Kentucky Derby 2022 horses

Zandon, Epicenter, and Messier are the 2022 Kentucky Derby favorites, but does our expert think they can win?

A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $9,456.40 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, and Essential Quality. Visit SportsLine to get Demling's picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. A $1 trifecta returned $1,696.90 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, and Hot Rod Charlie. A $2 exacta returned $503 at the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit and Mandaloun. He can help you make the best 2022 Kentucky Derby picks possible. Now, he's sharing all of his 2022 Kentucky Derby bets here.

Here is a breakdown of every horse in the Kentucky Derby field with suggested plays and picks. Note: Horses, with morning-line odds, listed in order of post ...

Tim Yakteen is listed as the trainer for Messier and Taiba, but he is Baffert's assistant, and I believe those horses will be ready to compete Saturday. An outside draw and send into a contested pace isn't a recipe for victory on the first Saturday in May. However, if he does his job well, it will affect the chances of Cyberknife and Tawny Port. Look for this one to compete in some big sprint races this summer. My guess is that it will be more exciting for the owners to say they had the lead in the Derby. He will not be on my tickets in any spot other than an all button for third in one trifecta. It still will not be enough to crack the exacta, but I wouldn't be completely shocked if he clunked up to complete the superfecta. I like him because he's versatile and while his worst lifetime race and Beyer Speed Figure came on this track last year, he may have just developed from 2 to 3 in the care of Saffie Joseph and that race can be thrown out. He will be a big overlay as a result and he may be the most talented colt with the biggest upside. He should have been closer to the lead in both of his stakes tries, but wasn't. Now the blinkers come off for a horse that has been pretty punch-less when the real running happens. He should stay the 1¼ miles and the fact that he's 20-1 and will likely be longer than that means he will be on my ticket, just in case Saez does the right thing and sits off the speed. I'm not as sure about that as he had a public workout in a horrible edition of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes and was swallowed up by Taiba in a short field at the Santa Anita Derby. This one has the look of a total vanity entry who is just there to run around the track. His best run has been on the synthetics and turf, where he has won four of five starts. Happy Jack won his first race at 24-1 and has been nowhere to be found against Messier and Taiba. He finished in front of seven horses in three races since he broke his maiden.

The 148th edition of the Kentucky Derby is set to take place on Saturday as the iconic race looks to move on from last year's controversy.

Justify -- trained by Baffert -- was the last horse to win all three races back in 2018. Dubbed the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" -- a nod to its approximate run time -- the Derby is the first race in US horse racing's coveted Triple Crown in December, arguably continues to overshadow the spectacle which was first held back in 1875, but the Derby is keen to leave the controversy in the past.

What are some current and historical trends that you should consider when considering the best horses in the field running in the first leg of the 2022 ...

At 20-1, there's high upset alert for Cyberknife with the Cox-Leroux combination at work again. Flavien Pratt, who won with Country House in 2019, will be riding Zandon. Going back to 2018, Mike E. Smith gets his shot for No. 2 aboard Taiba. It's a good thing, then that Epicenter has Joel Rosario, the 2013 winner with Orb, motivated to end his drought. Brad H. Cox got his first Derby win last year with Mandaloun following the Baffert mess. Florida Derby winners have won 5 of past 16 Kentucky Derbys, the latest being Always Dreaming in 2017. 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 30-1 Look for updates as the morning line changes. That led to legendary trainer Bob Baffert being suspended from having an entry this year, as well as denying him a repeat after his horse Authentic won the Derby in 2020. Although Epicenter and Zandon have been dominating the headlines going into the race as neck-and-neck favorites, there's plenty of intrigue overall to see who succeeds Mandaloun in the Run for the Roses.

Odds for a horse race are fluid, so this will change, but after the draw, there are only three horses in the field of 20 with single-digit odds: No. 10 Zandon ( ...

If it’s a fast track, Mo Donegal is live and one to use in exotics with Zandon and Cyberknife. “Mattress” Mack’s shenanigans aside, the best way for casuals to play the 2022 Kentucky Derby is to take a stand with a couple of long shots and include them in your exotic wagers including exactas and trifectas. Boxing him with Zandon, Cyberknife or Mo Donegal if we get a fast track could add some serious value to your card. A $2 exacta paid out over $3,000, and while it’s unlikely we see something that robust this time, it’s something bettors should keep in mind with a similarly open field. 21+. AL, AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, IL, IO, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MT, NH, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, VT, VI, WA, WV, WI, WY only. This truly is anyone’s race and will only become harder to call if Mother Nature gets involved.

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Trainer: Todd Pletcher Current Form: Ran evenly for third behind White Abarrio in the shorter Holy Bull, then rode the rail to victory in ...

Worth a Wager: Made it to the dance when Un Ojo dropped out. Worth a Wager: Sneaked into the field through the back door. Worth a Wager: Has proven he can maneuver through tight quarters, a key component in the crowded field of 20. Made it to the dance after winning the final prep, the Lexington three weeks ago. He’s by Gun Runner, so he’s bred to go long at a long price. Current Form: The gray has been great. Worth a Wager: Ready for rematch. Worth a Wager: One of many who can win. Couldn’t catch Epicenter but caught all 10 rivals at Keeneland. No value and there is always traffic running for the roses. Worth a Wager: Believe we haven’t seen his best yet. Also believe he will be the post-time favorite. Worth a Wager: Finished full of run after saving ground in the Wood. Draws rail again.

Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba will try to pull off a rare feat on Saturday when he leaves the starting gate in the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Check out the latest Kentucky Derby odds 2022 below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed this year's prep races. He's only sharing his 2022 Kentucky Derby cheat sheet and picks here. One surprise: Weir is fading Zandon, even though he is the 3-1 Kentucky Derby favorite. This year, he has been red-hot in the 2022 Kentucky Derby prep races, hitting the superfecta in the Blue Grass Stakes, the trifecta in the Louisiana Derby and the exacta in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby. He also has hit the trifecta in the Pegasus World Cup and multiple Pick 4s, among other scores. Now, he has handicapped the 2022 Kentucky Derby field, made his picks and constructed his bets. This year, the 29-year-old Prat, who was a finalist for the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding rider in 2021, rides one of the major 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders in Blue Grass Stakes winner Zandon, the 3-1 favorite in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds.