Oxbow flies to the wire in the Lecomte Stakes; will he win the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby will be viewed through a very different lens by players of horse racing contests.
Unlike any other race all year, Kentucky Derby 2013 will offer exceptional value in the win pool. Fast horses will be double digit odds.
Below is our Kentucky Derby 2013 Contenders Top 5 list, but with a single caveat.
Only horses that project to be higher than 10-1 are included.
#1 Oxbow (Awesome Again x Tizamazing by Cee’s Tizzy): This guy is a close relative to last year’s late blooming Haskell Invitational winner, Paynter. Jockey Gary Stevens and trainer D Wayne Lukas hooked up to win the Kentucky Derby in 1995 with Thunder Gulch, so they have been down this road before.
The trainer and jockey tandem tried something new in the Arkansas Derby by taking Oxbow off the pace and it probably cost him him a better finish. He had nowhere to go in the stretch and probably didn’t like getting dirt in his face. Despite that, he started to finish up when he got some space. Draw a line through that race and look to the better form he showed in the Lecomte and Rebel Stakes.
#2 Vyjack (Into Mischief x Life Happened by Stravinsky): Undefeated until his last start, Vyjack could be forgotten by bettors on the first Saturday in May. Although it was a loss, his effort in the Wood Memorial was encouraging. He has shown the type of versatility in running style that we only see from very good horses. Garrett Gomez picks up the mount and the price on this Rudy Rodriguez charge figures to be generous. He could have all of us wondering why we ever doubted him when they cross the wire. Horse racing contest players can’t go wrong here if they find themselves needing a price horse.
#3 Palace Malice (Curlin x Palace Rumor by Royal Anthem): Horse racing contest players will know they have a horse that can get the distance if they pick this Todd Pletcher pupil. Most recently second in the Blue Grass Stakes, he has shown good form in other races such as the Risen Star Stakes where he was third. His sire won the Preakness Stakes, Dubai World Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic. The dam side boasts names like Juddmonte International winner Royal Anthem and prolific producer Red Ransom. Palace Malice will team up with Mike Smith for the Kentucky Derby.
#4 Overanalyze (Dixie Union x Unacloud by Unnacounted For): How can you go wrong with this type of horse? Yes, his Arkansas Derby win was slow. However, consider that he was wide the entire way and closed strongly to the wire. Jockey Rafael Bejarano said after the race that he saved something for next time. He ran well in the Iroquois Stakes under the Twin Spires last year and produced a ferocious effort to win the Remsen Stakes. Todd Pletcher and Rafael Bejarano are two of the biggest names in horse racing and will be one of the best price plays of the 2013 Kentucky Derby.
#5 Frac Daddy (Scat Daddy x Skipper’s Mate by Skip Away): The three-year-old campaign of this two-year-old star was stymied by set backs. He grabbed a quarter in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and was subsequently forced to miss some training. He failed to fire in the Florida Derby, but came back with a great effort in the Arkansas Derby to be second. He had the shadow roll off that day and appeared to finally be fit. Let’s not forget that he broke his maiden by almost 10 lengths at Churchill Downs and finished a very close second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Don’t be shocked if he puts in the race of his life in the Run for the Roses.
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