Justify is a perfect 3-0 through the first three races of his career. Mike Smith will try to jockey Justify to a victory this Saturday in the Run for the Roses in Louisville, Kentucky.
Kentucky Derby odds 2018: Justify the betting favorite over Mendelssohn and Audible
Justify, Mendelssohn, and Audible are atop the odds to win the 2018 Kentucky Derby at the sportsbooks heading into the start of Triple Crown season this weekend.
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The three-year-old is a +350 favorite on the odds to win the Kentucky Derby at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Justify looked sensational in a wire-to-wire victory at the Santa Anita Derby, recording a 114 Beyer Speed Figure that is the highest speed any horse in this race has recorded.
The colt is trained by Bob Baffert, who has trained four Kentucky Derby winners including the triple crown winning American Pharoah in 2015.
The next favorite on the board is Mendelssohn at +400. Mendelssohn is looking to become the first European trained horse in history to win the Kentucky Derby. The horse has won each of its last three races including a sensational showing in the UAE Derby in Dubai, blowing the competition away by 18.5 lengths.
Justify’s No. 7 post position has produced eight winners in the Kentucky Derby since 1900, while Mendelssohn’s No. 14 has had only two. Audible (+550 to win the Kentucky Derby) will be racing out of the No. 5 post position, which has produced 14 winners since 1900.
In addition to his favorable position, Audible also has won four straight races and recorded Beyer Speeds of 105 and 107 and his last two races.
Magnum Moon (+700) doesn’t appear to have the speed numbers to win a race of this caliber with only one triple-digit Beyer Speed of 100 back in March. With that said, the colt is a perfect 4-0 through his first four races, showing a knack for winning in its early career. Both Magnum Moon and Audible are trained by Todd Pletcher, the trainer of last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming.
Other potential contenders to win the Kentucky Derby include Good Magic (+900), Bolt d’Oro (+900), Vino Rosso (+1400), Hofburg (+1600), and Solomini (+2000). Bolt d’Oro finished runner-up to Justify in the San Antonio Derby with an impressive 110 Beyer Speed.
Kentucky Derby Odds 2018
Justify +350
Mendelssohn +400
Audible +550
Magnum Moon +700
Good Magic +900
Bolt d’Oro +900
Vino Rosso +1400
Hofburg +1600
Solomini +2000
My Boy Jack +2200
Enticed +2500
Noble Indy +2800
Free Drop Billy +3300
Promises Fulfilled +4000
Flameaway +4000
Bravazo +5000
Lone Sailor +5000
Instilled Regard +5000
Firenze Fire +6600
Combatant +6600
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
