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The annual Run for the Roses continues to draw closer, which means each stakes race gets more and more important in terms of stockpiling points for Churchill Downs positioning.

Recently, the always-popular $600,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park was run. There were 50-20-10-5 points up for grabs to the top four finishers. This race has traditionally been a good testing field for colts to see where they’re at just a few months prior to the Kentucky Derby and which future races they should be entered in.

Big Hoppertunity

The story from this year’s Rebel was Hoppertunity, as owner Mike Pegram walked away a winner after Hoppertunity captured one of the closest races of the year.

Hoppertunity won an intense four-horse battle down the final furlong, edging out the likes of Tapiture, Ride On Curlin and Strong Mandate in a race that saw plenty of bumping and jostling down the final stretch.

The race was so close and so physical, in fact, that there was a steward’s inquiry into the stretch run – but the three Oaklawn Stewards decided to let the final standings stay set, noting that all four horses were “straightening out into the stretch.”

Pegram was thrilled with the response as there were 50 Kentucky Derby points up for grabs for finishing first at the Rebel. By taking all 50, Hoppertunity bolted to second overall on the leaderboard with 55 (trailing only Samraat, who tops all with 60 points).

Bettors also scored big too. The Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity had 10/1 morning line odds going into the race. Tapiture sat higher on the online horse odds at 9/5.

Tapiture and several other horses received major Kentucky Derby points as well. Tapiture now has 42 points – good for seventh overall – while Ride On Curlin now sits 14^th (with 15 points) after earning 10 points for his third-place finish.

Strong Mandate, who earned five points from his fourth-place finish now sits 20^th (with 11 points) on the leaderboard.

Pletcher, Baffert Going to New Mexico

Two of the biggest and best trainers in the game will have their colts on hand at the Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico.

Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert will each run a pair of horses in the grade 3 stakes (with an $800,000 tag), it was announced. Baffert will run Midnight Hawk – who rose to prominence earlier this season by capturing the Grade 2 Stakes in San Felipe – and Chitu, who recently put forth a solid second-place showing at the Grade 2 Lewis.

Pletcher confirmed that Commissioner and Global Strike will both run in New Mexico. Both have shown well this season and won separate races at Gulfstream Park. As for jockeys, Pletcher has indicated that John Velasquez will ride Commissioner while Javier Castellano has the mount on Global Strike.

Four months is an eternity in thoroughbred racing. For proof of that look at the rise of Cairo Prince, the current Kentucky Derby betting favorite for May’s 140th Run for the Roses at storied Churchill Downs.

The Pool 1 Kentucky Derby online horse odds were released in late November 2013 and Cairo Prince was a 26-1 shot when they closed. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Cairo Prince scored his maiden win in early October at Belmont Park. He followed with a decisive victory in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes and then finished second by a nose to Honor Code in the Grade 2 Remsen on November 30, both at Aqueduct.

Cairo Prince’s 3-year-old debut was a smashing success as he won the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream. The son of Pioneerof the Nile beat a strong field by 5 ¾ lengths. Not surprisingly, Cairo Prince jumped to 13-1 on the Pool 2 Kentucky Derby horse racing odds in early February. Honor Code was the 12-1 betting favorite. The Pool 3 odds ran from February 27-March 1 and Cairo Prince jumped into the favored role at 9-1.

Honor Code is now 11-1 for those who bet on the Kentucky Derby. The Shug McGaughey-trained colt and son of AP Indy has yet to run in 2014, with McGaughey targeting the mid-March Rebel Stakes for his 3-year-old debut. Honor Code missed some training time with hind ankle bruising, so he wasn’t able to run in the February 22 Fountain of Youth Stakes as planned. Top Billing is also 11-1.

First Derby for Sadler?

Candy Boy is 12-1 on the Pool 3 Derby odds. Candy Boy, trained by John W. Sadler, debuted as a 3-year-old with a victory in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in early February. That win helped rocket Candy Boy from 32-1 in the Pool 2 Derby odds. Shared Belief, a gelding, was 14-1 in Pool 2 and is now 15-1. The horse is unbeaten in three career starts, including beating out Candy Boy in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity in December.

