Category Archives: 2013 Kentucky Derby News

In the 2013 Run for the Roses, Orb (7-2 on the Morning Line, 5.4 at the close for those betting on the Kentucky Derby) placed first and won a purse of $1.4 million. Golden Soul (50-1 ML, 34.5 close) finished second and Revolutionary (10-1 ML, 6.4 close) came third.

Orb went into the race as the Kentucky Derby betting favorite, after a four-race winning streak including the Florida Derby on March 30. Despite being stuck toward the back of the pack in 16^th place for most of the first mile, after having drawn the No. 16 post in a field of 19 horses, Orb stormed the pack. The grounds and track were sloppy after a period of rain but this did not deter Orb in spite of his lack of experience in these conditions. Orb and jockey Joel Rosario took it up a gear at the eighth pole and moved up the pack, finishing first by 2 1/2 lengths.

Joel Rosario is a Dominican Republic jockey, who also rode the winner of the Dubai World Cup (the world’s richest horse race) less than five weeks before the Kentucky Derby 2013. Orb’s trainer is Hall of Famer Claude R. “Shug” McGaughney III, who has trained multiple Kentucky Derby contenders and champion horses, and its owners are Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable. It was the first Derby victory for both the trainer and owners.

As always, the Kentucky Derby 2013 was a profitable one and this is definitely true for those who stayed loyal to Orb. On a standard $2 Kentucky Derby betting ticket, Orb paid out $12.80 to win, $7.40 to place and $5.40 to show. Golden Soul was $38.60 to place and $19.60 to show, while Revolutionary crossed the finish line third to pay $5.40.

Those who were lucky enough to nail an exotic bet on the Kentucky Derby should at least buy the next round of drinks with their nice winnings. The exacta of Orb and Golden Soul paid a solid $981.60. That’s pretty high compared to the 2013 Kentucky Derby where the exacta of I’ll Have Another and Bodemeister paid $306.60.

The 2013 Kentucky Derby trifecta, including Revolutionary in third, was a solid money maker at $6,925.60. If you happened to pick Normandy Invasion on the Kentucky Derby odds to finish in fourth place as part of your superfecta, you would’ve collected a huge $57,084. Have you ever considered getting into the horse racing business yourself? The 2012 Derby winner, I’ll Have Another, was purchased as a yearling for a mere $11,000.

2013 results including the jockey and the final Kentucky Derby odds to win:

1. Orb (J. Rosario, 5.4)

2. Golden Soul (R. Albarado, 34.5)

3. Revolutionary (C. Borel, 6.4)

4. Normandy Invasion (J. Castellano, 9.3)

5. Mylute (R. Napravnik, 15.3)

6. Oxbow (G. Stevens, 24.9)

7. Lines of Battle (R. Moore, 31.9)

8. Will Take Charge (J. Court, 36.4)

9. Charming Kitten (E. Prado, 33.2)

10. Giant Finish (J. Espinoza, 38.6)

11. Overanalyze (R. Bejarano, 16.2)

12. Palace Malice (M. Smith, 23.7)

13. Java’s War (J. Leparoux, 21.5)

14. Verrazano (J. Velazquez, 8.7)

15. Itsmyluckyday (E. Trujillo, 9.5)

16. Frac Daddy (V. Lebron, 25)

17. Goldencents (K. Krigger, 7.9)

18. Vyjack (G. Gomez, 18.8)

19. Falling Sky (L. Saez, 39.7)

Scratched: Black Onyx and Fear the Kitten

The 139th running of the Kentucky Derby provided all the drama and theatrics one would expect from the most famous horse race in the world.

In the end, it even had something of a storybook ending.

Trainer Shug McGaughey, the Hall of Fame trainer who’s never won a Derby, looked on as his prized colt, Orb, put together a late surge to capture the annual Run for the Roses.

