Road to the Kentucky Derby – Standings After Nine Races

The road to the Kentucky Derby is a long one, with a total of 36 prep races run in preparation for the first leg of the Triple Crown. That does not include the races in Japan and Europe; so you get an idea of just how tough it is to become a part of that esteemed 20-horse field at the Derby.

This past weekend saw a pair of points races run, which altered the standings a little. With those races now in the books; we have had 9 of the 36 races completed, so there is still a long way to go. We will be keeping you regularly updated with all that is going on with the road to the Derby in the coming weeks; and while it is still very early in the proceedings; we thought it might be a good idea to take a look at the standings right now.

Before we continue, take a look at some of the 2021 Kentucky Derby futures & betting odds currently available at JAZZSports.ag:

Who Picked Up Points This Past Weekend?

We are seeing something a little different on the road to the Derby this year, as it is possible for horses to win or place in prep races and still not receive any points. The reason for that is because Lasix is being phased out in 2021, so horses running with the medication are not eligible for points.

That affected a trio of horses – Senor Buscador, Red N Wild, and Saffa’s Day – at the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on Friday. The only horse in the top four in that race to pick up points was Cowan; who received 4 points for finishing 2^nd behind Senor Buscador.

It was a different story at the Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday; with all of the top four horses picking up valuable points. The big winner there was Spielberg, who won by a nose and picked up 10 points in the process. Spielberg is now 4^th in the overall standings with 12 points and is sitting at +3500 to win the Kentucky Derby at Jazz Sports. The other points getters on Saturday were The Great One (4), Petruchio (2), and Red Flag (1).

In the overall standings, it is still Essential Quality who leads the way with 30 points. Keepmeinmind (18) and Jackie’s Warrior (12) round out the top three. Essential Quality is still the very early favorite to win the Derby.

Follow Jazz Horse Racing for more 2021 Kentucky Derby updates; as well as other news, tips, and results from the sport of kings.

Latest Updates on the Road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby

The Road to the 2021 Kentucky Derby is still very much in the early stages, but in the coming weeks, we are going to see the qualifying races begin to heat up. One thing that some racing fans may not be aware of is that the battle for those 20 coveted spots extends beyond North America. In fact, we have an update to deliver on the Road to the Derby in Japan.

Before we continue, take a look at some of the 2021 Kentucky Derby futures & betting odds currently available at JAZZSports.ag:

A total of four races will be held in Japan counting towards the Road to the Derby qualifying, although it should be noted that none of the owners of the horses in the picture have actually come out and said that their horse will officially enter the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

The latest race was the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun at Kawasaki Racecourse, which was comfortably won by Alain Barrows. That win moved him ahead of Lemon Pop, who won the Cattleya Sho race at the Tokyo racecourse back in November. It is perhaps no surprise that the winners of the first two races are now the betting favorites in the Japan Road to the Derby wagering, which is as follows:

Alain Barows +7500
Lemon Pop +12500

Keepmeinmind Heads to Oaklawn

In other 2021 Kentucky Derby news, 2-year-old contender Keepmeinmind will be heading to Oaklawn Park, where he will work out before racing next year. Trainer Robertino Diodoro announced that the colt would likely arrive at Oaklawn sometime between Dec. 25 and the end of the year, but he was not yet sure of which races Keepmeinmind would appear in.

The Oaklawn Park meet starts on Jan. 22 and will include four races that are qualifiers for the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Diodoro has already ruled out the Smarty Jones Stakes, which will go on opening day, as he believes that the 1-mile race is a little too short for his horse. The most likely race would be the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), which is 1 1/16 miles. That race is set to go on Feb. 15.

Keepmeinmind broke his maiden with a win at the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) in late November. While we are not yet sure of what his upcoming schedule will look like ahead of the Derby, we do know that he is already generating some serious buzz. We will be keeping an eye on his status as we head into the New Year.

Follow Jazz Horse Racing for more 2021 Kentucky Derby updates; as well as other news, tips, and results from the sport of kings.

SEVERE WEATHER WREAKS HAVOC ON THE EAST COAST

Severe weather has arrived in a big way along the east coast of the United States, which has caused racetracks to close ahead of the storm. New York and Maryland have both been hit hard, so it is perhaps no real surprise that we are already seeing track closures announced on Thursday morning.

Before we continue, take a look at some of the 2021 Kentucky Derby futures & betting odds currently available at JAZZSports.ag:

Laurel Park has already announced that they will be closed on Dec. 17; with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) letting the public know that Aqueduct will also be shuttered for the day.

