Kentucky Derby / Oaks

The 131st Kentucky Oaks runs on Friday, and the 130th Kentucky Derby goes off this Saturday.
Naturally, Bellamy Road is the favorite at the Derby, what with a blistering Beyer number of 120 in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct last April. Nick Zito is the trainer and of course he’s no slouch. Bandini is picked as everyone’s #2, and not in a bad way. Zito actually has five – yes FIVE horses he’s trained in this year. I’m not sure if that’s a record or not but if you look at them -

#16 Belamy Road – favorite opening 5-2
#2 Hero – 50-1
#3 Sun King – 15-1
#4 Noble Causeway – 12-1
#11 High Fly – 8-1

Todd Pletcher, another trainer, has two in this year (Bandini @ 5-1 and Coin Silver @ 20-1), and the Royal Pain himself, Bob Baffert, only has one: the #1 horse, Sort It Out, firing at 50-1.

High Fly is definitely one to look out for. Dangerously undercosted at 8-1, this horse could make for some interesting exotics (though obviously not as interesting as the 2002 Derby when War Emblem and Pround Citizen ran 1-2 and came in at 20-1 and 23-1 respectively. That made for a fantastic $1,300.80 exacta).

My play? Well, it’s still two days to post, but offhand I’m thinking an exacta box with 16, 15, and 12. That’s $12 for a $2 exacta. The #12, Alfeet Alex, is a closer, and the Derby doesn’t favor closers but damn that horse bolted at the Arkansas Derby. The other option is to possibly wheel 16, & 12 over 16, 15, 12, and 11. That’s also $12 in exactas, the losing prop there is if 15 wins rather than comes in second. I’ll have to check the form when it’s posted.

In the Oaks? Sis City. no contest.