Magnum Moon Books Spot in Kentucky Derby with Arkansas Derby 2018 Win

Magnum Moon emerged victorious Saturday in the 2018 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Along with the Grade 1 win, Magnum Moon earned 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, which is enough to clinch a spot inside the top 20. So the three-year-old colt should be at Churchill Downs on May 5 for the Run for the Roses.

Quip finished second. Solomini came in third.

Magnum Moon, who's won all four of his career starts, battled through the early crowd to take the lead and never relinquished it.

The Todd Pletcher trainee asserted himself as a Kentucky Derby contender with his victory in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes last month. His performance Saturday did nothing to change that status.

Hayden Balgavy of THV11 highlighted the final furlongs:

Magnum Moon did drift toward the center of the track during the stretch run, a habit Pletcher would prefer to break after returning home to Kentucky. But it was an otherwise convincing run.

Quip was second for virtually the entire race. The moderate pace didn't create the opening he needed to surge to the front, though.

Solomini got caught deep in the field around the first turn and didn't have enough time or late pace to chase down the dominant favorite.

ESPN's Lane Gold noted the third-place finisher should still make the Kentucky Derby field:

Looking ahead, Magnum Moon will attempt to join the likes of American Pharoah, Smarty Jones and Sunny's Halo to capture both the Arkansas Derby and the first race of the Triple Crown. Saturday's triumph should make him one of the top betting choices in three weeks.