2018 Kentucky Derby Top Contestants Horses Betting Odds
We have just over a week left before the first Saturday in May, and this year’s Run for the Roses, the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby. All the prep races are finished and we have a good idea of who this year’s top Derby contenders are. This year we go into the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby without a pre-eminent favorite. The entire field looks strong, but without a doubt, four top horses come to mind, with another five in a group of elite, that are exceptionally accomplished. Americans can bet on the Kentucky Derby from the comfort of their home by signing up for a free account at BetDSI Sportsbook.
Thursday May 3rd, 2018: Kentucky Derby Updated Odds:
Top Contenders
Justify: 2 to 1 odds
Justify is currently the 2-1 Kentucky Derby favorite. He beat Bolt d’Oro in the most anticipated prep race last weekend. He’s undefeated, and trained by Bob Baffert. He’s also ridden by Mike Smith — giving him an unbeatable résumé. Justify didn’t run as a 2-year-old, but with a trainer like Bob Baffert behind him, there’s no worries that the horse is lightly raced. Justify commanded the field in the Santa Anita Derby and showed real talent withstanding a challenge from the more experienced Bolt d’Oro. Will have to see how he does against even stiffer competition.
Audible: 8 to 1 odds
Audible is a horse trained by Todd Pletcher who won the Florida Derby and looks set to peak at Churchill Downs. If that sounds like a repeat, your correct as that was the story for 2017 Kentucky Derby champion Always Dreaming. The horse has been right on this year, and has shown he can win big races by stalking the pace and by coming from behind. At 8 to 1 odds Audible might not be the top pick, but he certainly has the fans, and is following a familiar pattern to win Derby.
Mendelssohn: 5 to 1 odds
Mendelssohn is trained by the Irishman Aidan O’Brien, who is one of the best in the world. International entrants are seldom treated as serious threats at Churchill Downs, but this horse could be the exception and certainly has the talent to win the Derby, maybe even make a run at the Triple Crown. Mendelssohn attracted a lot of focus with the 106 Beyer Speed Figure he earned for his March 31 race which he won (by 18½ lengths) in the UAE Derby.
Magnum Moon: 7 to 1 odds
Magnum Moon is another horse that did not run as a 2-year-old, but he’s now won four races this year, including an amazing effort in the March 17 Rebel Stakes. He won the Arkansas Derby to stamp his resume for Churchill Downs, and he lead easily at Oaklawn and was never threatened. Magnum Moon is trained by Todd Pletcher, and although his speed figures have been a touch below the best of the three horses above him, and he has not yet beaten the top runners like Bolt d’Oro, he definitely is among the elite in the Kentucky Derby field.
Bolt d’Oro: 8 to 1 odds
This California contender is also at odds of 8 to 1 along with Audible. He finished third in the Juvenile, then second to McKinzie in the March 10 San Felipe Stakes, where he was pushed to first by a disqualification. He also finished second to Justify at Santa Anita, so it will be interesting to see how Bolt d’Oro runs against Justify in the longer race at Churchill Downs. He is trained by Mick Ruis who said Bolt d’Oro will be better at the Derby’s 1 1/4 miles distance.
Good Magic: 6 to 1 odds
Good Magic’s odds may be a bit low for the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner. In his first race as a 3-year-old, the March 3 Fountain of Youth Stakes he finished third, but he got a solid win last Saturday in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, even though the Blue Grass did not have the highest level of competition of the prep races. However, Chad Brown does do an excellent job of training his horses for the biggest races.
Vino Rosso:10 to 1 odds
Vino Rosso at odds of 10 to 1, is another Todd Pletcher trained contender in the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby, and no one’s better than Pletcher at preparing his horses for the Derby. Vino Rosso won his entrance to the Derby with an upset victory over Enticed in Saturday’s Wood Memorial. His 3-year-old campaign started slowly and it looked as if he may not make the Derby, but Pletcher felt this horse had talent and that he would be a better runner at longer distances. Coincidently, Vino Rosso is co-owned by last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming’s co-owner, Vinnie Viola
Noble Indy: 30 to 1 odds
The fourth contender in Todd Pletcher’s Kentucky Derby quartet is Noble Indy. HE won the March 24 Louisiana Derby showing great spirit taking the race by a neck, but again, the Louisiana did not have the highest level of competition of the prep races. His owners did express some concern however over his race day demeanor, so we’ll see how he behaves in the biggest test of them all.
Enticed: 12 to 1 odds
Enticed is at pretty low odds for a horse that got outrun by Vino Rosso in the the Wood Memorial . Enticed is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, but his speed figures say he can’t hang with the top contenders in the Kentucky Derby, and he also faces questions about how well he’ll handle the distance at Churchill.
More on the top horses running; Justify, Audible, Mendelssohn, Magnum Moon, & Bolt d’Oro:
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