Kentucky Derby 2013 Results: Disappointing Horses with Best Shot at Preakness

The Kentucky Derby is not for every horse. With more and more horses better suited to shorter distances entered into the race, we often see horses in the Derby that are probably more tailored to a shorter track like the one at The Preakness.

This year was no exception, and I've identified three horses that should be major players at this year's Preakness if they are entered into the race. Let's take a look at a few potential Pimlico contenders.

Verrazano

On a shorter track at The Preakness (and hopefully a drier one as well), you have to like the odds for a sprinter like Verrazano. As jockey Johnny Velazquez told Jerry Bossert of the New York Daily News, Verrazano never took to the wet track like Orb did:

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"Mine didn't like it, and the other one did. I knew both were very good horses and I knew both would have very good chances. When it comes to the Derby, you can't ride them both."

Velazquez believes a faster track would have made the difference.

"I would think it would be a different game," said Velazquez, who won the 2011 Derby aboard Animal Kingdom. "He didn't like the track. It was the difference right now, but I'm happy for (winning trainer) Shug (McGaughey)."

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The horse finished a disappointing 14th at the Derby, dying out down the stretch, but Verrazano was in the mix for a large portion of this race.  He may not have been able to defeat the Curse of Apollo, but this is still a talented sprinter that could be best suited for the quick Pimlico sprint.

Goldencents

Like Verrazano, Goldencents didn't have the last bit of kick needed, dropping all the way down to 17th place after staying with the lead group for much of the race. 

Unlike Verrazano, it didn't seem as though the track conditions bothered him. From Gary Mihoces of USA Today:

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"Going into that second turn, I could feel he was back pedaling," said [trainer Doug] O'Neill. "That's never a good sign."

Goldencents dropped to 15th after a mile, and his race was over.

[Jockey Kevin] Krigger said he didn't want to be up with the fast early leaders.

"I was comfortable where I was," said the jockey. " … He just didn't get there."

O'Neill said he wasn't worried by the "sloppy" track condition. "He's such a sure-footed horse. He's not a real heavy bodied horse. I didn't think it would be a problem," he said.

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Even the most talented horses can have a bad run, and it's hardly shocking that it might come at a race like the Kentucky Derby for Goldencents, a slightly longer track and larger field than the horse is accustomed to.

But don't be surprised if Goldencents recovers nicely and ends any Triple Crown hopes for Orb at The Preakness.

Itsmyluckyday

Itsmyluckyday was a Saturday favorite for many bettors after it was clear the track was going to be sloppy—Itsmyluckyday was one of the few horses that had won on mud—but it wasn't to be the horse's day after all, as it finished in 15th place. 

Still, like both Verrazano and Goldencents, this is a horse that is better suited for a shorter track. The main question for Itsmyluckyday heading into this race was how far the horse was willing to run, and the answer was "not a mile-and-a-quarter."

But at Pimlico, the length may be just to Itsmyluckyday's liking. If the horse runs at The Preakness, Itsmyluckyday could be a very good play for bettors.

Full Results (Earnings via KentuckyDerby.com and Tampa Bay Times)

Place	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post	Earnings
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	16	$1,439,800
2	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart	4	$400,000
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	3	$200,000
4	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	5	$100,000
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	6	$60,000
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	2	-
7	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	11	-
8	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas	17	-
9	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	15	-
10	Giant Finish	Jose L. Espinoza	Anthony W. Dutrow	7	-
11	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher	9	-
12	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher	10	-
13	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Kenny McPeek	19	-
14	Verrazano	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	14	-
15	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa, Jr.	12	-
16	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Kenny McPeek	18	-
17	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	8	-
18	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez	20	-
19	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II	13	-

Payouts

Place	Post	Horse	Win	Place	Show
1	16	Orb	$12.80	$7.40	$5.40
2	4	Golden Soul		$38.60	$19.40
3	3	Revolutionary			$5.40

Exacta ($2 bet):  16-4 - $981.60 

Trifecta: 16-4-3 - $3,462.80 

Superfecta: 16-4-3-5 - $28,542.00