With five weeks left until the Kentucky Derby the leading contenders are coming into focus, but there are still four major Derby preps coming up over the next two weeks offering 170 points in total to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10), and then two “wildcard” races that offer 34 points each.
The top 20 horses with the highest point totals in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series of preps will be in the starting gate on the first Saturday of May.
Here are US Racebook’s Top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders:
(Point totals are in parentheses. KDFW is the final odds in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager which was held from March 22-24).
Verrazano (50)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
KDFW: 7-1
Last race: Won Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on March 9
The Pletcher trainee is untested in three career starts and makes his final Derby prep in Saturday’s Grade 1 $1 million Wood Memorial where he will get a test running into Grade 3 Gotham winner Vyjack, who is also undefeated.
Orb (150)
Trainer: Shug McGaughey
KDFW: 13-1
Last race: Won Florida Derby (G1) on March 30
It took him four tries to break his maiden, but he has grown up in a hurry, winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in his stakes debut on February 23 and then coming back with a very impressive victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby last Saturday. The McGaughey trainee will head to Louisville as one of the top betting choices.
Revolutionary (110)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
KDFW: 12-1
Last race: Won Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 30
Here is another Pletcher runner that will go into Derby Day flying high with wins in the Grade 3 Withers on February 2 and then winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in his final prep last Saturday. The colt is out of the stakes winner Runup the Colors and Pletcher and owners WinStar teamed up to win the 2010 Run for the Roses with Super Saver.
Itsmyluckyday (50)
Trainer: Edward Plesa
KDFW: 10-1
Last race: Was second in the Florida Derby (G2) on March 30
The colt had to settle for second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby but it was a solid effort to go along with his wins in the Gulfstream Park Derby and Grade 3 Holy Bull. His start in the Kentucky Derby will be his 11th career start, which likely will be the most among all of the major Derby hopefuls.
Vyjack (50)
Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez
KDFW: 10-1
Last race: Won Gotham (G3) on March 2
The gelding is perfect in four starts, his last two coming on the inner track at Aqueduct where he won the Grade 2 Jerome and G3 Gotham. He gets a real acid test on Saturday taking on Verrazano. His trainer Rudy Rodriguez has been on the sidelines with a 20-day suspension but will be able to saddle his colt on Saturday.
Will Take Charge (60)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
KDFW: 19-1
Last race: Won Rebel (G2) on March 16
The Grade 2 Rebel winner is being pointed toward the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 13 for his final Derby prep. The colt is trained by hall of famer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time winner of the Run for the roses, his last win coming with Charismatic in 1999.
Flashback (30)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
KDFW: 15-1
Last race: Was second in the San Felipe (G2) on March 9
The colt suffered his first defeat when landing in the runner up spot in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 9 as the beaten favorite to Hear the Ghost. The colt will make his final prep in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6. His trainer Bob Baffert is a three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer.
Oxbow (36)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
KDFW: 21-1
Last race: Was second in the Rebel (G2) on March 16
The colt suffered a tough beat to his stablemate Will Take Charge in the Grade 2 Rebel, missing by just a head. He was beaten less than a length when fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star after taking the prep for that race, the Grade 3 LeComte. Next up is the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 13.
Hear the Ghost (50)
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
KDFW: 15-1
Last race: Won San Felipe (G2) on March 9
The son of Grade 1 winner Ghostzapper pulled off the mild upset in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 9 to enter the Derby fray. Trained by veteran conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer, the colt makes his last prep in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
Normandy Invasion (4)
Trainer: Chad Brown
KDFW: 18-1
Last race: Was fifth in the Risen Star (G2) on February 23
The colt has accumulated just four points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and will need to fire a good one in his final prep, which will come in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on Saturday at Aqueduct. The Chad Brown trainee had a tough trip in a fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Risen Star where he was beaten 1 ½ lengths for the top spot. It was his first start off a three month layoff. The colt missed winning the Grade 2 Jerome last November by a nose.