With Art Collector bowing out, Tiz the Law becomes a strong favorite in the latest Kentucky Derby betting odds.
The question for Illinois bettors now becomes whether to take the Belmont Stakes winner to capture another leg of the Triple Crown or dive into the field.
Tiz the Law is currently a -167 favorite to win on Saturday. If he can repeat his performance from the Belmont, that’s not too bad of a price given the 3-year-old’s capabilities.
Latest 2020 Kentucky Derby betting odds
Two horses trained by Bob Baffert headline the field of contenders. As of Thursday afternoon, the odds breakdown looked like this:
- Tiz the Law 3-5
- Honor A.P. 5-1
- Authentic 8-1
- Thousand Words 15-1
- NY Traffic 20-1
- King Guillermo 20-1
- Sole Volante 30-1
- Money Moves 30-1
- Enforceable 30-1
- Max Player 30-1
- Winning Impressions 50-1
- Attachment Rate 50-1
- Necker Island 50-1
- Finnick the Fierce 50-1
- Storm the Court 50-1
- Major Fed 50-1
- South Bend 50-1
- Mr. Big News 50-1
The date of the run is one of things different about this year’s Derby. Also, Churchill Downs, in Louisville, KY, will limit the crowd to 14% of its normal capacity.
There are reasons to like Tiz the Law outside of his convincing win at the Belmont.
Since his first appearance at Churchill Downs, he has won four consecutive races, each by at least three lengths. The weather also looks favorable for Saturday, which bettors should take into account when considering Tiz the Law’s past performances on the same track.
Tiz the Law did suffer his only loss at Churchill Downs last November. He did finish third on a sloppy track that day, however. Additionally, Tiz the Law has avoided the bad omen starting this year’s Derby from the 18th position.
That’s one piece of information to know about the other contenders in the field. Just like with Tiz the Law, there are things to dislike and love about the other horses in the running Saturday.
Before you wager on the 2020 Kentucky Derby
Authentic does come in hot, having won four of his last five starts. Giving him the third-shortest odds is his jockey, John Velazquez, who has ridden three horses to victory in past Derby races.
However, Authentic does come out of that dreaded 18th post, which has only spurred horses onto victory in this event twice in 145 runnings. He has traded places in past races with another contender, Honor A.P.
Honor A.P. finished ahead of Authentic in the Santa Anita Derby in June. Authentic got the better of him in March, however, at the San Felipe Stakes. Honor A.P. has never finished worse than second in his career.
A Baffert-trained horse, Thousand Words has had an up-and-down year. He may be peaking at the right time, however, having won the Shared Belief Stakes on Aug. 1 after finishing second his previous time out.
As long as Tiz the Law is active and healthy, the question for bettors is whether to buy into the hype surrounding him. He made those who doubted him look foolish at the Belmont. There’s little reason to believe he won’t post a similar performance at this year’s Kentucky Derby, but that’s why they run the races.
