Mohaymen Remains Early Favorite for Kentucky Derby

The undefeated Mohaymen remains the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby with just over a month to go before the first Saturday of May.

In the latest betting odds released by online sportsbook Bodog the Kiran McLaughlin trainee is at betting odds of 7-2. The $2.2 million Keeneland purchase is perfect in five career starts. He is in first place in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings with 70 points.

The colt will make one more start before heading to Louisville, likely to be sent off as the favorite for the $1 million Florida Derby (G1). However, he will face a stern test as the second choice in the early Kentucky Derby betting in Nyquist is also pointing toward the race.

Trained by Doug O’Neill, Nyquist is at early Derby betting odds of 8-1 at Bodog and is also undefeated. The colt won the San Vicente (G3) at Santa Anita in his last start.

The colt was perfect in 2015, capping off the year by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and receiving the Eclipse Award for top juvenile.

Normally we would not see the top two face off in a prep, but Mohaymen has been pointing toward the race and has won twice over the surface. Nyquist will ship in from Southern California and since he went through the Fasig-Tipton auction in Florida he is eligible for a $1 million bonus by winning the Florida Derby.

The newcomer to the Derby party is the Bob Baffert trained Cupid, who burst on to the scene with his victory in last Saturday’s Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park. It was Baffert’s sixth win in the Rebel in the last seven years, including last year with American Pharoah, who went on to make history by winning the Triple Crown.

Cupid went into the Rebel off just a maiden win, and exited as the third choice in the early Kentucky Derby betting at Bodog at 10-1.

Baffert has another major Derby contender in Mor Spirit, who is currently the co-sixth choice in the betting at 16-1. The colt ran second to Nyquist in the San Felipe (G2) in his last start. The colt has a pair of stakes wins to his credit, the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) last year and the Robert B. Lewis (G3) in his three-year-old debut on Feb. 6.

There are two Road to the Kentucky Derby points races on tap on Saturday—the $2 million UAE Derby (G2) at Meydan in Dubai and the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Handicapper Michael Dempsey provides his full card analysis for Gulfstream Park daily and selections for all the major Kentucky Derby prep races at turfnsport.com.