Only one of the 12 horses slated to run in the Arkansas Derby have already qualified for the Kentucky Derby. There will be at least two at the end of the night on Saturday, as the winner of the Arkansas Derby will get 100 Derby Points, while the runner up will score 50. Both horses and perhaps the third place finisher - who will get 20 Derby Points - will end up being the last to qualify for the Run for the Roses.
You can find horse racing odds at BookMaker.eu at the online racebook.
ODDS ANALYSIS
1: Discreetness 20/1
2: Cutacorner 50/1
3: Creator 10/1
4: Suddenbreakingnews 5/1
5: American Pioneer 8/1
6: Unbridled Outlaw 10/1
7: Dazzling Gem 12/1
8: Whitmore 9/2
9: Luna de Loco 30/1
10: Cupid 2/1
11: Gray Sky 30/1
12: Gettysburg 6/1
The two colts who are going to be watched closely are Whitmore and Cupid. They're the most likely horses to not only get to the Kentucky Derby, but to win it as well.
Cupid is the 2 to 1 favorite to win the Arkansas Derby, but Whitmore isn't far behind at 9 to 2. Suddenbreakingnews, Gettysburg and American Pioneer are also all featuring single-digit odds.
FAVORITE TO FOLLOW
Bob Baffert often lightly runs his top three-year olds to keep them fresh for the Kentucky Derby. He isn't going to bring a pony to Churchill Downs that he doesn't believe can win all three legs of the Triple Crown, and Cupid is another one of these horses that checks all of the above categories.
Cupid broke his maiden on his third try and immediately went to the Rebel Stakes in March. It was his first shot to claim any Derby Points, and he picked up the maximum of 50 with a wire-to-wire victory.
If jockey Martin Garcia can once again get Cupid to the front of the field in the Arkansas Derby, it'll be tough to run him down. Every time this horse has gotten to the front, he hasn't been caught.
UNDERDOG TO WATCH
Whitmore has a pretty good price on his head at 9 to 2. It's got to be a little concerning that he hasn't won a major race, but he's been one of the favorites in both the Southwest Stakes and Rebel Stakes. He's finished second best in both races, but this might be the day he's the bride instead of the bridesmaid.
Whitmore is basically the exact opposite of Cupid in that he's going to try to run from off the pace. It has to be concerning for Whitmore backers that Cupid has never been caught from behind in a race, but there's a first time for everything, especially when you're going against a horse that’s only run four times in his career.
QUICK PICK
Baffert knew what he was doing with Cupid, and though he was a slow starter in his maiden races, he's found his form now. We think he's going to be headed to the Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites to win the biggest race of the year.
The big question might be who finishes second here. Gettysburg would be our choice, a result which would be suitable for trainer Todd Pletcher to give him a second pony in the Kentucky Derby as well.
That said, this day is all about Cupid, and we think this will be yet another race which he starts off with the lead and never looks back.
Horse Racing Odds: Cupid to win the Arkansas Derby (2/1)
Need to fund your account before the big race but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone or tablet. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The Arkansas Derby is scheduled for Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 7:18 p.m. ET at Oaklawn Park.