These were closures that most people saw coming given the weather reports coming out a couple of days ago. Once the National Weather Service announced a winter storm approaching the east coast,; the belief was that the horse racing news for the next few days would not be particularly good.

The New York metropolitan area appears to be taking the brunt of the storm. Which called for high winds, snow accumulation, and potential coastal flooding.

Those winds are expected to hit up to 50 MPH; while residents of the area are looking at 9-12 inches of snow on Thursday, none of which is conducive to horse racing. Aqueduct was set to have an 8-race card on Dec. 17, and while that is now canceled, the NYRA believes that the track will be ready to re-open for business on Friday.

While the weather was not quite as severe in Maryland, snow, sleet, and rain descended on the state and made it impossible for live racing to go ahead as planned. The Maryland Jockey Club quickly announced that racing at Laurel Park was canceled on Thursday; although they also made it clear that simulcast locations will remain open on Dec. 17, which is a good bit of horse racing news for fans. Just as in New York, live racing is expected to return to Laurel Park on Friday with a 9-race card.

It is always disappointing to see race cards canceled, but these postponements have been done to secure the safety of horses, jockeys, fans; and all the employees at both tracks.

Follow Jazz Horse Racing for more horse racing updates; as well as other news, tips, and results from the sport of kings.

Prime Factor Shines in Debut at Gulfstream Park

As we head towards the end of the year, much of the horse racing news is about the Kentucky Derby Futures Pool. Many of the horses in the pool have yet to run their first race, but we can see the odds change rather dramatically when they do. That is what happened over the weekend at Gulfstream Park when Prime Factor broke his maiden in a rather spectacular fashion.

Before we continue, take a look at some of the 2021 Kentucky Derby futures & betting odds currently available at JAZZSports.ag:

Prime Factor is a 2-year-old yearling who was purchased at auction for $900,000 and is now trained by iconic trainer Todd Pletcher. Hopes are high for this horse, but you can never really know what to expect from any thoroughbred until they take to the track and run. From what we saw over the weekend, Prime Factor is going to be one to watch.

The first race for Prime Factor was a 6 Furlong Maiden Race at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Prime Factor broke well from the gate and assumed a comfortable position that allowed

It’s incredible what an outstanding performance can do, as Prime Factor saw his odds in the Kentucky Derby Futures Pool. Our friends at Jazz Sports shortened his odds from 200/1 to 25/1 shortly after the race, putting Prime Factor in among the favorites to move out of that large pool of horses and into the Kentucky Derby. There are more races to come against much better horses, so it will be interesting to see if those odds continue to shorten in the coming weeks and months.

Follow Jazz Horse Racing for more 2021 Kentucky Derby updates; as well as other news, tips, and results from the sport of kings.

Kentucky Derby Futures: Some sporting events pull in bettors like no other, with the Super Bowl probably sitting at the top of that list. The Kentucky Derby is not that far behind; though, as it is one of the few big sports events that can pull in experienced and novice bettors alike. Even people who have never bet on a horse race in their life will pick a horse and place a few bucks on the Derby each year.

The people who don’t follow horse racing; probably have no idea what it takes to set the field for the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Throughout the next few months; eligible horses will be trying to accumulate points earned in specific races to make it into the field of 20 horses that will enter the starting gate next tear.

From the eligible group of horses, we have what is known as the Kentucky Derby Future Pool. Essentially, you can bet now on the horses that you think will come out of that pool and into the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

The races come thick and fast on the Road to the Derby; so you will find that these odds can change quickly. If you like a specific horse, now is the time to wager, as it may be the best odds you get.

Latest Kentucky Derby Futures Update

An example of how quickly things can change was seen over the weekend at Gulfstream Park. Prime Factor, a $900,000 yearling trained by Todd Pletcher, started the day at 200/1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Pool. By the time his maiden race was over, a race that he won by 8 ¾ lengths in a blistering time of 1:10.38, those odds had dropped to 25/1. If Prime Factor continues to deliver similar performances, albeit in bigger races, those odds are going to shorten even more.

Several other horses have yet to race who might well be worth a look in the Kentucky Derby Futures Pool. You have the option of placing a wager on them now, before their opening race or waiting to see how they perform when they hit the track for the first time.

Take a look at some of the 2021 Kentucky Derby futures & betting odds currently available at JAZZSports.ag:

Follow Jazz Horse Racing for more 2021 Kentucky Derby updates; as well as other news, tips, and results from the sport of kings.