Kentucky Derby odds have been greatly impacted the past three years by track surfaces. It used to be that horses would always run on dirt but today many of them run on synthetic surfaces. Kentucky Derby betting is definitely interesting since some horses come into the Derby having never run a race on dirt.
Kentucky Derby are impacted by the surface for the third straight year. How do you handicap a horse in Kentucky Derby if they have never run on dirt? Kentucky Derby facts show that Hold Me Back has three wins and a second on synthetic surfaces and lost his only dirt start by 14 lengths. “Until you have a horse who handles traditional dirt, if they haven’t raced on it, you just don’t know,” said Dunkirk trainer Todd Pletcher, “And the same with the synthetic. They can train really well on it and not perform well in the afternoon the way you expect. Until they do, it’s a question mark, and I think everybody is still trying to figure it out.”
One of the main Kentucky Derby betting favorites, Pioneer of the Nile, will be racing on dirt for the first time as will Kentucky Derby odds horses, Chocolate Candy and Mr. Hot Stuff. Horses that never raced on dirt all finished out of the money in Kentucky Derby betting last year. Pioneer of the Nile could be the horse that beats the surface change in Kentucky Derby . Papa Clem’s trainer Gary Stute says Pioneer of the Nile is “getting way overlooked.” That is probably not true since he may go off as the second choice in Kentucky Derby. He also has Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert who knows how to win in Kentucky Derby odds. “If you have a great horse, you don’t have to worry about it,” Baffert said. “So we’re going to find out if we have a great horse.”
I Want Revenge is probably going to be the favorite in Kentucky Derby and he really took off when moving from synthetic to dirt. “I think his acceleration is a lot better on dirt, for one,” trainer Jeff Mullins said.
Mr. Hot Stuff is a full brother to Colonel John who finished sixth in Kentucky Derby betting last year. Colonel John was thought to be a horse that would like the dirt but he failed in Kentucky Derby odds.
The surface change from synthetic to dirt could play a role in Kentucky Derby odds but history has shown that trends can easily change in a moment’s notice.
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