Sat May 7th,2022|Kentucky Derby Odds, Picks and Preview
3 min read
2022 Kentucky Derby Predictions
When: Saturday, May 7th 2022 (Post Time 6:57 p.m.)
Where: Churchill Downs
The entire live card at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7 is a horse bettor’s dream. Post time for the first of 12 races on the card is 10:30 a.m. (ET). There are seven major graded events with more than $8 million in total prize money up for grabs. The total prize money for this year’s ‘Run for the Roses’ alone is set at $3 million.
This race is the Crown Jewel of the Triple Crown series followed by the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 21 and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 11.
Focusing all of my attention on this Saturday’s main event with a scheduled post time of 6:57 p.m. (ET), I have narrowed down the Kentucky Derby’s massive 22-horse field to best of the bunch. The following three colts would be my “best bet” picks to finish in the money over this 1 ¼ miles run on the dirt track at Churchill.
The second-favorite on the morning line at 7-2 odds will break from the No. 3 post with Joel Rosario as his jockey. Zandon gets the nod as the 3-1 favorite to win but Epicenter still appears to be the class of this field. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Not This Time moved to the top of the list with victories at Fair Grounds in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby as Grade 2 events.
Through his last five events, Epicenter has posted four wins with a second-place run in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in his three-year old debut.
2022 Kentucky Derby Odds America’s Bookie odds
Epicenter +426
Zandon +527
Messier +830
Taiba +925
White Abarrio +1024
Mo Donegal +1228
Charge It +1416
Smile Happy +1636
Crown Pride +1841
Cyberknife +1841
Classic Causeway +2602
Simplification +3061
Tiz The Bomb +3122
Zozos +3122
Barber Road +3122
Pioneer of Medina +4050
Tawny Port +4050
Ethereal Road +4050
Summer is Tomorrow +6050
Happy Jack +6050
Win: Epicenter
The second-favorite on the morning line at 7-2 odds will break from the No. 3 post with Joel Rosario as his jockey. Zandon gets the nod as the 3-1 favorite to win but Epicenter still appears to be the class of this field. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the son of Not This Time moved to the top of the list with victories at Fair Grounds in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby as Grade 2 events.
Through his last five events, Epicenter has posted four wins with a second-place run in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in his three-year old debut.
Place: White Abarrio
My second choice for Saturday won this year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in impressive fashion a month ago. He will break from the No. 15 post in this race with jockey Tyler Gaffalione leading the way. Sired by Race Day, this three-year old Kentucky-bred colt has been opened at 10-1 odds on the morning line to add some solid value to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr’s best chance to win a Kentucky Derby title.
White Abarrio also won this year’s Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream in his three-year old debut on Feb. 5. He has posted four victories in five starts during his early racing career.
Show: Zandon
Starting from the very favorable No. 10 post with jockey Flavien Prat, the favorite to win should get a solid start out of the gate. Coming off the victory in last month’s Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, my only concern in picking Zandon as my top choice is a third-place finish behind Epicenter and Smile Happy in the Risen Star. Trainer Chad Brown has the son of Upstart trending in the right direction in his recent performances on the track but it is hard to tell how much of this is media type verse substance.
Zandon closed out his juvenile campaign with a second-place finish at Aqueduct in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes. He has finished in the money in all four of his previous races.
Selections:Dave Schwab for Scores And Stats
I’m not one to bring up an important start but here you go. Asmussen is 0-for-23 in the Kentucky Derby as a trainer and he sends out Epicenter
Atbforum Pick: Zandon(+527) drew post 10, which has produced the second-most Kentucky Derby winners all-time and
Sleeper Picks:Messier (+830) & Cyberknife (+1841)
