The Road to the Kentucky Derby continues the closing weekend of March with a pair of 100-point races in the Kentucky Derby Championship Series. The winning 3-year-old colt picks up 100 points, and the next three finishers receive 40-20-10 points, with the top two finishers securing enough points to earn a spot in the starting gate for the May 7 Kentucky Derby.
A big day of racing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans includes eight stakes races headlined by the $1 million Louisiana Derby.
Let’s look at the favorite Epicenter and the field and odds for the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. The 1 3/16 mile feature is race 12, with post time at 6:44 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 26.
2022 Louisiana Derby field and odds
| Post | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silent Power | 50-1 | G. Melancon | S. Gelner |
| 2 | Zozos | 8-1 | F. Geroux | B. Cox |
| 3 | Call Me Midnight | 6-1 | J. Graham | J. Desormeaux |
| 4 | Curly Tail | 30-1 | C. Hernandez | D. Stewart |
| 5 | Kupuna | 8-1 | R. Gutierrez | W. Calhoun |
| 6 | Epicenter | 7-5 | J. Rosario | S. Asmussen |
| 7 | Pioneer of Medina | 5-1 | T. Gaffalione | T. Pletcher |
| 8 | Galt | 8-1 | J. Alvarado | W. Mott |
| 9 | Rattle N Roll | 6-1 | B. Hernandez Jr. | K. McPeek |
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Race 11 on Saturday at Fair Grounds is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks points qualifier. Six fine 3-year-old fillies are entered in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks, led by the heavy favorite on the rail, Echo Zulu (3-5). Ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu comes off a 5-month layoff after winning the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Filly in November.
Our friends at Horse Racing Nation are the presenting sponsor of race 10 on Saturday at the Fair Grounds for the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic. The Grade 2 race is for older horses racing 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Nine runners entered, with a pair of Chad Brown-trained international horses vying for favoritism, Sacred Life (2-1) and Devamani (5-2). Also, Santin (7-2) is a top win contender according to Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener race and betting analysis.
Louisiana Derby top win contenders
Top win contenders and race analysis by Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener:
- Pioneer of Medina (5-1)
- Epicenter (7-5)
Pioneer of Medina is a top win contender and a top value horse. He finished fourth after pressing the pace of winner Epicenter in last month’s Risen Star. Pioneer of Medina went to post at 33-1 odds that day. However, unlike Epicenter, this colt is trained and bred to go longer. He has trained well and continued to mature and grow. Projections are that Pioneer of Medina will progress and move forward again and welcome the added ground.
Epicenter won the Risen Star with ease despite pushing through very fast fractions. He glided away to 4 1/2 lengths in the stretch before jockey Joel Rosario geared him down toward the finish. He’s now won three races and has a runner-up finish in five starts. While holding no value to win, Epicenter should be included in your exacta and Pick 3 and Pick 5 wagers. He holds the pace advantage again. Additionally, he arrives with a pair of recent five-furlong bullet works slightly better than Pioneer of Medina.
Call Me Midnight (6-1) is a deep closer who took advantage of fast fractions to chase Epicenter in the Lecomte Stakes in January and win by a head. He was the Super Screener top long shot pick that day and came through big at 28-1 odds to return $59 on a $2 win bet.
Now another top long shot, Curly Tail (30-1), gets approval from Super Screener. A son of Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, this horse has the best shot at long odds to pick up the pieces and finish third or fourth after breaking his maiden last month while showing improved speed and strength in the stretch.
For the third straight year, the Louisiana Derby is 1 3/16 miles after being run at 1 1/8 miles since 2010. The last two winners, in 2020 and 2021, both won on the front end. Each went to post at 3-1 odds — Wells Bayou and Hot Rod Charlie, who finished third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby (moved up to second on eventual DQ). Last year’s sixth-place finisher in the Louisiana Derby, Mandaloun, finished second in the 2021 Kentucky Derby but was named the winner last month after Medina Spirit’s disqualification following a failed drug test.
Check out Playfecta for additional betting strategies on the Louisiana Derby and the UAE Derby and other Kentucky Derby prep news.
