It’s officially Kentucky Derby week, as the post-position draw and morning-line betting odds were announced Monday at Churchill Downs.
Zandon replaced Epicenter as betting favorite on the morning line at odds of 3-1. Zandon drew the 10th post, and he’ll have Flavien Prat on board as jockey in the 148th “Run for the Roses.” As for Epicenter, he drew an inside post position (third) and may have to show his speed early.
“I would be very surprised if (Epicenter) wasn’t in the first flight, off of his ability and where he’s been in all of his previous races,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.
Here are the post positions, betting odds, jockeys, and trainers for all 20 horses competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby:
2022 Kentucky Derby Field: Post Positions, Odds, Jockeys, Trainers
| PP | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo Donegal | 10-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher |
| 2 | Happy Jack | 30-1 | Rafael Bejarano | Doug O'Neill |
| 3 | Epicenter | 7-2 | Joel Rosario | Steve Asmussen |
| 4 | Summer Is Tomorrow | 30-1 | Mickael Barzalona | Bhupat Seemar |
| 5 | Smile Happy | 20-1 | Corey Lanerie | Kenny McPeek |
| 6 | Messier | 8-1 | John Velazquez | Tim Yakteen |
| 7 | Crown Pride | 20-1 | Christophe Lemaire | Koichi Shintani |
| 8 | Charge It | 20-1 | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher |
| 9 | Tiz the Bomb | 30-1 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenny McPeek |
| 10 | Zandon | 3-1 | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown |
| 11 | Pioneer of Medina | 30-1 | Joe Bravo | Todd Pletcher |
| 12 | Taiba | 12-1 | Mike Smith | Tim Yakteen |
| 13 | Simplification | 20-1 | Jose Ortiz | Antonio Sano |
| 14 | Barber Road | 30-1 | Reylu Gutierrez | John Ortiz |
| 15 | White Abarrio | 10-1 | Tyler Gaffalione | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 16 | Cyberknife | 20-1 | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox |
| 17 | Classic Causeway | 30-1 | Julien Leparoux | Kelly Breen |
| 18 | Tawny Port | 30-1 | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Brad Cox |
| 19 | Zozos | 20-1 | Manny Franco | Brad Cox |
| 20 | Ethereal Road | 30-1 | Luis Contreras | D. Wayne Lukas |
Morning-line odds are simply a prediction by track handicappers of what each horse’s price will be. They have no bearing on the odds a bettor ultimately receives on a bet. With pari-mutuel wagering, odds are determined by the amount of money bet on each entry, and closing odds are the prices at which each bet is effective.
Expert Derby Insights From A Horse Racing Oddsmaker
Gaming Today previously spoke with Circa’s Paul Zilm, a veteran oddsmaker in horse racing.
Zilm said that Circa took sharp action on Zandon in advanced wagering last month. Zandon was then being offered at +2500 (or 25-1) before his win in the Bluegrass Stakes on April 9.
“(They) got down on good numbers with us right before his win in the Bluegrass in Lexington,” Zilm said. “A couple of sharp bettors that we respect took a good number, and now we’re not Zandon’s biggest fans. Although it’s not going to be a huge loss, it’s certainly a liability there.”
Zilm touted Charge It, who drew the eighth post position and was listed at +2000 (or 20-1) on the morning line today.
Charge It’s second-place finish in The Florida Derby gained him entry into the Kentucky Derby. The lightly-raced horse is trained by Todd Pletcher and has never finished worse than second in three career starts.
“I think at the end of the Triple Crown season, or certainly the summer, he may be the best of the bunch,” Zilm said. “He’s a horse that I might take a flyer on in the Derby. He might be a superstar or a freak.”
Also read: Kentucky Derby futures odds from Vegas | Bonus code for $200 risk-free Derby bet at TVG
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