The most famous horse race of the year, the Kentucky Derby, is coming up on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The race brings 20 of the best three-year-old horses: get to know the contenders, and the most live longshots in the race!
The most famous horse race of the year, the Kentucky Derby, is coming up on Saturday, May 1, 2021. The race brings 20 of the best three-year-old horses in the country to Churchill Downs to run 1 1/4 miles on the dirt. The prizes are a share of the $3 million purse, the iconic blanket of roses, and
Let’s check out the experts’ 2021 Kentucky Derby betting picks.
| Horses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Essential Quality |
+315 | +350 | +350 |
|
Rock Your World |
+450 | +450 | +450 |
|
Known Agenda |
+700 | +700 | +700 |
|
Hot Rod Charlie |
+800 | +810 | +800 |
|
Highly Motivated |
+1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
|
Medina Spirit |
+1200 | +1100 | +1100 |
The Kentucky Derby has some of the biggest payoffs of the year, and you can bet it from the comfort of your own home. It is important to select the right online sportsbook for your Kentucky Derby wagers. Many sportsbooks offer special bonuses, like Bovada and WagerWeb, money-back guarantees, and rebates to players, so choose the one whose offers suit you best and get betting!
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.
The top contenders for the 2021 Kentucky Derby are Known Agenda and Essential Quality.
Essential Quality will be the favorite. He is trained by Brad Cox, who has never had a starter in the Kentucky Derby before. But, Essential Quality is undefeated in five starts and showed a lot of grit when getting up to win the Blue Grass Stakes. He is also versatile enough to make his own good trip in a chaotic 20-horse Kentucky Derby.
The best bet to beat Essential Quality is Known Agenda. The Todd Pletcher trainee won the Florida Derby, which is perennially one of the best Kentucky Derby prep races of the year. He should appreciate having a sharp pace to close into, and the son of Curlin is bred well on both sides for the step up to 1 1/4 miles.
Other shorter-priced horses will include Lousiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie, Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World and Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock.
Of these, Hot Rod Charlie is the most intriguing, though even then there isn’t enough to get excited at a short price. He is trained by two-time Derby winner Doug O’Neill. He is a well-traveled horse who runs to his company everywhere he goes, but Louisiana Derby winners don’t usually go on to win in Kentucky.
Rock Your World did look good in the Santa Anita Derby, but will have a tougher time on the lead in Kentucky and may find the 1 1/4-mile distance to be too long. Super Stock did not beat a vintage Arkansas Derby field, and his trainer Steve Asmussen is 0-for-22 in the Kentucky Derby.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby is a great race for longshots. The best way to make a big score will be to play longshots alongside Known Agenda and Essential Quality.
King Fury punched his ticket to Kentucky in an unorthodox way, winning the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. Trainer Ken McPeek’s charges often improve second off a layoff. The son of Curlin is well-bred for the stretch out and should get a good trip rallying into an honest pace. And, he is already a stakes winner at Churchill; he likes the footing.
Though Helium has only raced three times so far, he has shown three different running styles in each of his three races. The Tampa Bay Derby was his first try on dirt, but he handled it beautifully and posted a gritty win. Though he has freshened since he runs well fresh and Mark Casse should have him sharp at a big price.
Midnight Bourbon comes out of the Louisiana Derby, but he will be a much longer price than Hot Rod Charlie and perhaps even Mandaloun out of that race. He was the most consistent runner on that spur of the Derby trail. And, though he has an early pace, he doesn’t have to make the lead and he is gritty enough to keep fighting when challenged.
Dynamic One finished second in the Wood Memorial. Though longshot stablemate Bourbonic pipped him at the post that day, the fact that Dynamic One will get the jump on the deepest closers tends to be an asset in the Kentucky Derby, even when there is a sharp pace to close into. He is bred well for the stretch out and should be coming in the stretch.
The third and final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, happens Saturday, June 8. Though the race traditionally covers 1 ½ miles on the dirt at Belmont Park, […]
If you like betting top horse races, there is no more exciting race to bet than the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs! With 20 of the […]
The field this year includes the top two finishers from 2023. Galopin Des Champs, last year’s winner, will attempt to become the first back-to-back winner since Al Boum Photo. Second-place […]
Belmont Stakes 2024: Mystik Dan can rally into contested pace
06 June 2024...
Leave a comment