The lineup is now starting to form, and the experts already have favorites of their own. If you are one of the enthusiasts of the Kentucky Derby, knowing who the experts are rooting for this year can be an edge for you over other bettors when it comes to betting.
So without further ado, here are the top five horses that will likely win the Kentucky Derby 2022 as per the experts, listed in no particular order.
Pick 1: Rattle N Roll
Regardless of how minimal Rattle N Roll’s experience is, the majority of experts think that he will dominate the racetrack at the Churchill Downs this May 7. He does not go below the top four on the expert picks.
However, when it comes to the 2022 Kentucky Derby Odds, Rattle N Roll has an odds of 25/1 (+2500). He goes way below the top 20 contenders who have the best odds at this year’s race.
Rattle N Roll only has participated in four races as per the record. In the last two, he finished first, which was the Breeders’ Futurity-G1, and his third Maiden Special Weight race.
Meanwhile, he finished his first MSW race as third placer and eighth on his second MSW race. Rattle N Roll is trained under trainer Kenneth G. McPeek who is also trained on the 2020 Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver.
Pick 2: Smile Happy
Next on the top five lists is Smile Happy. This year, he is another horse contending on the Kentucky Derby and trained by Kenneth G. McPeek. Like Rattle N Roll, Smile Happy also has a small list of races he participated in in the past.
He only has two past races on record. However, even though he only raced two events, he won both races as the first player.
Last November 27, 2021, he ran his latest race at the Churchill Downs, where he dominated the $400,000 Grade Two Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and defeated the race favorite Classic Causeway. This victory solidified his horse racing reputation, and he became one of the Kentucky Derby early favorites this year with a 2-on-2 victory.
Will he rise above the rest again and defeat all the other early favorites of the 2022 Derby? You might get an answer to that question during his next race on the Risen Star-G2 this coming February 12, 2022.
Pick 3: Messier
Messier is the third-pick contender that made it to the top ten picks of the experts. Eyes are on this contender as he is trained by the award-winning trainer Bob Baffert. Messier has quite an experience when it comes to racing. He had completed a total of five races in the past. Messier also won three out of these five races, and the remaining two finished on the second spot.
These results are not a surprise from a Bob Baffert horse since he has trained many champions in the past. Will Messier win the Kentucky Derby this year? Is he the next big thing in the horse racing industry? And will he be the next triple crown winner? I guess we will see in the upcoming Kentucky Derby race.
Pick 4: Epicenter
The fourth horse you might consider adding to your top five favorite list is Epicenter. He won two out of four races, second on one and sixth on another. He is trained by Steven M. Asmussen, the leading trainer in North America, who has won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer twice.
He trained horses who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness Stakes, the Dubai World Cup, and many more. Therefore, Epicenter has a high probability of winning the Kentucky Derby 2022. Plus, he is a strong horse that is getting better every time he races.
If you never watched Epicenter run in a race, you should watch his next race on the Risen Star-G2 and study his form and performance on that particular race.
Pick 5: Slow Down Andy
The fifth pick from our experts is Slow Down Andy. But mind you, he is not slowing down at all. Not ever. He made it to the top ten picks by the experts because he has the potential to be the next Kentucky Derby winner.
He ran three races in the past, where he ended up being the first placer of the two out of three races he participated in. Meanwhile, he finished the other one as the second placer. He is trained by Doug F. O’Neill, who trained the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I’ll Have Another.
Start Selecting Your Favorite
Time flies so fast. The Kentucky Derby 2022 is fast approaching. So, it would be best to start selecting your top five best contenders of this year’s derby. This way, you will have enough time to handicap each horse and bet on the right one to ensure your win and profit.
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