The anticipation is already high as the Kentucky Derby preseason schedule is about to begin. Many horse players are not even waiting however. There has been plenty of Kentucky Derby betting picks already taking place. Gamblers who think they have the winner are already trying to get what they believe is the best price. Many are also anticipating the likelihood of backing at least one other horse as the contenders sort out. With that in mind there are plenty of top contenders already to choose from. The 2018 Run for the Roses figures to be one of the best ever!
2018 Kentucky Derby
Date and Time: Saturday, May 5, 2018, 6 p.m. ET
Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
2018 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds: Bolt D’oro 4/1, Good Magic 6/1, McKinzie 7/1
2018 Kentucky Derby TV Coverage: NBC
Bolt D’oro opened as a 4/1 Kentucky Derby betting favorite. The three year old colt has a record of 3-0-1 in four starts. His earnings are $576,000. Bolt D’oro had a nice win in the Del Mar Futurity last August. He then won the Front Runner Stakes in his next run. As a 3/5 chalk at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile he finished a disappointing third. The race cost original jockey Corey Nakatani his ride. Mick Ruis is the trainer for Bolt D’oro and the jockey is Javier Castellano. Ruis is quite a story. The trainer quit high school and soon formed a construction firm. He later sold that company for $78 million. After that Ruis took the profits and invested in his own race horses. He jokes that he got into the horse business as a surefire way to lose money for tax write-offs. In a show of determination Ruis became a self-trained trainer. Castellano has never won the Derby. The 40 year old jockey does have a host of Breeders’ Cup wins. He has also won the Preakness Stakes twice. The Eclipse Award for Outstanding jockey went to Castellano in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. For a total of four consecutive years Castellano was the top earning jockey.
Good Magic will be a popular choice at 6/1. The three year old colt has a record of 1-2-0 in three starts. He has a total of $1.2 million in earnings. A huge win in in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile made Good Magic’s name. A considerable amount of betting momentum was generated from that win. Chad Brown is the trainer. The jockey is Jose Ortiz.
McKinzie is an online sportsbook 7/1 choice for Derby Day. The three year old colt has three wins in three starts. He has generated a total of $270,000 in earnings. McKinzie had a later start that some of the other contenders. His wins were not as high profile. His win in the Sham Stakes as a 1/5 chalk did the most for his reputation. With the famed Bob Baffert as trainer he could not be in better hands, Mike Smith will get the mount aboard McKinzie.
Matchup to Watch
It is early but the matchup of Bolt D’oro and Good Magic is compelling. Good Magic upset favored Bolt D’oro in the Breeders’ Cup. That makes for a compelling “Beaten Favorite” Kentucky Derby betting pick angle. A lot of the hype for Good Magic is based on that upset win. But can he keep it going?
Kentucky Derby Betting Odds Picks
Bolt D’oro is better than he showed at the Breeders’ Cup. We expect him to recover with a Blanket of Roses.
Kentucky Derby Betting Online Pick: Bolt D’oro 4/1