Orb came into the race as a 5-1 favorite thanks in large part to a stellar stakes/prep race campaign. McGaughey was thoroughly impressed at how his horse had been running through most of March and April, and felt confident as Orb tore it up during pre-race training at Churchill Downs.

He also had a special “ace” in his pocket – jockey Joel Rosario.

Rosario was largely credited for pacing Orb and cleverly picking his spot to make a run. Orb was running as far back as 17th place halfway through the race, but kicked it into overdrive down the stretch to win by two and a half lengths.

Rosario was blown away at how strong Orb looked down the stretch.

“I was really far back,” he told the Associated Press. “I said hopefully he can go faster than that. I was saying maybe I was too far back, but it was so easy.”

McGaughey was over the moon with the result. The 62-year-old is revered in the horseracing community, largely because he doesn’t rush horses into races and prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

However on Saturday, it was all on him.

“I’m thrilled to death for (the owners), thrilled to death for the people who put so much time into this horse, and, of course, I’m thrilled to death for me,” he told the Washington Post.

Finishing second to Orb was Golden Soul, a little-known entity from trainer Dallas Stewart. Golden Soul had only captured 14 Derby points in stakes races (under the new Derby points system) and was largely viewed as an afterthought.

By placing, Golden Soul played $38.60 and $19.40, and pleased his trainer in the process.

“This is one race you hate to be second,” Stewart told USA Today. “But you know what? I’m so proud of him.”

Third place went to Revolutionary.

This was an interesting story in itself as Revolutionary entered the race as a co-favorite (5-1) and was one of the five horses representing the powerhouse Todd Pletcher stable.

Revolutionary also had the advantage of being ridden by jockey Calvin Borel, who teamed with Pletcher to ride Super Saver to victory at the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

Revolutionary got lost in the pack to start the race, and like Orb, had to make a strong push to get back into contention. While he was able to place, he simply wasn’t able to make up enough ground to capture the Roses.

Not that Pletcher was disappointed.

“I thought he ran super. He got shuffled back farther than we thought and he had to keep waiting to try to make up ground,” he explained. “But when he could start running, he did really well.

“He closed strongly and just ran out of ground.”

Here are the full 2013 Kentucky Derby Results

1. Orb
2. Golden Soul
3. Revolutionary
4. Normandy Invasion
5. Mylute
6. Oxbow
7. Lines Of Battle
8. Will Take Charge
9. Charming Kitten
10. Giant Finish
11. Overanalyze
12. Palace Malice
13. Java’s War
14. Verrazano
15. Itsmyluckyday
16. Frac Daddy
17. Goldencents
18. Vyjack
19. Falling Sky

With the field of 20 now set for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby, let’s take a look back at the stakes and prep races that led up to Churchill Downs, and examine which horses did what.

Goldencents

This horse has made as much noise for his on-track exploits as he has with his off-track ones.
No, not the horse itself – rather, one of his minority owners.

University of Louisville men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino is the aforementioned stakeholder, owning a five percent interest in Goldencents. As such, one of the biggest weekends on the racing calendar coincided with one of the biggest weeks of Pitino’s life.

Goldencents captured the Santa Anita Derby on the same weekend Pitino’s Louisville team held off Wichita State in the NCAA Final Four. Shortly afterward, Pitino would capture his first national title at Louisville with a championship game victory over the University of Michigan.

That story captured a lot of headlines, and with good reason. Both Pitino and Goldencents have shown winning pedigree lately, though it’s Goldencents who has the bigger stakes ahead as he comes into Churchill Downs as one of the favorites in terms of Kentucky Derby betting.

Palace Malice

Palace Malice hasn’t received a ton of buzz leading up to the Derby, probably because he’s third (or even fourth) in the pecking order of Todd Pletcher’s powerhouse stable. With most of the headlines going to Verrazano and Revolutionary, Palace Malice has hung back and remained quiet, though that’s not to say he hasn’t impressed those looking to bet on the Kentucky Derby online.