One horse who has come out of nowhere – not listed on Pool 1 or 2 – is Bob Baffert’s Bayern. The colt has two wins in 2014. On February 13 in his first race at mile, Bayern dominated the Taurus Purse, an allowance for 3-year-olds, winning by 15 lengths. Bayern is 17-1.

High-Five

Only five horses have been separately listed in all three pools toward the 2014 Derby: Cairo Prince, Honor Code, Noble Moon, Shared Belief and Strong Mandate. The latter colt was 18-1 on the Pool 3 Kentucky Derby betting odds, a slight rise from Pool 2. Strong Mandate debuted as a 3-year-old by finishing second to Tapiture in the Grade 2 Southwest Stakes. That win helped jump Tapiture from 38-1 in Pool 2 to 17-1 in Pool 3. Tapiture and Strong Mandate are both likely to run next in the Rebel Stakes.

The overall favorite in the Pool 3 odds was the “all others” option at 3-1. It was the favorite in Pools 1 and 2 as well. The final Pool 4 odds will be released from March 27-29 in the Kentucky Derby betting news.

There were a number of big developments on the Kentucky Derby horse racing odds front recently, as a several would-be contenders either solidified their chances at the Run for the Roses or saw those chances get considerably slimmer. Here’s a look at some of the horses making noise.

Tough Times for Indianapolis

Another contender from the Bob Baffert stable has fallen on hard times as of late.

Indianapolis, who shot to the top of several must-watch lists after winning his first two starts, has been slowed down by throat issues and has a cloudy future regarding his next race. Baffert said he’s uncertain when Indianapolis will run next. The colt was expected to take part in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita last month, but was scratched due to a cough which was, essentially, the start of his throat issues.

To compound matters, Indianapolis has been training in rainy weather, and that’s kept him from returning to the track in the hopes of regaining his early form. Baffert said all Indianapolis has been able to do thus far is light jogging – not the kind of updates you want in terms of Kentucky Derby betting news.

All that said, Baffert refused to rule Indianapolis out of Churchill Downs, saying that the fate of a horse “can literally change overnight.” That’s an important lesson to note when it comes to deciphering online horse odds.

Bond Holder Out of Tampa Bay Derby

Doug O’Neill’s Bond Holder – another horse that looked to be in solid shape to run in this year’s Kentucky Derby – has been ruled out of the Tampa Bay Derby with a foot injury.

Bond Holder shot to prominence with a win at the FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita early in this year’s campaign, but has been sidelined ever since sustaining a minor injury during a flight from California a few weeks ago. The plane went through some turbulence; Bond Holder tweaked his foot and was subsequently scratched from the Risen Star Stakes as a precautionary measure.

O’Neill updated the situation on Twitter this week, saying Bond Holder is “walking sound.” The big issue now is whether or not the colt will recover with enough time to rack up some Derby points – his lone win at FrontRunner got him on the board, but it was Bond Holder’s only victory in seven starts. He also finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and at the CashCall Futurity, which were good results but hardly massive point gainers.

For those who bet on Kentucky Derby, here’s a look at the latest point leaders:

60 – Samraat

53 – Intense Holiday

50 – Wildcat Red

24 – Alban, Uncle Sigh

22 – Tapiture

20 – Vicar’s in Trouble, General a Rod

14 – Havana, Cairo Prince, Honor Code

12 – Tamarando , Midnight Hawk

11 – Bond Holder

10 – Rise Up, We Miss Artie, Candy Boy, In Trouble, Noble Moon, Ami’s Holiday, Cleburne, Tanzanite Cat, Top Billing

Know when Kentucky Derby betting season is heating up?

When horses start to clinch spots in the annual Run for the Roses.

That’s where we’re at, folks, as a number of horses racked up crucial points over the last stretch of races, some solidifying their chances for the big race, with one colt – who’s been blowing away the competition thus far – booking his spot at Churchill Downs.

Samraat Clinches in Style

At this point, it’s looking more and more like Samraat will be the colt to beat, for those looking to bet on Kentucky Derby.

The New York-bred horse, trained by Rick Violette, continued his assault on the field with a win in the $500,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. With the win, Samraat improved to a perfect five-for-five in Derby points races this season, clinching a spot in the Derby field in the process.

