2020 Kentucky Derby Contenders: Who’s the Best Pick?

2020 Kentucky Derby Contenders: Who's the Best Pick?

Due to the health risk that the Coronavirus pandemic poses, the 146th Kentucky Derby was postponed in March. Hence, instead of May 2, this year’s Run for the Roses will push through on the first Saturday of September at Louisville, Kentucky USA.

The announcement of the new schedule for this big event brought back the excitement of horse racing fans and enthusiasts to pick the best colt and place their bets. With 20 horses running at the Churchill Downs, the following horses are the top contenders who might have what it takes to be this year’s Kentucky Derby champ.

Tiz the Law

The top 1 of 2020 Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 320 points, Tiz the Law once again showed outstanding performance during the 2020 Runhappy Travers Stakes (Grade I). He defeated the hopeful contenders who ran at Saratoga Race Course for this event and became the “Midsummer Derby” champion, running a distance of 1¼ Miles.

Prior to this success, Tiz also finished first during Belmont Stakes on June 20, 2020, and Curlin Florida Derby on March 28, 2020. On top of that, his victory on the Holy Bull Stakes last February 1 and 2019 Champagne Stakes made him the early favourite for this year’s run for the roses.

With all his winning races, there’s no doubt why this Sackatoga Stable-owned colt, trained by Barclay Tagg, is one of the racehorses to watch out for on the first Saturday of September at Churchill Downs.

Authentic

Conditioned by the famous Bob Baffert, Authentic won the 53rd Haskell Stakes (Grade I) at Monmouth Park on July 18, 2020. Along with this, his victories on San Felipe Stakes and Sham Stakes earlier this year made him climb up the second-highest spot of today’s Kentucky Derby point standings.

Baffert believes that the high-class speed of Authentic, with serious preparations and training, will lead him to win the 146th run for the roses on September 5. With that, horse racing fans and experts also look forward to seeing this colt finish first towards the end line at the Churchill Downs racecourse.

Art Collector

Having a total of 150 qualifying points and $476,461 non-restricted stake earnings, Art Collector is among the most outstanding Kentucky Derby horses for 2020. Under the watchful eye of the famous trainer Thomas Drury Jr, this skilled colt won the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby on August 9 and Blue Grass Stakes on July 11.

On top of these races, Art Collector also finished first during the three Allowance Optional Claiming at Churchill Downs. With his excellent career record of 8-4-1-0, this Bruce Lunsford’s racehorse has emerged as one of the top picks for the upcoming 146th Kentucky Derby.

Honor A.P.

Honor A.P., the Dark Bay-colored colt of CRK Stable, is one of the hottest picks for this year’s Derby. He earned a total of 140 qualifying points with $340,000 non-restricted stakes earnings out of his winning races.

Under the attentive eye of American Thoroughbred racehorse conditioner, John A. Sheriffs, Honor A.P. won the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby held at Santa Anita Park on June 6. Besides that, he also got the second place title during the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on August 1 and San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park last March 7, 2020.

The outstanding performances shown by this three-year-old colt during the Kentucky Derby prep races made him one of the favourites to bet on the 146th Run for the Roses. With his jockey, Mike Smith, does Honor A.P. have what it takes to be the 2020 Kentucky Derby champ? We’ll soon find out.

Thousand Words

Another Bob Baffert-trained colt, Thousand Words joined the Derby trail with his victory during the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos Racecourse on December 7, 2019. Almost two months later, he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park with a distance of 1 1/16 Miles on February 1, 2020.

Moreover, last August 1, 2020, Thousand Words showed his high-class speed during the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, leading him to finish first and win the race. As of writing, this outstanding colt has a total of 83 qualifying points with $297,000 non-restricted stakes earnings, taking the seventh place of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Takeaway

Although the coronavirus outbreak has affected the sports industry big time, that doesn’t stop the Kentucky Derby hopefuls to make their preparations towards the 2020 run for the roses.

With their winning races, excellent records, and current standings, the contenders mentioned above are just some of the racehorses to watch out for on the big day at Churchill Downs. Thus, if you haven’t placed your bets yet for the 146th Kentucky Derby on September 5, picking the colts above can be the best choice you’ll make to win a wager.

Toby Balding

Toby Balding The late Gerald “Toby” Balding, who died in 2014 at the age of 78, had the distinction of winning the Grand National twice, with Highland Wedding in 1969 and Little Polveir in 1989. Indeed, in his long and distinguished career, he saddled over 2,000 winners, including Beech Road and Morley Street in the Champion Hurdle, in 1989 and 1991, respectively, and Cool Ground in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1992.

His first Grand National winner, Highland Wedding, had completed the National Course twice before, finishing eighth behind Anglo in 1966 and seventh behind Red Alligator in 1986. He arrived at Aintree in 1969 fresh from his third victory in four years – the 1968 renewal was abandoned – in the Eider Chase, over 4 miles and 122 yards at Newcastle in February and, in the absence of regular jockey Owen McNally, was ridden by Eddie Harty.

By now a 12-year-old, Highland Wedding was known to be as stubborn as a mule, on occasions, at home, but as Balding later explained, “He wasn’t a villain, just a bit independent so there was no question of us bullying him. We just had to wait for him.” In any event, on firm going, Highland Wedding consented to put his best foot forward and came home 12 lengths ahead of 50/1 outsider Steel Chance, ridden by Richard Pitman.

Little Polveir, too, had previous experience of the National Course, having finished ninth behind West Tip in 1986, but had fallen at the Chair and unseated his rider at Valentine’s Brook on the second circuit in two subsequent attempts. He didn’t join Toby Balding until January, 1989, but was ridden on his first two starts by young amateur rider Philip Fenton which, according to his trainer, “he enjoyed enormously after the pros had knocked lumps out of him in the past”.

Ridden in the National by professional Jimmy Frost, at 3lb overweight, Little Polveir took the lead at the final fence on the first circuit, the water jump, and led, or disputed the lead, for the rest of the way. In fact, after Becher’s Brook second time around he was never headed and, with a riderless horse for company, came home 7 lengths ahead of West Tip. Balding said later, “I don’t think any of my horses ever left for the races in better shape than Little Polveir as he headed for Aintree.”

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