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The horses within the 148th operating of the Kentucky Derby are listed so as of submit place, with feedback by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. The morning-line odds have been set by Mike Battaglia of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Ethereal Road was scratched Friday. Rich Strike, the primary horse on the also-eligible listing, drew into the sector and can assume Post 20.
How to observe: Coverage begins Saturday at midday, Eastern time, on USA Network, and can proceed on NBC at 2:30 p.m. It may even be streamed on NBCSports.com.
Post time: 6:57 p.m.
Purse: $3 million assured
Distance: 1¼ miles
Track report: 1:59⅖ (Secretariat, 1973)
Weight: 126 kilos
Our Picks
Joe Drape’s win-place-show picks: Smile Happy, Crown Pride, Mo Donegal
Melissa Hoppert’s picks: Epicenter, Messier, Zandon
Here’s how we see the sector:
1. Mo Donegal
Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Odds: 10-1
Drape: This colt was my decide till he acquired the No. 1 gap. It is extraordinarily tough to navigate a clear journey from this spot, particularly for a more in-depth like Mo.
Hoppert: He has completed within the cash in all 5 begins and turned heads with a formidable rally within the Wood Memorial. He’s additionally a son of Uncle Mo, who has already produced a Derby winner (Nyquist in 2016) and who has a number one jockey on his again.
2. Happy Jack
Trainer: Doug O’Neill Jockey: Rafael Bejarano Odds: 30-1
Drape: My son’s identify is Jack, and he's pleased. He can do what he desires together with his allowance.
Hoppert: The Calumet homebred completed third in two Santa Anita prep races however was by no means an element. He gained’t be on the Derby, both.
3. Epicenter
Trainer: Steve Asmussen Jockey: Joel Rosario Odds: 7-2
Drape: Here’s your doubtless post-time favourite, and I can not blame anybody who bets on him. But he isn't a lock.
Hoppert: I’ll take my possibilities. This winner of 4 of six races, together with three preps in Louisiana, has rather a lot going for him: a flexible operating type, a prime jockey and a Hall of Fame coach who's lengthy overdue in including the Run for the Roses to his résumé.
4. Summer Is Tomorrow
Trainer: Bhupat Seemar Jockey: Mickael Barzalona Odds: 30-1
Drape: He has two wins in Dubai. This race is a giant step up from these.
Hoppert: The second-place finisher within the U.A.E. Derby was bred by the previous Kentucky governor Brereton C. Jones. He’ll come out operating Saturday, however he gained’t be round on the end.
5. Smile Happy
Trainer: Kenny McPeek Jockey: Corey Lanerie Odds: 20-1
Drape: He gained right here as a 2-year-old, and McPeek is aware of how you can level them at huge races. My decide.
Hoppert: He turned heads throughout his 2-year-old season, however he has completed second in two begins this yr. An actual query mark.
6. Messier
Trainer: Tim Yakteen Jockey: John Velazquez Odds: 8-1
Drape: A seasoned type who was overwhelmed by his stablemate Taiba within the Santa Anita Derby.
Hoppert: You know what they are saying: Never depend out a Bob Baffert — er, Tim Yakteen — horse. (Yakteen is Baffert’s former assistant.) Messier has completed first or second in all six of his begins and has a strong probability to grow to be solely the third Canada-bred to win the Derby. I’m chalking up his Santa Anita Derby exhibiting to the 2 months between races.
7. Crown Pride
Trainer: Koichi Shintani Jockey: Christophe Lemaire Odds: 20-1
Drape: Japanese horses have gained huge races in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, so why not right here? This one has been touting himself coaching within the morning.
Hoppert: The first-place finisher within the U.A.E. Derby is unquestionably the excitement horse on the bottom, and never just for his lightning-fast works: He warms up by prancing in circles like a dressage horse.
8. Charge It
Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Luis Saez Odds: 20-1
Drape: A frivolously raced and gifted grey. Looks like Pletcher is sitting on an excellent one.
Hoppert: The runner-up within the Florida Derby has raced solely thrice, however he has proven promise, and with a clear journey can enhance.
