20 of the best three-year-old horses in the United States will contest the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 1. Find out the best horses to bet, and the best Canadian sportsbooks for betting the 2021 Kentucky Derby online.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby will happen Saturday, May 1 at Churchill Downs, They race over a mile and a quarter on the dirt, and draws 20 of the best three-year-olds from all over the United States. Though no Kentucky Derby entrant was bred in Ontario, Helium is not only trained by Canadian hall-of-famer Mark Casse but started his career with two wins at Woodbine.
Keep reading to find out the best Kentucky Derby betting picks!
Kentucky Derby ContendersMany sportsbooks are offering excellent bonuses for betting the Kentucky Derby online. Make sure to learn about your sportsbook options, make an account on your favourite, and get the best money-back opportunities.
Handicapping the Kentucky Derby requires, first of all, knowing who the contenders are.
The expected field for the 2021 Kentucky Derby with jockeys and trainers, in order of preference, is:
The final field will be drawn on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. On that date, you will know post positions and official United States morning lines.
Essential Quality will be the 2021 Kentucky Derby favourite. He is undefeated in five starts, and most recently won the Blue Grass at Keeneland. He has won with multiple running styles, and he showed a lot of heart to wear down Highly Motivated to win. He will be trainer Brad Cox’s first Kentucky Derby starter.
The best bet to beat the favourite is Known Agenda. He is trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher, and getting good at the perfect time. He won the Florida Derby, which is one of the best Kentucky Derby preps. He is bred well for 1 1/4 miles, can rally into a quick pace, and should be sharp and ready to go.
Other shorter-priced horses are Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie, Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, and Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock. Hot Rod Charlie, trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Doug O’Neill, is the best of this set. He is well-travelled and keeps running to his company. But, Louisiana Derby winners usually disappoint in Louisville.
Fortunately, there are several live Kentucky Derby longshots.
King Fury took an unorthodox trip to the Kentucky Derby, winning his final prep in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. He is already a stakes winner at Churchill Downs, and he is bred well to stretch out to the Derby distance. He should move forward second off the lay for Ken McPeek, and should relish a sharp pace to rally into.
Helium, a live Kentucky Derby longshot, began his career at Woodbine Racetrack in Canada. He won twice on the Tapeta at Woodbine last year, and then shined when he switched to dirt for the Tampa Bay Derby. He is lightly raced, but he is undefeated, and he has won all three of his races with three different running styles.
Midnight Bourbon will be a longshot, but he was one of the most consistent horses on the Derby trail. He hit the board in all three Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds. He has speed, but has shown he can battle on even when the pace gets hotly contested. That can help him stay on for a share.
Dynamic One finished second in the Wood Memorial, but should be a longshot who gets the jump on the truly deep closers, something that always helps in the Kentucky Derby. He is trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher, and has a strong pedigree to try the Classic distance.
Known Agenda is the best bet in the Kentucky Derby. Play him to win, play some longshots across the board, and build exotics with Known Agenda, Essential Quality, and the best Kentucky Derby longshots.
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Kentucky Oaks Valuable Bets and Picks
The Kentucky Oaks, another one of the biggest horse races of the year , will be run on Friday, April 30. Fourteen of the best three-year-old fillies in the country will run 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. The favorite is likely to be either Malathaat or Travel Column.
Malathaat is undefeated in four starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, including a win in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. She is versatile enough to get a good trip, though she has not raced yet at Churchill, which raises questions.
Travel Column is the real horse to beat. She is trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, both of whom have won two of the last three Kentucky Oaks. She is pace-versatile, she drew a great post, and she is already a graded stakes winner over the Churchill surface.
A good mid-priced horse to use is Clairiere. Clairiere beat Travel Column two starts back in the Rachel Alexandra, and she has a good late-running style in a Kentucky Oaks with a lot of speed drawn in. She is also already a winner at Churchill.
Two longshots to consider are Pauline’s Pearl and Coach. Pauline’s Pearl is mature enough to rally well through horses, suggesting she can get a good trip in the Oaks. Coach is already a winner at Churchill, she is another one trained by Brad Cox, and her jockey Luis Saez is riding hotter right now than anyone in Kentucky.
Sportsbooks are offering excellent bonuses and promo offers for both big races, the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. So, make sure to find the best one for you and place your bets!
Saturday, January 29 at Gulfstream Park is one of the biggest races of the year: the Pegasus World Cup (G1)! This $3 million race, covering a mile and an eighth on the Gulfstream dirt track, drew a field of nine handicap horses. The eyes of the racing world will be on Gulfstream on Saturday, and you can bet it from the comfort of your own home here in Canada!
The Kentucky Derby trail makes its way to Oklahoma on Friday, December 17 for the Remington Springboard Mile! The race drew a field of nine up-and-coming two-year-olds to go a mile on the main track. The prizes are rich: a $400,000 purse, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points (10-4-2-1) for the first four horses across the wire.
The Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), California’s most important Kentucky Derby Prep in December, is coming up on Saturday, December 11! The race features the most promising two-year-olds in California, set to go a mile and a sixteenth over the dirt at Los Alamitos Racecourse. The race offers a purse of $300,000, as well as Road to the Kentucky Derby points, apportioned 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
Let's have a look at the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf betting picks and predictions.
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