Because Samraat’s clinched so early, Violette has an interesting conundrum on his hands – keep racing the horse, ensuring peak form, or rest Samraat, and avoid injury prior to the Derby.

Violette said he’d “be lying” if he said he wasn’t already thinking about the Derby, and why not? Jockeyed by Jose Ortiz (from My Meadowview Farm), Samraat didn’t look as though he had the moxie to capture the Gotham midway through the race, only to turn it on with a sweeping move in the final turn to make it a three-horse race, with Uncle Sign and In Trouble.

Samraat took it on the outside, though, beating Uncle Sigh by a neck and In Trouble by a half-length. On what was a fast track, Samraat clocked a 1:44.14 (on a 1 1/16 size track, no less) – a speed that caught the eye of many onlookers.

As for the future and online horse odds, Violette said Samraat will head to Florida to train for a while, but suggested the colt will come back to Aqueduct shortly for the $1 million Wood Memorial. The Wood could very well be Samraat’s last race pre-Derby.

Tough News for Havana

One of the horses that showed early promise in the season is now facing a major uphill battle just to crack the Derby field.

Havana, trained by the legendary Todd Pletcher, was held out of the $200,000 Swale at Gulfstream recently due to a quarter crack in his right front foot.

Havana has displayed great form in a limited scope this season. He first burst onto the scene at Saratoga last season, then capturing a stirring victory over Honor Code at the Champagne at Belmont in his second career start.

From there, Havana continued to impress in terms of Kentucky Derby horse racing odds by taking a lead down the stretch at the Juvenile, only to fall short of surprise winner New Year’s Day. The colt showed good pace on the day and was supposed to be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velasquez moving forward, so big things were expected.

Now, Pletcher can only hope the horse will get healthy in time to run a few stakes races, and get some points under his belt in a last-ditch Derby push.

The pre-Derby circuit has been remarkably compelling over the last few weeks as the horses climb up the points leaderboard.  Let’s take a look at some of the colts in the Kentucky Derby betting news as the annual Run for the Roses draws near.

Tapiture Bests the Rest

There’s a new horse making waves in the world of Kentucky Derby horse racing odds – Tapiture, the Steve Asmussen-trained runner that shot atop the board with a stellar 4 ¼ length victory at the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.

Taipture gained 10 vital points at Oaklawn, dominating the $300,000 stakes race and putting a significant distance between himself and second-place finisher Strong Mandate.

Asmussen called the race a “big step forward” for Tapiture while Strong Mandate’s trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, was pleased with how his horse fared in his first start since a third place finish at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the beginning of the campaign.

Lukas acknowledged that Tapiture was the class of the field, saying his run was “exceptional.” But he also reserved some praise for Strong Mandate, noting that his horse was bumped coming out of the gate and forced to run wide the entire race. All things considered, second place was a strong showing.

And if you’re into the whole rivalry thing, it’s expected that Tapiture and Strong Mandate are on a collision course for a rematch at the Rebel Stakes – also at Oaklawn Park – in a month’s time.

With those results from the Southwest Stakes in the book, here is the updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard (shown below in the order of horse, points, trainer):

1. Tapiture, 22, Steve Asmussen
2. Havana, 14, Todd Pletcher
3. Cairo Prince, 14. Kiaran McLaughlin
4. Honor Code, 14, Shug McGaughey
5. Tamarando, 12, Jerry Hollendorfer
6. Midnight Hawk, 12, Bob Baffert
7. Bond Holder, 11, Doug O’Neill
8. Rise Up, 10, Tom Amoss
9. We Miss Artie, 10, Todd Pletcher
10. Candy Boy, 10, John Sadler
11. Samraat, 10, Rick Violette
12. Noble Moon, 10, Leah Gyarmati
13. Ami’s Holiday, 10, Josie Carroll
14. Vicar’s in Trouble, 10, Mike Maker
15. Cleburne, 10, Dale Romans
16. Tanzanite Cat, 10, Cody Autrey
17. Strong Mandate, 6, D. Wayne Lukas
18. Casiguapo, 5, Mario Morales
19. Classic Giacnroll, 5, Lisa Guerrero
20. Ride On Curlin, 5, Billy Gowan

Big Result for Bayern

Though the win didn’t collect the kind of points needed to crack the leaderboard, another horse from the Bob Baffert camp – Bayern – made some noise in the Kentucky Derby betting world recently by winning a $58,000 race at Santa Anita.

