Kentucky Derby 2013 Odds: Breaking Down Early Favorites for Triple Crown Race
The first Saturday in May is rapidly approaching, leaving horse racing fans gleeful with excitement, as the 139th Kentucky Derby is close enough you can almost feel the Churchill Downs' dirt being flicked upward by hooves.
A yearly congregation of the most eclectic group of people in the world, the Kentucky Derby remains one of the greatest lasting traditions in sports. Bonnet hats are in-vogue, men are in suits and ties and the entire Churchill Downs facility feels like it’s in an episode of Mad Men. You almost expect Don Draper and Peggy to pitch you Heinz ketchup ads during the commercial break.
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Once one of the most beloved sports in the United States, the Kentucky Derby remains one of the last remaining days where horse racing captures the nation’s attention. It’s a thrilling throwback to a simpler time.
While the exterior factors surrounding the Kentucky Derby are fascinating, there is one reason and one reason only that people congregate at the Churchill Downs every year: A chance at glory and the hefty prize that comes along with it. Winning the Kentucky Derby is not only a windfall for the owners and jockeys but also a chance at becoming legendary.
It’s been generations since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, leaving a gaping hole the entire field hopes to fill next weekend.
With just over a week remaining before the start gun goes off, let’s take a quick look at a few of the early favorites for May 4.
All odds are courtesy of Bovada.
Verrazano (4/1)
The prohibitive favorite with a week-plus remaining before the first Saturday in May, there is little question as to why Verrazano is expected to triumph at Churchill Downs. Trained by the legendary Todd Pletcher, Verrazano might want to switch his name to Warpath in order to accurately describe his performances.
The three-year-old colt has yet to lose a race in four events this year, scoring a victory in each calendar month prior to the Kentucky Derby. Verrazano was nothing short of ascendant in victories at the Tampa Bay Derby in March and the Wood Memorial in April, as he looked in a class of his own against other top-notch horses.
Jockeyed by John R. Velazquez, Verrazano is not without a strong Kentucky Derby pedigree. Velazquez won the 2011 Derby atop Animal Kingdom, spurring the 20/1 long shot to a thrilling victory.
This time around things will be different for Velazquez, though. His expectations riding Animal Kingdom were nil. He was a replacement rider who was jockeying a horse with relatively long odds.
With Verrazano, Velazquez will be getting a favored thoroughbred. The duo has scampered to a 4-0 career start, giving Verrazano undefeated hype that makes the colt Triple Crown bait. As horse racing continues to desperately search for the colt or filly that captures the nation’s attention with a Secretariat-like run, Verrazano is arguably the best bet in 2013.
Orb (11/2)
Velazquez was an awfully popular jockey heading into the pre-Kentucky Derby period—and that’s putting it mildly. Not only had he jockeyed Verrazano to the young colt’s four victories in 2013, he was also the most recent rider of the Derby’s second favorite, Orb.
Taking the reins over from Joel Rosario, Velazquez continued an ascendant run for Orb. Winning with Velazquez at the Florida Derby in March and the Fountain of Youth back in February, the three-year-old colt will now have four-straight victories heading into next Saturday’s race.
All of that is well and good, but with Velazquez returning to Verrazano for the Kentucky Derby, questions were boundless about who would ultimately ride Orb. Well, wait no longer.
According to Jennie Rees of the Courier-Journal, the 28-year-old Rosario will return to his perch at Churchill Downs. Rosario had taken a leave from mounting Orb to fulfill prior commitments, including riding Animal Kingdom to victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup last month.
After the announcement was made, Rosario’s agent Ron Anderson spoke of his client’s excitement about riding Orb again.
"We're elated to be back on this horse; he's an improving horse for some really nice people and nice connections, and we're excited for the opportunity," Anderson said (via ESPN’s Claire Novak).
Though Orb was a horse with a strong pedigree during his initial ride, expectations are massive this time around. Orb ascended into pre-Derby stardom with Velazquez at the helm, putting as much if not more pressure on Rosario as there is on trainer Claude R. McGaughey III.
If something goes wrong, plenty of folks will be looking at what is different from the last time Orb was on a track. And that, my friends, will be the man on the ride.
Goldencents (6/1)
It isn’t too often that a jockey can overshadow the journey of a horse. While they get a ton of credit, jockeys almost always descend into the ether following the race. They give a nice post-race interview, do their best to capture some minutes of fame and then continue on their way—hopefully to another victory.
The everlasting figures in horse racing are the legendary trainers and horses—the Bob Bafferts and Secretariats. They are the names who have gone down in Churchill Downs folklore as the history-makers.
That won’t be the case if Goldencents comes from 6/1 odds to win next Saturday. His jockey Kevin Krigger will join Victor Lebron, as they become the first Crucians to ever compete in the Kentucky Derby. Obviously, a victory for Goldencents would be cultural history, as black jockeys have become something of a rarity in horse racing.
That being said, Krigger certainly has the pedigree for a triumph at Churchill Downs. He won four races at Santa Anita, becoming the first black jockey to ever win at the legendary track, according to The Charlotte Post.
Krigger has had plenty of success as Goldencents’ jockey as well. In addition to winning at Santa Anita, Goldencents also has a victory at the Sham Stakes and last year’s Delta Downs Jackpot with Krigger aboard.
And if Krigger’s journey wasn’t enough intrigue for you, the horse’s part-owner is Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino.
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