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Kentucky Derby Picks, Tips, Expert Betting Predictions


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Trainer Todd Pletcher


by Trevor Whenham - 4/28/2014

This is a story that gets updated and retold every year, but Todd Pletcher really brings it upon himself. For 364 days a year there is no better thoroughbred horse trainer in North America — and few in the world. He runs a massive stable with class, and he has tremendous success. Then there is the first Saturday in May. No guy has ever been better at getting horses into the field — or worse at turning those entrants into winners, or even strong contenders.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/25/2014

As has become a tradition, I have assembled some really tough Kentucky Derby Trivia questions and answers for you. If you get seven right, you really know your stuff. Be sure to check out Doc’s Sports daily leading up to the Kentucky Derby for the best free content on the Internet.

Jockey Calvin Borel.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/24/2014

They are the littlest men and women in professional sports, but there are no athletes any tougher, or more consistent willing to face serious risk, than the jockeys. In a race like the Kentucky Derby they are incredibly important. They need to avoid trouble in the frenzied start, weave through the immense amounts of traffic safely, and manage the finite resources of their horses as they tackle the brutal Derby distance. A good ride can elevate a horse, and a lousy ride has destroyed the Derby for many promising runners.

Trainer Todd Pletcher


by Trevor Whenham - 4/24/2014

As is typically the case, the field this year for the Kentucky Derby offers a mix of established star trainers and unfamiliar names with interesting stories. Here’s a look at six of the most interesting Kentucky Derby trainer storylines. Be sure to check Doc’s Sports Kentucky Derby page daily leading up to the big race for the best content to help you beat your bookie for the Run for the Roses.

Comma to the Top


by Trevor Whenham - 4/24/2014

It has been a bit of a soap opera getting here, but it seems as if Chitu is finally headed for the spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate that he has earned. Bob Baffert has seemed unsure of what to do with this horse almost since he won the Sunland Derby last time out. First he was pointed at the Derby. Then that commitment seemed lukewarm at best. Then it was, rather strangely, announced that he was going to be run in the Derby Trial a week before the Derby, but that he would still come back for the Derby, though few seemed to believe that that was likely.

Kentucky Derby Winner Animal Kingdom


by Trevor Whenham - 4/24/2014

I have held off on writing this article because I just didn’t think that Ring Weekend would wind up in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. Derby fever is an intense illness will only one cure, though, so it appears more and more likely that he will take the spot in the starting gate that he has earned.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/23/2014

After more than 30 years of being obsessed with the Kentucky Derby, there is little about the race that surprises me anymore. I have to admit, though, that I am truly shocked to be writing this preview. I liked Dance With Fate heading into the Blue Grass Stakes, and his win was impressive, but I had absolutely no expectation that he would continue on to this race.

Some horses have a better chance than others to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2


by Trevor Whenham - 4/23/2014

When the last of the prep races were done, Uncle Sigh was on the outside looking in — 21st on the list of Kentucky Derby points with only 20 starting spots. Thanks to injuries to Constitution and Cairo Prince and the defection of Midnight Hawk, though, he is now well within the top 20 and en route to the Derby starting gate.

Calvin Borel aboard Rachel Alexandra in the 2009 Preakness.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/23/2014

When the prep races were over, Harry’s Holiday was well outside of the Top 20 in points and didn’t have a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. The defections and injuries have been coming in bulk, unfortunately, and now he is ready to go.

Jockey Mike Smith


by Trevor Whenham - 4/23/2014

How do you figure out which are the horses that can win the Kentucky Derby this year? Well, do you have a dart board? I have been obsessed with this race for more than 30 years, and I do not ever remember a flatter, more wide-open race. Outside perhaps of California Chrome, there are no superstars in this field. There have been some strong performances, and some real flashes of brilliance, but every horse has warts as well.

Kentucky Derby


by Trevor Whenham - 4/22/2014

The Kentucky Derby is never an easy race to handicap. When it is as ridiculously wide-open as it is this year, though, handicapping it becomes an almost impossible task. To help you wade through the very murky picture this year to find the winners, here are five Kentucky Derby betting tips:

Jockey Rosie Napravnik


by Trevor Whenham - 4/21/2014

There is an occurrence likely to happen in this year’s Kentucky Derby that is quickly becoming so commonplace that we hardly even need to talk about it. Of course, we’ll keep talking about female jockeys riding in the Kentucky Derby right up until the day that a woman wears roses on the first Saturday in May. The most likely woman to do so is again very likely to be the only woman riding in the race — Rosie Napravnik is scheduled to ride Louisiana Derby winner Vicar’s in Trouble in the biggest of races this year.

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver


by Trevor Whenham - 4/21/2014

The Kentucky Derby is very difficult to handicap, and this year’s edition is shaping up to be much harder than usual. As we desperately seek the insights that will lead us to a winner, here is a look at some key 2014 Kentucky Derby trends that might help:

Curlin, race horse


by Trevor Whenham - 4/21/2014

Each year it seems like thoroughbred trainers get more conservative and that horses get more fragile. As such, trainers and owners try to get horses into the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby with the fewest possible opportunities for them to get injured on the way. That means we are seeing more and more horses trying to overcome some serious trends against racing in the Derby with little prior experience. Of those trends, none looms larger than the Curse of Apollo.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

There are few horses in the potential Kentucky Derby field tougher to judge than Tapiture. His last race was a disaster. His jockey situation isn’t ideal. His trainer is at the center of a major storm of controversy — one that is only going to intensify as the race nears. So, is the horse good enough to overcome all that? Can Tapiture win the Kentucky Derby? Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag give him a reasonable chance of success. Tapiture’s odds to win the Kentucky Derby are set at +2000, which puts him tied for the eighth choice in the likely 20-horse field.

Kentucky Derby contenders will Run for the Roses.


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

Vicar’s In Trouble gets my nod for best name in this year’s Kentucky Derby. That has never come through for me in the past, though, so it’s not an angle worth exploring. Or maybe this horse is due? While that’s an important debate in and of itself, this horse deserves attention for other reasons, too.

Jockey John Velazquez


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

Intense Holiday is a common kind of horse in this year’s Kentucky Derby — one that makes my head hurt. At his best he is more than talented enough to win the race. That best is far from certain to appear, though, and like at least 15 horses in this race at this point, it’s very difficult to assess what is to be expected of him. This race is always very tough to handicap, but the huge number of horses like Intense Holiday — along with an absence of both real superstars and horses you can quickly toss out — makes this one even tougher than usual.

Some horses have a better chance than others to win the Kentucky Derby on May 2


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

There are lots of horses in the Kentucky Derby starting gate that we knew were going to be there for months. They were talented and running well, and their connections were determined to get there. Horses have to overcome massive odds just to make the starting gate, but these horses aren’t a real surprise. And then there are horses like Danza. He was way, way off the radar heading into his final prep in the Arkansas Derby.

Breeders' Cup Blind Luck


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

As a Canadian, I can’t help but pull for We Miss Artie at least a little bit. He is a Canadian-bred, born in Ontario. Because of that, he is not only being aimed towards the Derby but also, if things go according to plan, potentially the Queen’s Plate — essentially the Canadian equivalent of the Derby. Makes you want to stand up and sing “O Canada,” doesn’t it? So, patriotism aside, can We Miss Artie win the Kentucky Derby?

Kentucky Derby


by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2014

Given his name, I should make some sort of clever pun about this horse and top-three results, but I just don’t have it in me. Even without the puns to think about, though, this horse leaves us with plenty to ponder. He has run on a variety of surfaces, and he has run harder in the last month than any other entrant. He could be sitting on a monster performance, or he could be a total disappointment.

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