Usually, the Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May. But with the complications from COVID-19, this year is a bit different.
The prestigious race at Churchill Downs will be held this Saturday and is the second leg of the Triple Crown this year.
Tiz the Law has already won the Belmont Stakes, so he will be the only horse running for the Triple Crown. If he wins, he will have to conquer the Preakness Stakes.
Here are the current odds for the 2020 Kentucky Derby:
Tiz the Law 4-5
Art Collector 9-2
Honor A.P. 7-1
Authentic 10-1
Thousand Words 12-1
King Guillermo 24-1
Enforceable 28-1
Ny Traffic 30-1
Max Player 40-1
Sole Volante 50-1
Storm the Court 60-1
Attachment Rate 65-1
Major Fed 75-1
Shirl’s Speight 100-1
Finnick the Fierce 125-1
Necker Island 150-1
Rushie 150-1
Winning Impression 150-1
Who to Bet On
Because of his dominant career thus far, Tiz the Law is the heavy favorite. For anyone cheering for another Triple Crown winner, this is your guy. However, there isn’t much to win on him with odds so low, so you’ll have to bet big.
But Tiz the Law has plenty of competition in this loaded field that could spoil the Triple Crown Chances.
Honor A.P. will also be a popular bet. Coming from a talented lineage, Mike Smith will again ride this horse. Smith is a legendary jockey that has been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003.
He has won four Triple Crown races in his career, but only one was the Kentucky Derby. Honor A.P. is trained by John Shirreffs, who also trained Giacomo in Smith’s 2005 Kentucky Derby win.
Another popular horse on Saturday will be Thousand Words. This colt is trained by Bob Baffert, one of the best-known names in horse racing. He will match the six wins by Ben Jones if he can win it again.
But Bob Baffert will have another chance in this race with Authentic, who is second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. He will be ridden by John Velazquez, who is also one of the world’s best jockeys.
Everyone loves to see a longshot come into play in the Derby. There isn’t much money to win on a 4/5 odds bet, but that is different if the horse goes off at 100/1.
Calvin Borel pulled over a miracle in 2009 when he rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Run for the Roses. He went off at 50/1.
One of the fan favorites on Saturday may be Finnick the Fierce. He will go off as a long shot, but he has done decently against great competition. He lost his right eye at a young age, so this is an inspiring story that many racing fans might enjoy.
Grab a mint julep, a betting form, and get ready for the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby this Saturday.