Kentucky Derby Futures Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2022 Kentucky Derby is set for May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Kentucky Derby Futures Preview
- Race: Kentucky Derby
- Purse: $3 million
- Track: Churchill Downs
- Date: May 7, 2022
- Post Time: 6:57 PM (ET)
- Live: Kentucky Derby Futures Odds: Click Here
2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Handicapping
Every year almost 400 thoroughbred horses are nominated to run in the Kentucky Derby, but ultimately no more than 20 of those will make it to the starting gate in May.
From mid-September to mid-April, nominated horses will run in a series of qualifying races dubbed “The Road to the Kentucky Derby.” There are 48 races in all, most of which are run in the US, but also include a handful of races in the UK, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
Typically any one horse will run in 1 to 4 of these races, and in the end the 20 with the most points will qualify to make the 1 1/4 miles Run for the Roses.
Months before the big race, sports books like Bovada offer future bet odds on these horses. Each week here at Capperspicks, we will take a look at four of these potential Derby champions.
Future odds listed here are provided by Bovada’s racebook at the time of posting.
2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick & Handicapping: Giant Game Race Odds: 33-1
Giant Game makes an appearance on our list of potential Derby winners even though he hasn’t been seen on the track since a third-place finish in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in early November.
Prior to that he scored his maiden win racing 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland, after running third in his career debut at Churchill Downs. He has most recently been putting in workouts at Gulfstream Park.
Pedigree: He’s another in a long list of Derby contenders who are offspring of the great Giant’s Causeway, who was a superstar turf runner in the UK and who ran second in the the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Possible next start: (G3) Holy Bull Stakes, Gulfstream Park, February 5.
2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick & Handicapping: Epicenter Race Odds: 40-1
Epicenter has made three lifetime starts and has handily won the last two by a combined 10 lengths.
The first of those came racing one mile on the Churchill Downs dirt, and for the second he shipped to Fair Grounds where he won the Gun Runner Stakes by more than six lengths after duelling head-to-head with a tough rival through the first 3/4 miles.
Pedigree: Sire Not This Time only raced four times, winning the (G3) Iroquois Stakes and then ran second in the 2016 BC Juvenile, the last race of his career. Grandsire Candy Ride was undefeated in six lifetime starts and a Grade 1 winner at 1 1/4 miles.
Possible next start: Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, January 22.
2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick & Handicapping: Emmanuel Race Odds: 50-1
Emmanuel only has one start to his name so far, but made the most of it by winning his career debut with a wire-to-wire rail trip and clearing the field by 6 3/4 lengths at the wire.
That race was one mile at Gulfstream Park and earned a 96 Equibase speed figure, about as good as you can ask for in a horse making his first lifetime start.
Pedigree: Sire More Than Ready ran fourth in the 2000 Kentucky Derby, but was a winner of seven of 17 lifetime starts, four of those in graded stakes. Grandsire Hard Spun was second in the 2007 Derby and second in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Possible next start: Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, February 5.
2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick & Handicapping: Cyberknife Race Odds: 55-1
Cyberknife crossed the wire first in his career debut at Churchill – scoring an eye-catching 101 speed figure – but was DQ’d to second for interference at the top of the stretch.
He then came back to run second again in his next start before breaking through with his first official win in race number three as the heavy favourite in a maiden special weight event at Fair Grounds.
Pedigree: Sire Gun Runner was third in the 2016 Derby and then went on to win six Grade 1 races, including the 2017 BC Classic. Grandsire Flower Alley was ninth in the 2005 Derby and won the (G1) Travers Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.
Possible next start: Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds, January 22.
Here’s My 2022 Kentucky Derby Futures Free Pick.
In a couple weeks the major Derby prep races are going to start coming fast and furious and we’ll start to see some separation between pretenders and contenders as well as adjustment in future bet odds.
That being the case, right now I’m very intrigued by Epicenter at 40-1. I thought he was very good in the Gun Runner where he did a lot of the dirty work in pressing the pace and was still able to pull away at the end.
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