Early Kentucky Derby Favorites

American Pharoah: 2015 Triple Crown winner

Super Bowl Sunday officially began the three month countdown until the Kentucky Derby.  We are now under 90 days until the eyes of millions descend on Churchill Downs for two minutes.  Last year, American Pharaoh succeeded in winning the Triple Crown, becoming only the twelfth horse to do so and the first since Affirmed in 1978.  Although this year’s race is still far off, the field and more importantly the favorites are beginning to shape up. 

In order to run in the Kentucky Derby, a horse has to be three years old.  A great horse only has one chance to compete in the race, which is why you never hear of a horse winning the Kentucky Derby in back to back years.  Prospective horses compete in selected graded stakes races across the United States.  The top four finishers in each race are awarded points based on their finish.  Thus far, the winners of each race have been awarded only 10 points, with one race awarding the winner with 20 points.  There are then eight 50 point races and seven 100 point races running from the end of February through mid-April.  Now that you know a little more about how the Kentucky Derby field is formed, let’s talk about some of the early favorites.

Mohaymen:

-       Mohaymen is already surrounded by a palpable buzz.  He has collected 20 points over two wins along with two other wins in his four races thus far.  He has won at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Gulfstream Park.  Mohaymen was purchased in September for $2.2 million by Shadwell Farms and is being trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.  He is the son of renowned sire, Tapit, and has been ridden by Junior Alvarado.  On betting sites Mohaymen is already the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.  He ran an impressive 1:42:07 in 1 1/16 miles in his victory at Gulfstream.  It is still early in Kentucky Derby prep season but Mohaymen currently stands as the best bet.

Mor Spirit:

-       Mor Spirit is currently just a step below Mohaymen on the hype meter.  He has collected 24 points, which puts him second behind Nyquist.  Mor Spirit is trained by Bob Baffert whose reputation is at an all-time high after leading American Pharaoh to the Triple Crown last year.  Baffert is training a handful of good horses this year but so far Mor Spirit has shown the most promise.  The horse is owned by jewelry mogul Michael Lund Petersen and is being ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.  Mor Spirit won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita this past Saturday with his sights set on the Santa Anita Derby and then the Kentucky Derby a month later.

Nyquist:

-       Nyquist is leading the pack with 30 points collected already over two races.  He first won the FrontRunner at Santa Anita in late September and 35 days later he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.  He has won all five races he has run in thus far with Swipe placing second in four out of those five races.  Nyquist is owned by Reddam Racing and is trained by Doug O’Neill.  He is the son of Uncle Mo who has a growing reputation as a sire.  Keep an eye on this horse.

Other notable horses:

-        Flexibility with 15 points including a win in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct in New York.

-        Swipe with 12 points including second place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

-        Greenpointcrusader with 14 points including a victory at Belmont in early October.

-        Exaggerator with 16 points including a win at Delta Downs.  He is also the son of Curlin.

-        Sunny Ridge with 18 points including a win 10 days ago in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.