In January, he finished second on a sloppy track at Gulfstream, a result that gave him some much-needed momentum for Derby qualification. That was followed by a disastrous outing at the Grade II Louisiana Derby – Palace Malice got stuck inside behind traffic, and finished seventh – followed by somewhat of a “regroup” by Pletcher.

Rather than go back to the drawing board, the veteran trainer threw Palace Malice back into the mix, and the move paid off. He recorded a solid second place finish at the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland, running close with eventual winner Java’s War.

That result was enough to qualify Palace Malice for the derby, and keep “Pletcher’s Army” going strong.

Oxbow

Oxbow’s a curious case study. He was one of the stars of the early stages of prep races, but fell a little bit back to earth as the Derby drew closer.

That said, the highlights were plenty for this Kentucky Derby contender.

Oxbow captured the first points race in Louisiana – the Louisiana Derby – under the new Churchill Downs qualifying system for 2013. Given it was the inaugural race under the new system, many eyes were fixated on the race, and Oxbow picked a perfect time to run smooth.

He cruised to an 11 1/2-length victory, earning high praise from jockey Jon Court.

“I wasn’t contested on the front end, so I was able to dictate the pace the way I wanted,” Court told USA today. “He’s really progressed. It’s just a matter of how he progresses forward.”

Here’s a look at the latest Kentucky Derby betting odds.

Verrazano, 9/2

One of the six horses from the Todd Pletcher stable, Verrazano has been a pre-Derby favorite for what feels like forever – but, as the race draws closer, there are some questions being asked of his form.

Though Verrazano has yet to lose a prep race, there are a couple of historical benchmarks that aren’t working in his favor. The first is that he didn’t race as a 2-year-old – and in the history of the Kentucky Derby, only one horse won the Run for the Roses without running as a two year old: Apollo, who did it way back in 1882.

There are also the Beyer Speed Figures. Verrazano’s decreasing Beyer in the Tampa Bay and Wood races leads many to believe he could fatigue over the Derby’s 1 1/4-mile track.

Of course, all these questions are akin to someone watching a four-year star in college – the longer you get a look at him, the more opportunities you have to poke holes in his game.

That was the attitude taken by Chad Brown, who trains Normandy Invasion, another Derby favorite. Brown had nothing but good things to say about Verrazano as the race drew closer.

“He looks like a special horse,” Brown told USA Today. “I would not be writing that horse off that he can’t go a mile and a quarter.”

Orb, 5/1

By now, you’re all probably familiar with the story regarding Orb and his Hall-of-Fame trainer, Shug McGaughey.

McGaughey has never won the Derby, and after being around the horseracing game for so long, feels he’s got a legit candidate for a win in Orb.

Orb has returned to favor of late by running like the wind, becoming a hot name in the world of Kentucky Derby live betting.

The latest example of this came in a pre-race training session at Churchill Downs. Orb completed the half-mile drill in 47.80 seconds, an impressive feat given the lackluster conditions on the day.

It was the latest in a string of performances that has McGaughey thinking big for the Derby.

“I thought it was great,” McGaughey told the Associated Press of Orb’s training run. “I thought he finished up really well. He’s getting over this racetrack really well, which is important.

“I’m happy to be sitting here.”

Revolutionary, 7/1

Revolutionary is looking to become the first horse since Grindstone in 1996 to win the Louisiana and Kentucky Derby in the same year.

A winner of three-straight races, Revolutionary is the second of Pletcher’s horses to be right near the top of the Kentucky Derby odds list. What people like most about this horse is that he’s being ridden by a former Derby winner, Calvin Borel, who rode Pletcher’s Super Saver to victory in 2010.

Now that Pletcher and Borel have reunited to saddle another horse, many are expecting history to repeat itself.

Here’s a rundown of what happened in April as horses and jockeys vied for spots in the 139th Kentucky Derby.

