With the hype machine for the 140th staging of the Kentucky Derby on May 3 currently in full swing and top-rated horses like California Chrome and Wicked Strong hogging most of the headlines, some colts aren’t getting the attention they deserve, especially given the value they represent for bettors.
Below, we present three high-value Kentucky Derby sleepers that capture the qualities of an underdog based on their records, trainers, and jockeys. If it’s a more comprehensive betting preview you are looking for, we’ve broken down the entire field here. Otherwise, read on to get the low down and create a betting account to grab a 50% deposit bonus and begin cashing in on the horse racing action.
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Three 2014 Kentucky Derby Long Shots Worth Betting On
[sc:horses240banner ]Recent Races: This three-year old colt had entered its name on three graded races this year and so far, it hasn’t finished off the board yet. In its most recent race, Intense Holiday finished second in the Grade II Louisiana Derby last March 29. A month earlier, the Todd Pletcher-trained horse won its first graded race, when it topped the field in the Grade II Risen Star at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Among those it beat in that race was Vicars in Trouble, one of the most talked about horses in the upcoming Kentucky Derby.
Trainer (Todd Pletcher): Winner of four Eclipse Awards for most outstanding Trainer of the Year (2004-2007), Pletcher will enter the 140th edition of the Kentucky Derby looking for his second title in the same race. He won it all in 2010 with Super Saver. Moreover, in 2006, Pletcher set a new record for most stakes wins in a year with 93.
Jockey (John Velazquez): Just like Intense Holiday’s trainer,Velazquez is also taking aim at winning his second Kentucky Derby. In the 2011 Derby, Velazquez steered Animal Kingdom to a first place finish at Churchill Downs.
Recent Races: Wildcat Red owns a pretty impressive record. In the seven races it’s entered in its career, the horse from Honors Stable Corporation hasn’t finished lower than second place. In three graded race starts this year, Wildcat Red placed first twice in back-to-back fashion; it outraced the rest of the competition in the Grade II Hutcheson Stakes last February 1 before reigning supreme in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes three weeks later. In its final race before the Kentucky Derby, Wildcat Red placed second in Grade I Florida Derby in late March.
Trainer (Jose Garoffalo): This year, Garoffalo has won eight times and placed in the money 12 times out of 68 races. Garoffalo learned the ropes of horse racing in Venezuela, his home country, before moving to North America in 1998.
Jockey (Luis Saez): Saez, a native of Panama City, rode Will Take Charge in last year’s edition of the Kentucky Derby, finishing eighth. Apart from that, he had massive success with the same colt when he steered it to wins in the Grade I Travers Stakes, the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby, and Grade I Clark Handicap.
Recent Races: In Samraat, bettors will have a horse that isn’t used to losing. Hailing from the My Meadowview Farm, this colt has finished first five times in six career races. Even in its runner-up finish in Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes, Samraat looked strong, losing only to Wicked Strong, one of the most hyped up colts in the coming Churchill Downs showdown.
Trainer (Rick Violette Jr.): Violette Jr., who has won 30 graded races in his lengthy horse racing career, is also the president of the National Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. Among his well-known trained colts is Read the Footnotes, which finished seventh in the 2004 edition of the Kentucky Derby. In 57 starts this year, Violette’s colts have won and placed 10 times.
Jockey (Jose Ortiz): A fixture in the New York racing scene, Ortiz’s claim to fame came was when he and his brother Irad, won the first seven races on Aqueduct’s card, wherein Ortiz placed first three times. According to the North American Race Standings, Ortiz has amassed $4,109,372 in earnings this year, sixth overall among all jockeys. In addition, the Puerto Rican jockey has 74 wins in 351 races this year.
