Arkansas Derby Race 1 Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2020 Arkansas Derby is set for Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Arkansas Derby Race 1 Preview and Prediction
- Race: Arkansas Derby Race 1
- Purse: $500,000
- Track: Oaklawn Park
- Date: May 2
- Post Time: 6:29 PM (ET)
- Live: Arkansas Derby Odds: Click Here
2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Handicapping
With several of what were supposed to be the final prep races for the 2020 Kentucky Derby having been postponed, Oaklawn Park found themselves with so many entries for the Arkansas Derby that they decided to split the race into two divisions.
The Arkansas Derby is for horses aged three, racing 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. It offers 2020 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers.
While each of the two races has 11 entries, as of Friday Bovada is only listing nine betting interests for each.
Odds listed here are from Bovada’s racebook.
2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick & Handicapping: Charlatan Race Odds: 2-5
The overwhelming favourite in the pre-race odds, Charlatan is the hype horse of the moment, based on the fact that that he’s unbeaten in his only two lifetime races to this point. He won those by a combined 15 lengths, and scored plus-100 Equibase speed figures in both.
His detractors will point to the neither of those races were at the stakes level, and one race only had three other horses and the other had four.
Bob Baffert is the trainer (adding to the hype), Martin Garcia will ride.
2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick & Handicapping: Gouverneur Morris Race Odds: 11-2
After breaking his maiden at first try last summer, Gouverneur Morris then stepped up to run second in the (G1) Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, five lengths back of the highly regarded Maxfield. He opened 2020 with a win at the allowance level before running fourth last out in the (G1) Florida Derby.
He’s trained by Todd Pletcher, while John Velazquez is the jock.
2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick & Handicapping: Anneau d’Or Race Odds: 11-2
The runner-up in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at odds of 28-1, Anneau d’Or followed up that performance with a second-place finish in the (G1) Los Alamitos Futurity. However, he opened 2020 with a very disappointing ninth-place finish as the heavy favourite in the (G2) Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, and there’s a question as to whether he can recapture last year’s form.
Trained by Blaine Wright, Juan Hernandez is the jockey.
2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick & Handicapping: Basin Race Odds: 13-2
The winner of the (G1) Hopeful Stakes last September at Saratoga, Basin is another one that is struggling a bit early in his three-year-old season.
He opened 2020 with a third-place finish in the (G2) Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, and then seemed to take a bit of a step back when running fourth in the Oaklawn Stakes one month ago. He’s going to need to find more speed to challenge the top ones here.
The trainer is Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr. is tapped to ride.
Here’s my 2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Free Pick.
Typically, this is the kind of race where you’re just going to sit back and watch. If Charlatan is as good as people say he is, he should easily handle this field and offers little value on a win bet. Most likely I’ll be playing an exacta with Charlatan on top and Gouverner Morris in the place spot, and the trifecta with Charlatan on top and the other three listed here in both the place and show spots.
Full Field: 2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Odds
- Charlatan 2-5
- Gouverneur Morris 11-2
- Anneau d’Or 13-2
- Basin 10-1
- Winning Impression 20-1
- Crypto Cash 50-1
- My Friends Beer 66-1
- Mo Mosa 66-1
- Jungle Runner 100-1
What do you think of our 2020 Arkansas Derby Race 1 Race Odds & Predictions? Weigh in below with a comment. We welcome your feedback.
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