Wood Memorial Results at Aqueduct

Win, Verrazano
Place, Normandy Invasion
Show, Vyjack

This was the race that basically put Todd Pletcher’s Verrazano on the map in terms of Kentucky Derby contenders. Coming into the Wood as a 4/5 favorite, Verrazano had to grind out a victory for essentially the first time in his career, holding off the hard-charging Vyjack and a late push from Normandy Invasion to capture the $1 million stakes race.

While the race was big for Verrazano, it was almost of equal importance to Normandy Invasion. The second place finish secured some much-needed points for the Derby.

“I’m happy with my horse’s performance; very grateful that he got up for second and got the points hopefully to get into the Derby,” Verrazano trainer Chad Brown told USA Today following the race. “If the horse comes back good, I don’t see any reason why a mile and a quarter third off the layoff for him shouldn’t really hit him between the eyes.”

Santa Anita Derby Results at Santa Anita Park

Win, Goldencents
Place, Flashback
Show, Super Ninety Nine

This race had a pretty neat back-story for those interested in betting on the Kentucky Derby.

Goldencents is owned in part by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. The same weekend the horse captured the Santa Anita, coach and his team advanced to the NCAA Championship game – which they won on the Monday in a great game against the University of Michigan.

Goldencents had himself a fine weekend in his own right, coming into the race as something of an underdog to Flashback. Despite that, he ended up capturing the race by 1 1/4 lengths.

”These are the races you want to be a part of,” Goldencents trainer Doug O’Neill told the Associated Press following the race. ”This horse has been such a cool horse. I don’t think those big crowds and all the people at the Derby will be a factor for him, so I’m pumped.”

Arkansas Derby Results

Win, Overanalyze
Place, Frac Daddy
Show, Carve

The biggest story out of Arkansas wasn’t the horse that won but rather the horse that didn’t finish.

Pre-race favorite War Academy was supposed to be the marquee runner in the event, but things didn’t go according to plan. Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, War Academy started backing out of the contest on the backstretch, and shortly after, Smith was seen walking beside the horse, who appeared to be in distress.

One of the key members of the Bob Baffert stable, War Academy – a favorite in terms of Kentucky Derby horse odds – excited the racetrack on his own, much to the relief of concerned onlookers.

“[War Academy] took four or five really awkward steps,” Smith explained afterward. “I didn’t see anything major causing it, but I just felt really awkward on him and figured better safe than sorry.”

Here are some odds to pass your way as the annual Run for the Roses draws near. The odds are courtesy of Bovada racebook.

Verrazano, 7/2

One of a possible six (yes, six) horses that could be representing Todd Pletcher in this year’s Derby, Verrazano is at the top of most oddsmakers’ lists as the big race creeps up.

There’s not much to be said about Verrazano that hasn’t been said. He’s jumped out as the class of the prep races, and as far as odds go, should be the horse to beat when the Derby runs.

That said, there was some big news out of Pletcher’s camp recently, as Verrazano had his first workout at Churchill Downs, which drew a lot of eyes and a lot of interested parties. Verrazano covered five furlongs in 1:00.20, a solid time that only further solidified his position atop the futures market.

Orb, 5/1

We’ve written quite a bit about Orb in the lead-up to the Derby. He, of course, is the product of Hall-of-Fame trainer

Shug McGaughey, who is looking to win his first-ever Kentucky Derby after so many years in the game.

Well, Orb could be the horse that does it.

The Florida Derby winner showed great form at Payson Park recently, firing through five furlongs in a workout McGaughey was extremely focused on – and extremely impressed with afterward.

“This was the one we need to get behind us,” McGaughey told Brisnet.com. “What I really wanted to see was to see him finish good. I didn’t want to see him walking the last part of it.”

Orb finished the five-furlong training session in 1:02 1/5 in front of a noteworthy crowd, one that included former NFL head coach Bill Parcells.