9. Tiz the Bomb
Trainer: Kenny McPeek Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Odds: 30-1
Drape: He has gained 5 of eight, however his finest operating has been executed on an artificial floor.
Hoppert: The final time he ran on grime he completed seventh, and with rain within the forecast, you must look elsewhere.
10. Zandon
Trainer: Chad Brown Jockey: Flavien Prat Odds: 3-1
Drape: Another horse who has seemed nice in morning coaching. He runs from the again, a mode that has not paid off in latest editions.
Hoppert: You can’t miss this almost jet-black horse on the racetrack, and also you shouldn’t overlook him on the betting window, both. Paired with a red-hot jockey, this speedy Blue Grass Stakes winner provides his profitable coach his finest probability but to notch a Derby victory.
11. Pioneer of Medina
Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Joe Bravo Odds: 30-1
Drape: He is a strong racehorse and can win down the street. Not right here.
Hoppert: This would be the fifth racetrack and seventh jockey for the third-place finisher within the Louisiana Derby. Pass.
12. Taiba
Trainer: Tim Yakteen Jockey: Mike Smith Odds: 12-1
Drape: The undefeated colt is making an attempt to win after two dazzling begins, a feat completed solely as soon as, by a horse named Leonatus in 1883.
Hoppert: His proprietor pushed to enter him within the Santa Anita Derby with just one race beneath his belt, a danger that paid off. But with so little expertise, can he flash the identical expertise towards 19 different horses? Smith, his rider, is nicely seasoned, although: At 56, he would grow to be the oldest jockey to win a Derby.
13. Simplification
Trainer: Antonio Sano Jockey: Jose Ortiz Odds: 20-1
Drape: Two others ran by him within the Florida Derby. He could be a shock.
Hoppert: All of his races have been at Gulfstream Park, and he’s not as quick as a lot of his counterparts.
14. Barber Road
Trainer: John Ortiz Jockey: Reylu Gutierrez Odds: 30-1
Drape: A tough-trying colt who has a case of seconditis — 4 runner-up finishes.
Hoppert: The second-place finisher within the Arkansas Derby hasn’t gained this yr, however his story is a winner: This is the primary Derby for his coach, his jockey and his proprietor, the previous chief govt of Walmart, William Simon, who bought him for $15,000. How’s that for on a regular basis low pricing?
15. White Abbario
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione Odds: 10-1
Drape: This grey has gained 4 of 5 and proved himself as the very best horse in Florida.
Hoppert: The Florida Derby winner’s solely loss got here at Churchill Downs.
16. Cyberknife
Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Florent Geroux Odds: 20-1
Drape: This is a champion coach bringing a colt in off back-to-back wins. Respect.
Hoppert: With a convincing victory within the Arkansas Derby, he stamped himself as the very best of Cox’s trio. He’ll even be a sentimental decide: He’s named after a remedy for most cancers.
17. Classic Causeway
Trainer: Brian Lynch Jockey: Julien Leparoux Odds: 30-1
Drape: Which Classic Causeway can we get? The dominant Tampa Derby champion, or the colt who spun his wheels within the Florida Derby? Your guess is pretty much as good as mine.
Hoppert: He’ll be operating early however is unquestionably a query mark after ending final within the Florida Derby.
18. Tawny Port
Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr. Odds: 30-1
Drape: He has the look of an excellent one, however that is an excessive amount of too quickly.
Hoppert: Named after a mode of Portuguese wine, he has gained on grime and synthetics, and the Derby can be his third race in 5 weeks. Does he have something left within the bottle?
19. Zozos
Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Manny Franco Odds: 20-1
Drape: He can be operating early, however so will a number of others. Not this time.
Hoppert: The gifted however frivolously raced Louisiana Derby runner-up is known as for the proprietor’s favourite restaurant within the Virgin Islands.
20. Rich Strike (replaces Ethereal Road)
Trainer: Eric Reed Jockey: Sonny Leon Odds: 30-1
Drape: His solely victory in seven tries got here in a claiming race at Churchill Downs. He is out of his league right here.
Hoppert: He has run on an artificial observe in his final three races, together with when he completed third within the Jeff Ruby. Besides that lone win, he didn’t fare significantly better on grime.
