Kentucky Derby Picks 2019: Predictions and Odds for All Horses Before 145th Race
The field for the 145th Kentucky Derby features five horses with odds of 10-1 or lower.
The 2019 edition of the race at Churchill Downs has been billed as a wide-open competition since Omaha Beach was scratched Wednesday.
Improbable and Tacitus currently have the best odds at 5-1, while Maximum Security is closely behind the two at 9-2.
Game Winner sits at 6-1 odds, and Roadster is at 10-1 for the first leg of the Triple Crown.
In addition to the five favored horses, four other horses possess odds lower than 20-1.
Kentucky Derby Post Positions and Odds
2. War of Will (17-1)
3. Tax (35-1)
4. By My Standards (16-1)
5. Gray Magician (30-1)
6. Improbable (5-1)
7. Vekoma (21-1)
8. Maximum Security (9-2)
9. Tacitus (5-1)
10. Plus Que Parfait (55-1)
11. Cutting Humor (24-1)
12. Code of Honor (13-1)
13. Win Win Win (14-1)
14. Master Fencer (53-1)
15. Game Winner (6-1)
16. Roadster (10-1)
17. Long Range Toddy (50-1)
18. Spinoff (49-1)
19. Country House (61-1)
20. Bodexpress (90-1)
Predictions
At Least One Horse With Long Odds Will Be In Contention For Win
Since the Kentucky Derby is expected to be a wide-open race, there is a good possibility of a horse with longer odds challenging for the win.
With most of the attention paid to the five favorites, some horses will fly under the radar and will not have a ton of action headed in their direction.
Louisiana Derby champion By My Standards is one of the under-the-radar horses to watch.
The scratch of Haikal allowed each horse on the inside to move to the right by one post position, and that should help By My Standards coming out of post No. 4.
By My Standards should benefit from a bit more space on the inside and his experience racing against derby horses Spinoff, Country House and War of Will in the Louisiana Derby to make an attempt at the top positions.
Blue Grass Stakes champion Vekoma is another intriguing option at 21-1, but he could be stuck between a few of the favored horses.
If Vekoma can get through the start alongside Improbable, Maximum Security and Tacitus, he could shoot up the field.
Code of Honor and Win Win Win are the best bets from the outside post positions.
Code of Honor took first in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and finished third behind Maximum Security and Bodexpress in the Florida Derby.
Win Win Win comes into Churchill Downs with a second-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes and third-place mark in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Neither horse can match the recent results put up by the favorites, but they will start in good spots with weaker horses surrounding them.
A fast start past a few long shots could propel Code of Honor and Win Win Win into the front of the pack.
Two of the Baffert Horses Finish In Top 3
It is hard to ignore the success Bob Baffert has had at Churchill Downs.
The five-time Kentucky Derby winner trains three of the five favored horses in the 19-horse field.
Game Winner and Roadster will start alongside each other on the outside, while Improbable is grouped in the pack of contenders in the middle.
Game Winner and Roadster have experience running against each other from the Santa Anita Derby, in which Roadster took first place.
If you want to make a bet based on track experience, Game Winner is the best option because he took first in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November.
Improbable enters Saturday off a pair of second-place finishes in 2019 in the Arkansas Derby and Rebel Stakes.
But the challenge facing Improbable comes from the start, as he begins the race alongside two other favored horses in the middle of the post positions.
Given the overall quality of the three Baffert horses, one of them will likely win and another will probably land in the top three.
Game Winner and Roadster appear to be the best options to take spots in the top three because of the space they can run in from the outside.
Improbable should not be counted out, but he faces a more difficult path to the winner's circle in the middle of a congested pack that includes Maximum Security and Tacitus.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from KentuckyDerby.com.
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