“He was very settled going to the track, warming up and coming home,” McGaughey said. “Walking around here now, he’s as calm as can be. That’s what we’ve got to have the next two weeks.”

Goldencents, 7/1

There’s been a lot of Kentucky Derby odds buzz around Goldencents lately.

A lot of that has to do with his trainer, Doug O’Neil, who captured the 2012 Kentucky Derby thanks to a stirring run from I’ll Have Another.

This year, O’Neil is back with Goldencents, a three-year-old colt that made his mark on the prep race scene with a big win at Santa Anita.

Goldencents was recently back at Santa Anita for training purposes and showed well by running four furlongs in 48.40.
O’Neil was pleased with the results.

“I saw a relaxed, mature horse that finished up great,” he told the Associated Press.

Speaking of the AP, it had Goldencents ranked fourth amongst all contenders in its final Power Rankings for the 2013 Derby.

Revolutionary, 7/1

The second of Pletcher’s horses in the top four, Revolutionary, is making a lot of waves thanks to the man that’s saddling him – Calvin Borel.

One of the best jockeys on the circuit, Borel has won the 2007, 2009 and 2010 Derbies and done it in style. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird was the second biggest upset in Derby history, and the winning margin of 6 3/4 lengths was the greatest in Derby history.

It’s no surprise that people are keen on Revolutionary as one of the major Kentucky Derby contenders heading into May.

As we get closer and closer to the 139th Run for the Roses, we’re going to take a look at some of the horses making noise on the Kentucky Derby scene.

Napravnik to Ride Mylute

There was a lot of discussion within the horse racing community as to who would saddle Mylute after he finished second in the Louisiana Derby.

Now, we know the answer.

Female jockey Rosie Napravnik will ride Mylute in the Kentucky Derby, owners Goldmark Farms LLC and Whisper Hill Farm LLC confirmed.

This didn’t appear to be an easy decision. While Napravnik had ridden Mylute in his last victory – a win at the Fair Grounds – it was jockey Shaun Bridgmohan who’d saddled him as of late, including in the aforementioned runner-up finish at Louisiana.

In the end, the ownership group went with Napravnik.

“Rosie was aboard Mylute for his latest victory, and we feel fortunate to have her back,” the ownership group said in a statement. “We’d also like to give special thanks to Shaun Bridgmohan, as well as all of the other riders who have ridden Mylute for their help in getting him to this point in his career.”

Borel to Ride Revolutionary

The horse that beat Mylute at the Louisiana Derby is going to be ridden by one of the best jockeys in the game.
Three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel – who last won in 2010 with Super Saver – will ride Revolutionary in this year’s Run for the Roses, according to WinStar Farm president Elliott Walden.

Revolutionary has been one of the stars of the prep races and looks to be in fine form heading into the ’13 Derby. So, no real surprise that there was mutual interest between WinStar and Borel, who wants to capture Derby win No. 4.

“Calvin’s Kentucky Derby experience and affinity for Churchill Downs makes him a perfect fit for most Derby contenders, and we’re thrilled to have him aboard Revolutionary to once again carry the WinStar colors in horse racing’s biggest race,” Walden explained.

“Obviously, Calvin did a masterful job guiding Super Saver to WinStar’s first-ever Kentucky Derby victory a few years ago, which is something we’ll be forever thankful for. So we’ve had good fortune together, and hopefully, history can repeat itself on May 4.”

Overanalyze Running Well

It must be nice to be Todd Pletcher.

The super-trainer looks as though he’ll have a field of four horses in the Derby after Overanalyze won the $1 million Arkansas Derby with a stellar effort, knocking off pre-race favorite War Academy (owned by another trainer elite, Bob Baffert).

The win gave Overanalyze 100 points in the new Kentucky Derby scoring system, all but ensuring Pletcher will essentially dominate the field when the race lines up.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano was full of praise for Overanalyze after the race, saying he had a “beautiful trip” – beautiful enough for Bejarano to coast a bit down the stretch.

