The long wait for the Kentucky Derby odds 2022 finally comes to an end on May 7. The field is set, with the draw officially determining the starting positions for each of the 20 horses involved. Below, you can find the latest horse racing odds for the Kentucky Derby Betting Analysis, and free horse racing picks for the famous race.
Kentucky Derby History
The Kentucky Derby is the most prestigious of the three legs of the Triple Crown in the U.S. This race has been run annually since 1875 and holds the record for the longest-running sporting event in history since its first renewal 146 years ago.
The race is known as the ‘Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,’ with only one previous winner trumping that rule, as Secretariat won the 1973 edition in under two minutes.
The Grade 1 has been run over a distance of 1¼ miles since 1896. Churchill Downs is the prestigious home of the Kentucky Derby 2022, as horses line up this year looking to join the great such as American Pharoah and Justify in winning all three Triple Crown races.
Last year’s winner of the race was Mandaloun for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux.
Kentucky Derby 2022 Information
Draw Information
When learning how to bet on horse racing, beginners understand all about the importance of draw information. This year’s draw for the Kentucky Derby was made on Monday, May 2. Classic Causeway was handed the short straw, as he will start in stall 17.
That starting position hasn’t yet produced a winner of the Kentucky Derby in 42 starts.
Meanwhile, Zandon, White Abarrio, and Smile Happy will be among the happiest with their draws, as all start in the only stalls with a strike rate of at least 10%. The full draw information to study before following our free horse racing picks for the Kentucky Derby this year can be found below.
| Stall | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Mo Donegal | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz |
| 2 | Happy Jack | Doug O’Neill | Rafael Bejarano |
| 3 | Epicenter | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 4 | Summer Is Tomorrow | Bhupat Seemar | Mikael Barzalona |
| 5 | Smile Happy | Kenny McPeek | Corey Lanerie |
| 6 | Messier | Tim Yakteen | John Velazquez |
| 7 | Crown Pride | Koichi Shintani | Christophe Lemaire |
| 8 | Charge It | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez |
| 9 | Tiz The Bomb | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr |
| 10 | Zandon | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat |
| 11 | Pioneer of Medina | Todd Pletcher | Joe Bravo |
| 12 | Taiba | Tim Yakteen | Mike Smith |
| 13 | Simplification | Antonio Sano | Jose Ortiz |
| 14 | Barber Road | John Ortiz | Reylu Gutierrez |
| 15 | White Abarrio | Saffie Joseph Jr | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 16 | Cyberknife | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux |
| 17 | Classic Causeway | Brian Lynch | Julien Leparoux |
| 18 | Tawny Port | Brad Cox | Ricardo Santana Jr |
| 19 | Zozos | Brad Cox | Manny Franco |
| 20 | Ethereal Road | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Contreras |
Kentucky Derby Betting Analysis
The betting markets are having trouble separating the top contenders at present, as Epicenter and Zandon are both priced up at 9/2. Taiba has settled as the third favorite in the betting at 7/1. Many will feel as though Messier could be the value at present for Tim Yakteen, as he is currently a 10/1 chance.
He is joined at that price by White Abarrio, while Mo Donegal, who gets the rail is an 11/1 chance. Smile Happy and Charge It are both currently 14/1, while Cyberknife is joined by Simplification at 16/1. After the Kentucky Derby draw, Tiz The Bomb, Crown Pride, and Pioneer of Medina are all currently 25/1 in the horse racing odds.
Kentucky Derby Betting Preview
Epicenter
Many expected Epicenter to drift after the draw for the Kentucky Derby was made, but he has been listed as the favorite once again. Steven Asmussen will be looking for a first Derby winner this year, and this three-year-old has been excellent throughout his career. He comes to Churchill Downs after winning his last two at Fair Grounds.
The latest of his victories was over the extended 1 3/16 mile distance in the G2 Louisiana Derby, as he held off challenges from Zozos and Pioneer of Medina. The fact that he has already beaten Smile Happy and Zandon is a big plus, while he also broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last November.
Zandon
Zandon is currently joint-favorite in the horse racing odds but will need to reverse the form against Epicenter. The Chad Brown three-year-old finished third in the G2 Risen Star over 1 1/8 miles at Fair Grounds in February but did return in the G1 Blue Grass over the same distance to beat Smile Happy at Keeneland.
However, the prep race hasn’t produced a winner of the Kentucky Derby in over ten years, while he is yet to run over a distance greater than 1 1/8 miles.
Taiba
One of the standout performances on the way to Churchill Downs came from Taiba in the G1 Santa Anita Derby. That has been a popular prep stop for recent winners of the Kentucky Derby, but this remains a huge ask for the three-year-old trained by Tim Yakteen. He was thrown into graded company in that race over 1 1/8 miles and finished clear of the highly-regarded Messier.
However, that was a small-fielded race, and he will be stepped up in distance once again at Churchill Downs. Meanwhile, he will be looking to become only the second horse to win the Kentucky Derby having not run as a two-year-old since Apollo; with Justify becoming the most recent in 2018.
Kentucky Derby Prediction
Learning how to bet on horse racing means examining all the entries, and I have decided to fade the three favorites. One horse that I am very keen on this weekend is White Abarrio for Saffie Joseph Jr.
This three-year-old claimed victory in the Florida Derby on his way to Churchill Downs, which is a prep race that has produced 20 Triple Crown winners throughout history. He also starts in stall 15, which has produced six winners in 60 starts.
White Abarrio also has course experience, as he ran in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club as a two-year-old at Churchill Downs, finishing in third. Since then, he has improved, and the distance shouldn’t produce any major issues.
Smile Happy and Messier are two other horses that I think have excellent chances if they can get back to their very best. Messier was upset in the G1 Santa Anita Derby by Taiba on his last start, but back in a big field, he could hold the key. He has already won over 1 1/16 miles in the G3 Robert B. Lewis.
Smile Happy has been far from disgraced this year, finishing second in both the G1 Blue Grass and G2 Risen Star. However, his course win at Churchill Downs in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club only shows that this course will certainly play to his strengths.
How To Bet on the Kentucky Derby
Bets can be placed with the leading sportsbooks on the Kentucky Derby. Bettors will be able to make wagers on the win, place, and exacta markets for the huge Triple Crown race.
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