The reason it caught people’s attention? Bayern won the race by a whopping 15 lengths – according to jockey Gary Stevens, Bayern “exploded” with speed upon hitting the eighth pole and absolutely dominated the competition from there on out (though, it should be noted, Bayern was a heavy favorite for those who bet on Kentucky Derby.)

Baffert has three Kentucky Derby wins on his resume but none since 2002, when War Emblem bested Proud Citizen. He’s looking to get back into the roses at Churchill Downs with Bayern.

As we move closer and closer to the annual Run for the Roses, horses are steadily stockpiling points in the hopes of cracking the field for the 2014 Kentucky Derby, to be run at Churchill Downs.

One of them, Candy Boy, has emerged as a quality runner and one worth keeping an eye on as the Derby draws near. Let’s take a further look at his recent success.

Candy Boy, A Contender

Led by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, Candy Boy is riding high lately – especially after a half-length victory over fellow Derby hotshot Chitu in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.

Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner, couldn’t say enough good things about Candy Boy after the horse won his first stakes victory. He said Candy Boy would be his “No. 1 draft choice” in terms of selecting colts to ride this year, thanks in large part to the horse’s 97 BRIS speed figure, which wowed onlookers at Santa Anita.

McGaughey Going Strong

After capturing last year’s Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes with Orb, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey will be back this year looking to make it two wins in a row with Top Billing. The horse will fill in for Honor Code, one of the most highly-touted horses in terms of Kentucky Derby horse racing odds.

Honor Code, who rose to prominence this season with a stellar victory over Cairo Prince at the Remsen Stakes, wasn’t nominated to the Fountain of Youth due to ankle bruising (a significant setback in his training schedule.) As a result, Top Billing – the son of the legendary Curlin – will draw into the field, looking to build upon a stellar performance at the Laurel on December 6, when he scored his first career win.

The Fountain of Youth is a $400,000 stakes race with key points up for grabs on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Aside from McGaughey and Top Billing, another trainer-horse combo to watch will be that of Commissioner and Todd Pletcher, who actually defeated Top Billing in the 1 1/8 mile allowance last month.

Pletcher will also be running Intense Holiday (who finished third in the Holy Bull), Havana (a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up) and We Miss Artie (a Breeders’ Futurity winner) – three to definitely keep an eye on when it comes to online horse odds.

Coach Q in the Limelight

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville – who guided the ‘Hawks to a pair of Stanley Cup championships in 2010 and 2013 – has an interesting horse in play in Midnight Hawk, who finished third in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (which, as mentioned above, was won by Candy Boy.)

Trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, Midnight Hawk has run well throughout the Derby points season and should be a factor when it comes to Kentucky Derby betting.  The Robert B. Lewis was just the third race of Midnight Hawk’s career and the first time it hadn’t won, so you know there’s some kind of winning pedigree at play with this colt.

It’s been a busy time as the horse racing world keeps an eye on the field to bet on the Kentucky Derby. Races are being run, points have been grabbed and a number of ponies have already emerged as favorites for the annual Run for the Roses.

Let’s take a look at some of the news makers now.

Samraat Takes the Withers

New York born-and-bred Samraat made some big strides toward receiving top Kentucky Derby horse racing odds when he captured the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Rick Violette-trained horse looked very good at the $250,000 race, capturing a one-length victory over Uncle Sigh (who raced neck-and-neck with Samraat for the majority of the time).

While the Withers was a six-horse race, Samraat and Uncle Sigh turned it into a two-horse race as the third place finisher, Scotland, finished 10 ¼ lengths back.

With the win, Samraat earned 10 crucial points in qualifying for Churchill Downs standings while Uncle Sigh earned four, Scotland two and Classic Giacnroll one. Violette indicated post-race that Samraat would return to his usual training regime in Florida following the Withers, then consider running in the Wood Memorial – also at Aqueduct – later down the road.

Another Contender for WinStar

In not-so-shocking Kentucky Derby betting news, WinStar Farm is running hot.