“Once we got to the stretch, I felt like I had a lot of horse left and saved something for the next race,” he said.

Here’s some news and notes to pass your way for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby set for Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Orb Riding High

We’ve written a lot about famed trainer Shug McGaughey in the lead-up to the Derby, mostly because of his prized horse, Orb.
That theme continued when the red-hot horse won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

McGaughey, who has yet to train a Kentucky Derby winner in his 30-plus years on the circuit, clearly has a favorite on his hands in Orb. Orb has now won four-straight stakes races and is quickly shooting to the top of many oddsmakers’ lists for May 4.
McGaughey thinks he has a star in the making, one that could capture the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

”It’s my dream,” he told the Associated Press after winning at Gulfstream. ”When the 2-year-olds come in, I always try to think, ‘Well, one of these is going to be the one to take us to the Derby where we have an opportunity to win.’”

Ridden by jockey John Velazquez, Orb caught another serious Derby contender – Itsmyluckyday – inside the eighth pole at Gulfstream and ran to victory.

McGaughey has had success in Triple Crown races – he trained Easy Goer, who won the 1989 Belmont Stakes – but as mentioned, has never trained a Derby winner. Heck, he hasn’t had a horse in the race in over 10 years.

”I haven’t taken one to the Derby since (Saarland in) 2002,” McGaughey said, ”and this horse, by far, is the best opportunity I’ve had since Easy Goer.”

Revolutionary Stands Tall

Another horse making big waves as the Derby draws near?

Revolutionary.

One of the stars of the Todd Pletcher stable, Revolutionary won one of the first 100-point races of the stakes season by finishing first in the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

The result was key for Pletcher’s prized horse, as he’d struggled in an earlier race (Withers Stakes, in February) that left many people wondering what Revolutionary would have in store for the Derby.

Jockey Javier Castellano put those concerns to rest at the Fair Grounds.

He paced his horse to a solid, powerful move on the final turn and did well to hold off a pesky challenger, Mylute, to win the grade 2 stakes.

“[Revolutionary] did everything you could ask, last time and today,” Castellano told Daily Racing Form. “I’m looking forward to the Derby big-time.”

Animal Kingdom Captures Dubai

If horses can have swan songs, Animal Kingdom has written a beauty.

The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner put an injury-plagued campaign behind him to win the $10 million Dubai World Cup – the first American to capture the world’s richest horse race in four years.

A series of ailments have kept Animal Kingdom from running much in the last year, including the 2012 Dubai World Cup. However he showed strong this time around, taking the lead from Royal Delta down the stretch, holding off a late charge by Red Cadeaux to win by two lengths.

“He’s a tremendous horse,” jockey Joel Rosario told the Associated Press following the race. “I let him do his thing, whatever he wanted to do.”

The month of March has been a busy one in terms of Kentucky Derby positioning. With the 2013 race having implemented a new points qualification system – races increase in point value as we draw closer to the May 4 run date – things have progressively gotten more and more intense as the 139th Run for the Roses draws near.

Let’s take a look at some of the big stakes and prep races from this past month.

Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, March 2

The big story from Gotham was the performance of Vyjack, who won his fourth-straight race thanks to a stunning late rally down the stretch. Perhaps even bigger than the win was Vyjack’s ability to overshadow pre-race favorite race horse Overanalyze – the Todd Pletcher-trained horse that many liked as a Derby contender heading into the race. Overanalyze finished fifth (in what was his debut race at the three-year-old level) which has since tempered expectations for both Pletcher and his horse heading into May.

As for Vyjack, he picked up a crucial 50 points to vault himself right near the top of the Derby leaderboard.

Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs, March 9

This was the race in which Verrazano solidified his status as a major favorite for the ’13 Derby.

The betting favorite heading in (at 2/5), Verrazano passed Falling Sky at the half-mile mark and cruised to his third-straight victory.

