First Look at Kentucky Derby Odds

It’s that time of the year for horse racing fans. We are about to see a flurry of graded stakes races over the next month, and the top horses there will earn a spot in the crown jewel of American horse racing. The 2022 Kentucky Derby figures to be one of the most competitive Triple Crown races we have seen in quite some time as there is no clear favorite and COVID restrictions have been eased in order to make travel much easier. What we see with a horse racing schedule that includes the Sunland Derby, Louisiana Derby, UAE Derby, Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby, Spiral Stakes, Blue Grass Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, and Wood Memorial over the next three weeks will go a long way to determining which horses to back on the first Saturday in May.

The 148^th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2022, from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Coverage of The Run for the Roses usually starts around 2 p.m. ET with post time typically slated close to 7 p.m. ET.

Odds to Win the 2022 Kentucky Derby at SugarHouse Sportsbook

One of the early favorites to win this year’s Kentucky Derby is Smile Happy. He has already locked up a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a win at the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, and he finished runner-up behind Epicenter at the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes last month. However, there are real concerns over whether or not he has the speed to win the most competitive horse race in the United States. Smile Happy has not posted an E Speed Figure above 100 in his three races.

Epicenter needed two tries to win his maiden race. However, he has looked strong in his three races over the last three months. He has posted an E Speed Figure of 97 in each of those races, winning the Gun Runner Stakes and Risen Star Stakes, and he finished runner-up to Call Me Midnight at the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes.

Another one of the current favorites is Forbidden Kingdom. He is currently one of the most raced three-year-old horses with five horse races under his belt. Forbidden Kingdom has hit the board in all five of his races, earning a Show at the Speakeasy Stakes, a Place at the Bob Hope Stakes, and Wins at the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. His speed figures of 106 and 102 in his last two runs were impressive, but his performance at the Bob Hope Stakes left a lot to be desired.

Morello is being seen as one of the favorites after his win at the Gotham Stakes. He has won all three of his races, but he hasn’t faced solid competition yet. We did see him pull away at Aqueduct two weeks ago and win by 4 ½ lengths, yet it will be important to see how he performs in one of the Kentucky Derby prep races.

Some people are talking themselves into Zandon as a legitimate contender to win the Kentucky Derby. The horse finished second at the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in December, and he earned a third-place finish at the Risen Star Stakes last month. He has been consistent with E Speed Figures of 93 in all three of his races, but there are now legitimate concerns if that’s his ceiling. If he doesn’t have anything more to give, it will be very difficult for him to hit the board at Churchill Downs.

Mo Donegal bested Zandon at the Remsen Stakes, beating him by a nose at the wire. They were almost 10 lengths ahead of the rest of the pack, proving their worth as the favorites. He finished third in his most recent horse race, but he posted an E Speed Figure of 95 while finishing behind White Abarrio and Simplification at the Holy Bull Stakes in Gulfstream Park. It wasn’t a great race for Mo Donegal, yet he showed an ability to make up ground and nearly caught Simplification at the wire. That makes him a horse to watch going forward.