When making Kentucky Derby picks for 2020, it is important to consider three main things: 1. The form of the horses you are choosing, 2. the experience of the trainers and jockeys involved, and 3. the sportsbook that you select for online betting. Many sportsbooks can offer special guarantees and money bonuses when you sign up before a big event and have welcome bonuses as well.
The 2020 Kentucky Derby is a 1 1/4-mile - or 10 furlong - race on the dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The famous race carries a purse of $3 million. The field usually draws 20 horses but is expected to only have 18 in 2020. The Kentucky Derby is usually run on the first Saturday in May but got postponed to September 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kentucky Derby Field
The field for the 2020 Kentucky Derby with jockeys and trainers is:
Tiz the Law: Barclay Tagg / Manny Franco
Honor A. P.: John Shirreffs / Mike Smith
Authentic: Bob Baffert / John Velazquez
Thousand Words: Bob Baffert / Florent Geroux
King Guillermo: Juan Carlos Avila / Samy Camacho
Max Player: Steve Asmussen / Ricardo Santana, Jr
Enforceable: Mark Casse / Adam Beschizza
Ny Traffic: Saffie Joseph, Jr / Paco Lopez
Attachment Rate: Dale Romans / Joe Talamo
Major Fed: Greg Foley / James Graham
Necker Island: Chris Hartmann / Miguel Mena
Sole Volante: Patrick Biancone / Luca Panici
Storm the Court: Peter Eurton / Julien Leparoux
Winning Impression: Dallas Stewart / Joe Rocco, Jr.
Free Kentucky Derby Handicapping
Tiz the Law is the best horse in the race on paper, having won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Runhappy Travers, and Florida Derby already this year. He was a Grade 1 winning juvenile, too.
Other horses not to ignore in the Kentucky Derby are Thousand Words, winner of the Shared Belief Stakes, and Storm the Court, who won the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was the champion Two-Year-Old of last year. He will be running late and could hit the trifecta or superfecta at a big price.
Kentucky Derby Expert Picks
$20 Win/Place/Show: Authentic
$10 Win: Tiz the Law
$5 Exacta Box: Tiz the Law and Authentic
$1 Trifecta Box: Authentic, Tiz the Law, Thousand Words, Storm the Court
20 Cent Superfecta: Tiz the Law, Thousand Words, Storm the Court, Authentic, Honor A. P.
Here are some picks for the Kentucky Derby undercard, which features a rich guaranteed Kentucky Derby Pick 6 of all stakes races.
$400,000 Alysheba Stakes: McKinzie, By My Standards, and Owendale $500,000 Derby City Distaff: Serengeti Empress $1,000,000 Old Forester Turf Classic: Digital Age $500,000 Distaff Turf Mile: Newspaperofrecord $500,000 Pat Day Mile: Rushie, Echo Town $500,000 American Turf: Field Pass, Vanzzy
King Guillermo won the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in March and is considered the Wise Guy horse based on how well he is training at Churchill Downs, where he has been longer than any other Kentucky Derby contender. Caracaro was second behind Tiz the Law in the Travers Stakes (G1) and has been getting better in his short career. Winning Impression is trained by Dallas Stewart, a man who has hit the Derby board with major longshots twice in the past. Winning Impression will be yet another big longshot.
Authentic is trainer Bob Baffert's "forgotten horse." The son of Into Mischief has only lost once, behind Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Honor A. P., and is coming off a win in the TVG Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park.
He won by a nose over Ny Traffic, who is rapidly improving and will take a lot of money from wise bettors. Finnick the Fierce would be a popular choice because the chestnut has only one eye and would make quite the story if he won.
Major Fed is a longshot who has been knocking on the door to finish on the board but needs to improve to do so in the Derby.
Enforceablehas the best pedigree in the race. He is related to horses like New Year's Day, Maximum Security, and Kingly, and won a Derby prep race in January. He is trained by Mark Casse, who is still trying to get his first Derby win but did take the 2019 Preakness Stakes with War of Will.
Post positions for the 2020 Kentucky Derby will be set on September 2. The Kentucky Derby will be run at 6 pm Eastern time on Saturday afternoon underneath the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs. Fans are not allowed to be in attendance this year.