Another of the prized horses from the Pletcher stable, Verrazano impressed many on the day, including Pletcher himself.

“He definitely showed us that he can overcome an early stumble and deal with a little dirt in his face,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We found out that he could travel well and handle two turns. All the things we were worried about he overcame them pretty well.”

Like Gotham, this too was a 50-point first-place finish for Derby seeding. As such, it was an important result for Verrazano, given there’s only a handful of 100-point firsts up for grabs in April. Verrazano’s in the driver’s seat for a good spot at the Derby.

Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, March 16

Oaklawn was the D. Wayne Lukas show.

The four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer captured the day as his horses finished first and second in the $600,000 race – Will Take Charge captured the crown, while Oxbow showed extremely well in a runner-up role.

The win put Will Take Charge atop the leaderboard with 60 points – he gained an additional 10 at the Smarty Jones back in January – though that status could change in the near future as some big April points stakes are still to be run.

Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, March 23

Black Onyx made his stakes debut a good one at Turfway, capturing the Spiral and earning 50 Derby points as a result.

It promises to be a brief debut, according to trainer Kelly Breen.

“He’s proven he’s a multi-talented horse,” Breen said immediately after the race. “He’s won on dirt, on turf, and now on Polytrack. The plan was – if he won – that we wouldn’t run again until the Derby. His next start will be the Derby.”

The 50 points should be more than enough to qualify Black Onyx for the Derby (as Breen alluded to), so it’ll be interesting to see what a limited body of stakes race work will do come May 4.

On Saturday, May 4, the 2013 Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs – the 139th annual Run for the Roses.

While that date might seem well into the future, it’s never too early to start handicapping the field and looking at hoses that might make some noise come May.

This year, the Derby has instituted a new points system for qualification into the big dance. Stakes races will increase in value as we get closer and closer to May 4, meaning the “stakes” actually get higher with each race.

So while Derby positions are still left to be determined, a pretty decent picture is coming into focus with regards to contenders and pretenders. The Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard is jammed with points and futures are already in play.

So let’s take a look, shall we?

Kentucky Derby Contenders

All Others, 5/1

No, that’s not the name of a horse – it’s a way for bettors to play the field. Also referred to as the Mutuel Field, this includes all three-year-old thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses on the Derby future’s pool.

It’s not an overwhelming surprise that All Others leads the way right now. April represents a big month for stakes races with certain fields offering up as many as 50 Derby points. That means the field could take a dramatically different look on a week-to-week basis, hence why people might play the field.

Verrazano, 7-1

Verrazano is a product of the Let’s Go Stable, a racing partnership started by brothers-in-law Kevin Scatuorchio and Bryan Sullivan in 2006. The duo has enlisted the services of super-trainer Todd Pletcher to handle Verrazano, and that’s partly why the odds are already in the horse’s favor – Pletcher won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and led all trainers in monies won for the 2011 season.

Verrazano has shown good form as of late, winning the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby Stakes on March 9. At the time of writing he currently sat sixth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points.

Vyjack, 10/1

Vyjack comes from the Pick Six Racing stable (David Wilkenfeld) and is the first horse Wilkenfeld ever purchased. Fun fact: the name comes from his parents, Vivienne and Jack.

Wilkenfeld has enlisted the services of Rudy Rodriguez as his trainer and the pair has worked well together, especially in March. Vyjack shot right near the top of the leaderboard thanks to a big win at the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 2.

Itsmyluckyday, 10/1

Itsmyluckyday is still riding high on success from earlier this season – he captured the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream back in January, snagging a bunch of points in the process (currently sitting 20th overall.)

A lot of Itsmyluckday’s hype probably stems from his trainer, Eddie Plesa Jr. A former assistant for the legendary Stanley Hough, Plesa Jr. has over 2,000 career victories and was inducted into the Calder Hall of Fame in 2006.