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Kentucky Derby Betting: Possibly the most intriguing horse coming into this race is Hofburg. Hofburg is one of the most inexperienced horses to be running at the Kentucky Derby in recent memory. He has only participated in one graded stakes race, but he performed well enough to be able to race at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Hofburg has only run in three races, two of those maidens. He ran his first maiden back in September 2017, finishing fourth, and he didn’t race again until early March of this year. He was able to win on his second attempt and his owners were impressed enough to enter him in the Florida Derby after that performance.
At the Florida Derby, Hofburg shined. He wasn’t able to win the race, finishing runner-up to Audible, but he romped over the other horses in the field. Hofburg finished almost eight lengths ahead of the horse that finished third and his speed rating of 104 makes him a horse to watch here.
The Kentucky Derby will go to post on Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 6:34 p.m. ET at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Catch the Kentucky Derby live on NBC.
Hofburg
Career Record: 1-1-0
Career Earnings: $227,950
Kentucky Derby Points: 40
Kentucky Derby Odds at BookMaker.eu: +2000
Hofburg’s sire is Tapit. Tapit is probably the most prolific sire alive today, and he was named the Leading sire in North America in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He wasn’t a great racehorse, but he has fathered numerous champions. Three of the last four Belmont Stakes were won by his progeny. Hofburg’s dam is Soothing Touch.
Bill Mott knows that this is his best chance yet to win the Kentucky Derby. Mott is Hofburg’s trainer, and he has not had good luck at this race during his long career. He is winless in seven previous Derby appearances and his best finish came two decades ago when Favorite Trick crossed the finish line eighth.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will be Hofburg’s jockey. This will be his third time riding a horse at the Kentucky Derby, and he is looking for his first finish inside of the top ten.
Why Hofburg Will Win the Kentucky Derby
You can’t teach speed. Hofburg is an enticing horse simply because of his speed numbers. Finishing second in his first real race, a Grade 1 Stakes Race at that, is awfully impressive and the 104 speed rating shows that it was no fluke.
Why Hofburg Won't Win the Kentucky Derby
There are so many unknowns with Hofburg. We have only seen him perform in one graded stakes and he only faced two other Derby entrants in that field. His numbers are promising, but there isn’t much else to go on. There’s no telling how this horse will react to a tough start or being bumped out of the gate.
The Final Verdict
Hofburg is hard to handicap because of the lack of work. He is definitely an intriguing horse, but I’m not going to bite on him. I’ll likely circle back around and back him in the Belmont Stakes if he races well here, but I would need 30-1 to roll the dice with him.
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2018 Kentucky Derby Contenders
