It is expected to be a two-horse race on Saturday, April 7 in the Santa Anita Derby, as Bolt d’Oro takes on Justify. The race is one of the major Kentucky Derby prep races and can be seen on NBCSN. This year’s Santa Anita Derby will see a short field of seven horses competing for the 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Justify for trainer Bob Baffert is the 4-5 morning line favorite, while Bolt d’Oro for trainer Mike Ruis is the second choice at odds of 6-5. Let’s look at the race and Santa Anita Derby picks.
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Two horses that could be serious contenders in next month’s Kentucky Derby meet on Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby. Bolt d’Oro and Justify are expected to be the top betting choices in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, April 7 at 7:12 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN. 100 points will go to the winner, while the second place horse will get 40, while the third place horse gets 20 and the fourth place horse 10.
Bolt d’Oro is still ranked No. 1 in the 2018 Kentucky Derby Media Poll, but he is the second choice on the morning line. The horse is the son of Medaglia d’Oro. The horse is trained by Mike Ruis who said his horse is coming into the race well after the San Felipe. “When we got put up through the disqualification, I almost thought I was going to have to carry him there to the winner circle, because he was dead tired,” Ruis said. “I mean, he gave it his all. But to our surprise, his dinner, he cleaned up all his dinner and hasn’t missed a meal since and he’s training incredible.”
Ruis said recently to thoroughbredracing.com that he is ready for his horse to take on tougher competition. “Justify? I say bring him on,” Bolt's done his running, and if we're faster than him, we'll win, right? He weighed 1,224 pounds going into the San Felipe, and we think he'll be weighing more going into the Santa Anita Derby. “It's incredible — you'd think after being off that long, and what a fight that was, what a dual down the stretch, it would have knocked him down a bit. But no.”
Justify is the morning line favorite for trainer Bob Baffert and is No. 5 in the Kentucky Derby Media Poll. “We know that he is extremely talented, but now he has to go the mile and an eighth against top competition, a horse like Bolt d’Oro,” Baffert said. “So now I think it will be a good gauge to see where we’re at with this horse.”
2018 Santa Anita Derby
PP, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line Odds
1. Instilled Regard, Jerry Hollendorfer, Joel Rosario, 5-1
2. Orbit Rain, Mick Ruis, Brice Blanc, 50-1
3. Bolt d’Oro, Mick Ruis, Javier Castellano, 6-5
4. Jimmy Chila, Doug O’Neill, Mario Gutierrez, 30-1
5. Pepe Tono, Victor Garcia, Victor Espinoza, 20-1
6. Justify, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, 4-5
7. Core Beliefs, Peter Eurton, Tyler Baze, 20-1
Santa Anita Derby Picks
There are only really two horses to consider in this race, as Instilled Regard is probably not at the level of Bolt d’Oro or Justify. It also doesn’t help his cause that Instilled Regard is on the rail. There is definitely more value in Bolt d’Oro and so far he has been the better horse than Justify. It is a little surprising that Justify is the odds-on morning line favorite and I am not so sure he will go off as the post time favorite on Saturday. I think Bolt d’Oro is the play here and I think he wins this one in convincing fashion. This is also such a small field that I don’t see any value in taking any of the longshots.
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