The countdown is on for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, and the coverage is well underway. This year, we have just two relatively short favorites with Zandon (3/1) and Epicenter (7/2) leading the way ahead of what is a crowded middle of the pack.
The first leg of this year’s Triple Crown will also welcome back fans in full capacity for the first time since 2019, as 160,000+ will be on hand to witness the race. Slated to go off at 6:57 PM EST on Saturday, there is no shortage of analysis and coverage to parse through between now and then.
Let’s take a closer look at one of the aforementioned favorites I have my eye on to make some noise.
Your Complete Betting Guide to the Kentucky Derby >>
Trainer
North America’s most winningest trainer, Steve Asmussen, will be searching for his first career Kentucky Derby win on Saturday in more than 20 attempts. Winner of the Preakness (2) and Belmont, a win here would complete his own triple crown following more than 9,700 wins as of this week.
One of the more accomplished names in the entire sport, the Texas-native was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a legend in the trainer ranks. Having had his fair share of great horses, Epicenter is widely considered his best chance to win the Derby.
Jockey
Joel Rosario will be in the saddle for Epicenter, which is in part why his odds of winning are so high. Having raced in 10 Kentucky Derbies, Rosario won the 2013 edition on Orb.
It is also worth noting that Rosario has six top-five finishes, and is the winner of the most recent Eclipse Award, handed out to the best jockey in America.
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Horse
Winner of the Lousiana Derby earlier this year, Epicenter was widely thought to be the favorite before the horses were drawn and Zandon slightly edged him out. Having won four of his past five races, finishing second in the other, his speed has increased every race of his career, topping out at 102 in the Lousiana.
It is also worth noting that Epicenter is the son of the horse “Not This Time,” an established winner on the racing circuits.
Betting Advice
While Epicenter has all the features needed for success here, his #3 post is cause for concern. More often than not, those low # posts cause the horse to expend most of its energy out of the gate to avoid traffic before fading late.
I think the best option for betting Epicenter is betting on him to show, which just means the horse will finish in the top three positions. While odds won’t post until closer to race time, you can likely get this for around even money. I would play it up to -180.
And check out our previews for the other top horses of the 2022 Kentucky Derby:
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