Blue Grass Stakes winner named Kentucky Derby favorite. Here’s the full field with odds.

Herald-Leader Staff Report

Updated May 7, 2022 4:09 PM

Previewing the 2022 Kentucky Derby

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Zandon, winner of last month’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, was installed Monday afternoon as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Zandon, trained by Chad Brown, ridden by Flavien Prat and owned by Jeff Drown, will start from post position No. 10.

A total of 22 horses were entered for the $3 million, Grade 1 race but the field will be limited to 20. Rich Strike and Rattle N Roll were entered as “also-eligibles,” meaning they only gain entry to the Derby if one of the primary 20 is scratched before 9 a.m. Friday.

The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby is scheduled for a 6:57 p.m. post time on Saturday and will be televised by NBC.

Zandon has won two of his four career starts, including the $1 million, Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9. Zandon sprinted from the back of the field late to overtake Blue Grass favorite Smile Happy by 2 1/2 lengths.

Prior to the Blue Grass, Zandon finished third in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19, a race won by the horse many expected to be named the Kentucky Derby favorite — Epicenter.

Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen, ridden by Joel Rosario and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, will start from post position No. 3, and is the second choice on the morning line for the Kentucky Derby at 7-2.

Epicenter has won four of his six career starts, including the $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on March 26 by 2 1/2 lengths in his most recent outing. Prior to that, Epicenter won the $400,000, Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths. Both fields included multiple horses who will join Epicenter at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

The third choice on the morning line is Messier, who will race from the No. 6 post at 8-1.

Messier, originally trained by six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert, was turned over to Tim Yakteen when Baffert was forced to serve a suspension resulting from the disqualification of Medina Spirit in last year’s Run for the Roses. Yakteen is making his Derby debut with Messier and Taiba in this year’s field.

Florida Derby winner White Abarrio and Wood Memorial champion Mo Donegal were co-third fourth choices at 10-1.

Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Zandon, with Flavien Prat aboard, won the Blue Grass Stakes on April 9 at Keeneland. Silas Walker swalker@herald-leader.com

Yakteen-trained Taiba was next on the morning line at 12-1.

After that group, the field is largely up for grabs. All at 20-1 are Smile Happy, Crown Pride, Charge It, Simplification, Cyberknife and Zozos.

Smile Happy, the favorite for the Blue Grass Stakes who ended up finishing second to a late move by Zandon, is one of two Derby contenders trained by Lexington native Kenny McPeek. Tiz the Bomb, winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park in his most recent race on April 2, is also saddled by McPeek at 30-1.

Simplification, trained by Antonio Sano, won the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream in March before finishing third in the Florida Derby in April.

Mo Donegal drew the No. 1 post position on the rail. Ethereal Road, the 50th career Kentucky Derby starter for 86-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas, has the far outside post position at No. 20. Lukas has won the Derby four times.

Looking for a long shot to bet Saturday? It will probably come from this group, all of whom were pegged at 30-1 on the morning line: Happy Jack, Summer Is Tomorrow, Tiz the Bomb, Pioneer of Medina, Barber Road, Classic Causeway, Tawny Port and Ethereal Road.