April 20, 2024

Justify draws post 7, 3-1 favoritism for 144th Kentucky Derby

Justify
Churchill Downs/Coady Photography

144TH KENTUCKY DERBY

PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY ML ODDS
1 Firenze Fire Jason Servis Paco Lopez 50-1
2 Free Drop Billy Dale Romans Robby Albarado 30-1
3 Promises Fulfilled Dale Romans Corey Lanerie 30-1
4 Flameaway Mark Casse Jose Lezcano 30-1
5 Audible Todd Pletcher Javier Castellano 8-1
6 Good Magic Chad Brown Jose Ortiz 12-1
7 Justify Bob Baffert Mike Smith 3-1
8 Lone Sailor Tom Amoss James Graham 50-1
9 Hofburg Bill Mott Irad Ortiz Jr. 20-1
10 My Boy Jack Keith Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux 30-1
11 Bolt d’Oro Mick Ruis Victor Espinoza 8-1
12 Enticed Kiaran McLaughlin Junior Alvarado 30-1
13 Bravazo D. Wayne Lukas Luis Contreras 50-1
14 Mendelssohn Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 5-1
15 Instilled Regard Jerry Hollendorfer Drayden Van Dyke 50-1
16 Magnum Moon Todd Pletcher Luis Saez 6-1
17 Solomini Bob Baffert Flavien Prat 30-1
18 Vino Rosso Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 12-1
19 Noble Indy Todd Pletcher Florent Geroux 30-1
20 Combatant Steve Asmussen Ricardo Santana Jr. 50-1
AE Blended Citizen Doug O’Neill Kyle Frey 50-1

Santa Anita Derby (G1) hero Justify was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5. The Bob Baffert-trained son of Scat Daddy will break from post seven with jockey Mike Smith aboard.

Only five in the 20-horse field were assigned single-digit odds during the post-position draw on Tuesday.

U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) romper Mendelssohn was made the second choice at 5-1 from post 14 as he goes for international star trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia made Magnum Moon the third favorite at 6-1 on the morning line. Like Justify, the Todd Pletcher-trained bay enters the Kentucky Derby undefeated and trying to win the Run for the Roses having never competed as a two-year-old. The Malibu Moon colt, last seen taking the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on April 17, will break from post 16 under regular rider Luis Saez.

Audible and Bolt d’Oro tied on the morning line at 8-1 odds. Audible, one of four Pletcher trainees in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, romped by three lengths in the Florida Derby (G1) last out at Gulfstream Park. The Into Mischief colt earned a 107 BRIS Speed rating for that effort and gets Javier Castellano in the irons from post 5. Bolt d’Oro goes for owner/trainer Mick Ruis from post 11 under Triple Crown-winning rider Victor Espinoza. The bay son of Medaglia d’Oro is a dual Grade 1 scorer from his juvenile season and exits a runner-up effort in the Santa Anita Derby.

Good Magic and Vino Rosso also tie on the morning line, each assigned 12-1 odds from posts 6 and 18, respectively. Good Magic is the reigning champion two-year-old male thanks to a 4 1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last year. The Chad Brown pupil keeps Jose Oritz in the saddle as he enters the Kentucky Derby off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Vino Rosso also brings a win into the Derby, having captured the Wood Memorial (G2) for Pletcher by three lengths at Aqueduct. John Velazquez has piloted the Curlin chestnut throughout his career and has the call Saturday.

Hofburg, whose only stakes try to date came as a runner-up effort in the Florida Derby last out, is listed at 20-1 on the morning line from post 9. Trainer Bill Mott will give jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. a leg up under the Twin Spires on Saturday.

Seven runners were assigned 30-1 odds. The Dale Romans-trained duo of Free Drop Billy and Promises Fulfilled, who will break from posts 2 and 3 under Robby Albarado and Corey Lanerie, respectively; Grade 3 scorer and last out Blue Grass runner-up Flameaway from the shedrow of Mark Casse, who drew post 4 under Jose Lezcano; Lexington Stakes (G3) hero My Boy Jack, who drew post 10 and will attempt to make brothers Keith and Kent Desormeaux the first trainer/jockey siblings to win the Derby; the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Enticed, second in the Wood last out and breaking from post 12 under Junior Alvarado on Saturday; trainer Bob Baffert’s multiple Grade 1-placed Solomini, who breaks under Flavien Prat from post 17, the only spot yet to have produced a Derby winner; and Louisiana Derby (G2) victor Noble Indy, who Pletcher will send out to post 19 under Florent Geroux.

The remaining five members of the Derby field were installed at 50-1 on the morning line. Firenze Fire, who breaks from post 1 under Paco Lopez; Lone Sailor, whom jockey James Graham will guide from post 8; D. Wayne Lukas’ Bravazo, who will exit the 13 stall under Luis Contreras; Instilled Regard, who breaks from post 15 under Drayden Van Dyke; and Combatant, who drew post 20 with Ricardo Santana Jr. in the irons.

Blended Citizen, hero of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), will need someone to scratch to draw into the field from the also-eligible list.

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