Zandon a Narrow Morning-Line Favorite for Kentucky Derby
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Zandon was designated the narrow morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, which drew a full field of 20 3-year-olds.
The top three betting choices drew OK in the post position draw on Monday, especially Zandon (3-1), breaking from the middle of the field in post 10.
Epicenter (7-2), who will vie for betting favoritism, drew post 3. Messier, the third choice on the morning line at 8-1, will start from post 6.
Late-running Mo Donegal (10-1) did not draw as well and will start from the dreaded No, 1 post, which has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner since 1986.
Trainers Brad Cox and Todd Pletcher each have three horses in the race. Cox, who belatedly won the 2021 Derby with Mandaloun after Medina Spirit was disqualified for a drug violation, has three of the outside-drawn horses: No. 16 Cyberknife (20-1), No. 18 Tawny Port (30-1) and No. 19 Zozos (20-1).
Pletcher, who has won the Derby twice, sends out Mo Donegal, No. 8 Charge It (20-1) and No. 11 Pioneer of Medina (30-1).
The field underwent some changes earlier in the day when Rebel Stakes winner Un Ojo was not entered because of a foot bruise. He was replaced by the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Ethereal Road, the 50th horse Lukas has entered in the Run for the Roses. Lukas has four wins in the Derby, none since 1999.
Post positions were also drawn for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, with Nest the slight 5-2 morning-line favorite over two unbeaten horses, Kathleen O. and Echo Zulu.
The 2022 Kentucky Derby field in post position order:
| Position | Horse | Trainer | Rider | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo Donegal | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 10-1 |
| 2 | Happy Jack | Doug O'Neill | Rafael Bejarano | 30-1 |
| 3 | Epicenter | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 7-2 |
| 4 | Summer Is Tomorrow | Bhupat Seemar | Mickael Barzalona | 30-1 |
| 5 | Smile Happy | Kenneth McPeek | Corey J. Lanerie | 20-1 |
| 6 | Messier | Koichi Shintani | John R. Velazquez | 8-1 |
| 7 | Crown Pride | Todd Pletcher | Christophe Lemaire | 20-1 |
| 8 | Charge It | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez | 20-1 |
| 9 | Tiz the Bomb | Kenneth McPeek | Brian J. Hernandez, Jr. | 30-1 |
| 10 | Zandon | Chad C. Brown | Flavien Prat | 3-1 |
| 11 | Pioneer of Medina | Todd Pletcher | Joe Bravo | 30-1 |
| 12 | Taiba | Tim Yakteen | Mike Smith | 12-1 |
| 13 | Simplification | Antonio Sano | Jose L. Ortiz | 20-1 |
| 14 | Barber Road | John Alexander Ortiz | Rey Luis Gutierrez | 30-1 |
| 15 | White Abarrio | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Tyler Gaffalione | 10-1 |
| 16 | Cyberknife | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 20-1 |
| 17 | Classic Causway | Brian Lynch | Julien Leparoux | 30-1 |
| 18 | Tawny Port | Brad Cox | Ricardo Santana | 30-1 |
| 19 | Zozos | Brad Cox | Manuel Franco | 20-1 |
| 20 | Ethereal Road | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Contreras | 30-1 |
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