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Kentucky Derby 2022 Horses, Post Positions, & Betting Odds
On May 7th, the bugler will sound the call to post for the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, will be packed with horse racing fans in extravagant hats and their best spring attire. The lines are out for the Kentucky Derby 2022 horses, so it’s time to make your picks!
On our site, we have reviews for the top horse racing sites that will allow you to bet on the Kentucky Derby. I recommend checking out TVG! It has great handicapping tools, streaming, and a great mobile app.
Here, we will go over the horses in the 2022 Kentucky Derby and their post positions. Each one is accompanied by one of the top jockeys in the business, as well as being trained by some of the most successful trainers in the industry.
1. Mo Donegal (10-1)
No one wants the inside post, but if any horse can make it work, it might be Mo Donegal. He’s a closer that has finished in the top 3 in each of his five races.
He has one of the top trainers in the business with Todd Pletcher. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is seeking his first Kentucky Derby win.
2. Happy Jack (30-1)
Happy Jack barely got into the Kentucky Derby, gaining only 30 points. He has one win in his four starts, and that was six furlongs.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano has his work cut out for him in Post 2. He is trained by Doug O’Neill.
3. Epicenter (7-2)
Epicenter was the leader in Kentucky Derby points, winning four of his six career starts, and is the second favorite based on morning line odds. He has everything you would want for a contender. He’s going to press the pace out of Post 3.
Joel Rosario is going to try to get him in good position around the first turn. I would expect he doesn’t want to much dirt in his face. Steve Asmussen is the winningest trainer in North America but has never won the Kentucky Derby. He has a great shot with Epicenter.
4. Summer is Tomorrow (30-1)
Summer is Tomorrow may be the longshot in the Derby, but he could also find himself in the front out of the gate. Based in Dubai, he finished 2nd in the UAE Derby.
His jockey will be Mikael Barzalona, and is trained by Bhupat Seemar. Both will be experiencing their first Run for the Roses.
5. Smile Happy (20-1)
Lucky Seven Stable has a great contender in Smile Happy. In four starts, he has two wins and two second-place finishes. Those runner-up finishes were against the two favorites in the Kentucky Derby.
Corey Lanerie, who has plenty of experience at Churchill Downs, will try to put Smile Happy in a position near the front. The question will be if he can have the stamina. Trainer Kevin McPeek has had six starts in the Kentucky Derby, having second-place finish in 2017.
6. Messier (8-1)
Messier is trained by Tim Yakteen, the assistant to Bob Baffert. The change had to be made after Baffert was banned from Churchill Downs. He’s been in the top 2 in each of his six starts, finishing 2nd in the Santa Anita Derby.
John Velazquez will be aboard Messier to attempt to win his fourth Kentucky Derby. Expect Velazquez to get a good start and have him near the lead around the first turn.
7. Crown Pride (20-1)
Crown Pride, out of Japan, was the first horse called during the draw for post positions. His connections were very pleased with the post.
Jockey Christophe Lemaire has had a lot of success overseas. Crown Pride has been working out in Louisville for a few weeks.
8. Charge It (20-1)
Jockey Luis Saez hopes to finish first again in the Kentucky Derby, but maybe this time, it will stay that way! He was the rider of Maximum Security, who was disqualified in 2019.
Charge It is trained by Pletcher. With a stalking approach, Pletcher seemed pleased with Post 8 at the draw.
9. Tiz the Bomb (30-1)
Tiz the Bomb has won four races, but none of those were on dirt. His only race on dirt didn’t go well, losing by over 20 lengths.
Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride the closer trained by Kevin McPeek.
10. Zandon (3-1)
And the morning line favorite! Zandon has two wins in four races, one of those coming at Keeneland in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. His other two finishes were second and third.
French jockey Flavien Prat has been building a name for himself in North America the past few years. He won the 2019 Derby aboard Country House after the disqualification. Trainer Chad Brown will be going for his first Derby win after multiple starts.
11. Pioneer of Medina (30-1)
Also trained by Pletcher, Pioneer of Medina will be a longshot. The colt will look to press the pace. He did the same in the Risen Star Stakes but couldn’t hold off Epicenter.
It doesn’t seem like Pioneer of Medina will have the finishing speed to keep off many of the top closers in the race. Jockey Joe Bravo will try to prove otherwise.
12. Taiba (12-1)
Taiba is the other horse in the Kentucky Derby trained by Yakteen, the assistant of Baffert. He’s only raced twice, but those have both been wins.
Many predict that these morning line odds won’t last, and Taiba will be closer to the favorite at post time. Mike Smith will ride Taiba and has won the Kentucky Derby twice.
13. Simplification (20-1)
Coming out of Florida, Simplification has many qualities to be excited about. He’s spent much of his time at Gulfstream, finishing in the top 3 in six of his seven starts.
Jockey Jose Ortiz has two top 3 finishes in the Kentucky Derby since 2018. This is a contender to potentially place in a trifecta or superfecta.
14. Barber Road (30-1)
Barber Road will make the first Kentucky Derby appearances for his jockey, owner, and trainer. His owners didn’t spend much, but he gathered just enough points to enter the field.
John Ortiz will be on Barber Road coming from the outside. He’s been a late closer since turning 3 but hasn’t won a race that way.
15. White Abarrio (10-1)
White Abarrio has been impressive, winning four of his five starts. In both of his stakes wins, he was ridden by jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who has won six straight jockey titles at Churchill Downs.
Gaffalione will be going for his first Derby win, and I love his chances with White Abarrio.
16. Cyberknife (20-1)
Jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Brad Cox technically have a Kentucky Derby win after Medina Spirit was disqualified. This time, they would prefer to cross the finish line first.
Cyberknife has three wins in six starts. This is just one of three horses for Cox, but it could be his best chance to hit the board.
17. Classic Causeway (30-1)
In his last prep race, Classic Causeway finished last. This caused his connections to reconsider running him in the Derby, even with enough points. However, they decided to enter him in the race.
Even with three wins, it’s hard to not consider his terrible finish. Jockey Julien Leparoux hasn’t won a Derby, even with 13 appearances.
18. Tawny Port (30-1)
Another Cox-trained horse, Tawny Port, will be a longshot. He should be in the middle of the pack around the first turn, but it’s doubtful that he will have enough to finish in on the board.
Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will be going for his first Derby win in seven starts.
19. Zozos (20-1)
Zozos only has three starts, winning two and coming in second once. He will press the pace, just as he did in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, placing second behind Epicenter.
The 148th Kentucky Derby could end up going the same way. The jockey is Manny Franco.
20. Ethereal Road (30-1)
Coming out of the last post, Ethereal Road is trained by the D. Wayne Lukas. The legendary trainer hasn’t won a Kentucky Derby since 1999.
Unfortunately, he is going to have a tough race from the outside. Ethereal Road has only one win in seven starts.
My Kentucky Derby Prediction
Head over to our TVG review to sign up for an account before the big race. If you are trying to get your account ready just moments before the Kentucky Derby, it will be a lot harder to do. Especially if you need to contact customer service.
Use our promo codes for Kentucky Derby 2022 horses and check out all of the handicapping tools. May 7th is filled with other races at Churchill Downs leading up to the Run for the Roses.
I have Taiba winning the 148th Kentucky Derby.
- 1st (12) Taiba
- 2nd (15) White Abarrio
- 3rd (6) Messier
- 4th (13) Simplification