The Woodford County farm, which already boasted a leading Derby contender in Commissioner – he beat highly-touted Top Billing at Gulfstream earlier this season – now appears to have another prized horse in the mix with Vinceremos.

Vinceremos gained some crucial Derby bragging rights of his own at Tampa Bay Downs, capturing the 1 1/16 mile Sam F. Davis race over stablemate Harpoon.

Led by Todd Pletcher – the trainer extraordinaire – Vinceremos had a pretty curious run in Tampa, pressing for the lead early before falling back at the far turn, only to rebound extremely well and take the lead in midstretch. Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, Vinceremos didn’t actually gain any ground in Derby standings – the Sam F. Davis isn’t a points race this season. However he did position himself well for his next big race, the Tampa Bay Derby.

Honor Code Suffers ‘Minor Setback’

One of the hottest horses in the Derby campaign and points board fixture Honor Code has suffered a minor setback, according to trainer Shug McGaughey.

Honor Code was thought to be in the mix for the Fountain of Youth race at Gulfstream, but will now reportedly skip the event after missing around 10 days of training due to bruising in his hind ankles.

Honor Code burst onto the scene with a stellar win in the 1 1/8 mile Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct early in the season, but hasn’t raced since. That, along with McGaughey’s pedigree – he won his first-ever Derby last year with Orb – has a lot of Kentucky Derby betting enthusiasts keeping their eyes on Honor Code’s health.

Here’s a look at the latest headlines in the world of Kentucky Derby betting news, as the annual Run for the Roses draws closer and closer.

Vicar’s in Trouble Steals the Show

Saddled by Rosie Napravnik, Vicar’s in Trouble secured 10 huge points toward the Kentucky Derby leaderboard by capturing the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds.

Vicar’s in Trouble cruised to victory by 6 ¾ lengths, earning his first career stakes win in his first try going two full turns.

Napravnik, who’s been a rather in-form jockey over the last 12 months, praised Vicar’s ability to handle the longer distance and said his natural speed gave her options for how to strategize the race.

With the win, Vicar’s in Trouble finds himself in pretty solid positioning given how early it is in the points race. He’s tied on points with Tanzanite Cat, Rise Up, We Miss Artie, Noble Moon, Ami’s Holiday, Cleburne and Midnight Hawk at 10 points. It’s a group to watch for those that want to get in on Kentucky Derby betting.

An Indianapolis Colt?

There were some big developments at the $75,000 San Pedro Stakes recently, as a curiously-named colt won by 4 ¼ lengths and solidified his chance at the Kentucky Derby.

That colt’s name? Indianapolis.

Coming from the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a three-time Kentucky Derby winner – Indianapolis is now undefeated in two sprint starts and was lauded for his “superstar status” by Baffert following the win at San Pedro.

Indianapolis was saddled by Martin Garcia at the stakes and ran six furlongs in an impressive time (1:08.80). He came into the race as a 3-5 favorite and paid out $3.20 and $2.10.

Though his name is Indianapolis, the colt is Kentucky bred and Baffert has his sights set firmly on Churchill Downs. He’s promised to run Indianapolis in all the major races leading up to May, when Kentucky Derby horse racing odds will heat up.

Tanzanite Cat Wins Smarty Jones

The latest entry from the James and Ywachetta Driver camp – Tanzanite Cat – registered a solid win at the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park, giving him a precious 10 points to move into the aforementioned 10-point log-jam on the leaderboard.

Though he hadn’t raced since December 8, Tanzanite Cat showed extremely well down the finish – giving up a lead on the backstretch, taking it back mid-stretch – and looked good under jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr, who got the horse to run the opening quarter mile in 23.17 seconds.

Tanzanite Cat’s six-furlong time was 1:12.31 and his final time – on a fast track – was 1:38.69.

Updated Points Board

If you want to bet on Kentucky Derby, here’s the latest in terms of points board movers and shakers:

No. 1: Havana (trainer: Todd Pletcher), 14 points, $660,000

No. 2: Honor Code (trainer: Shug McGaughey), 14 points, $340,000

No. 3: Tapiture (trainer: Steve Asmussen), 12 points, $120,738

No. 4: Bond Holder (trainer: Doug O’Neill), 11 points, $273,000

(Dollar figures are Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings)