun Runner son did not debut until March of this year and made his stakes debut in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in just his second start. Taiba: West Coast horses have been historically strong in the Kentucky Derby. With many of the top Derby prospects preferring to run on or near the lead, he could get the right trip. That improvement materialized in the Blue Grass (G1), where he rallied from last to leave Smile Happy and everyone else well behind him. Though the son of Upstart finished only third behind Epicenter and Smile Happy in the Risen Star (G2), it was his first start since November and it showed room for improvement. Zandon: A talented two-year-old, Zandon has kept up with the top of his class through the Derby prep season. Though the Louisiana Derby (G2) has not had the strongest record in the Run for the Roses compared to other preps, recent winners like Hot Rod Charlie and Gun Runner have run excellent races in the Derby, meaning you cannot completely count the race out. The son of Not This Time ran well in all of his Kentucky Derby preps, and he has shown that he can win from either on the pace or sitting just off of it. Though the 20-1 morning line seems like a pipe dream given all he has to offer, something in the range of 12-1 or even 15-1 is realistic, and would still provide appealing value.Įpicenter: Epicenter comes into the Kentucky Derby as the divisional leader. With tactical speed and a smart pedigree for the Classic distance on both top and bottom, Cyberknife is a strong contender. Though he was well beaten in the Lecomte (G3), an allowance victory got this son of Gun Runner back on track and he won the Arkansas Derby (G1) with complete authority. Though not all of the favorites always run well, the winner is usually a horse who wins or finishes second in the final prep, and the superfecta usually contains several horses who are well-fancied in the wagering.Ĭyberknife: Cyberknife bloomed a little later than some of his fellow Derby contenders, but he has gotten good at the right time. These are the key contenders for the 2022 Kentucky Derby: LeadersĮspecially in the points era, the Kentucky Derby tends to be a formful race. And then, it could also be a good year for some off-pace horses to come home and at least get up for a piece of the action. A horse with tactical speed, who can sit just off the ones who really have to go, may get a plum trip. However, it means that a horse who needs the lead may be in tough. This does not mean that a horse with speed cannot win. Though speed tends to hold fairly well in the Kentucky Derby, there are a lot of speed horses who are entered in the race, and even more after an eleventh-hour decision by team Classic Causeway to put him back in the field. The Kentucky Derby field is now set, with 20 horses in the main field and two more on the Also Eligible list. BET KENTUCKY DERBY Kentucky Derby Pick Analysis
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