Thursday, March 28, 2024
spot_img

2022 Kentucky Derby odds, top predictions: Expert who called last year’s Derby Day winner tells picks

Often described as the most exciting two minutes in sports, the 2022 Kentucky Derby is quickly approaching, and major contenders have started to separate themselves for this year’s race at Churchill Downs. With about three weeks left to the Saturday, May 7 race, Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter is the 5-1 favorite in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds. He will try to deliver Steve Asmussen, North America’s all-time winningest trainer, his first Kentucky Derby victory. Three horses – Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba, Blue Grass winner Zandon and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Messier – are 6-1 in the 2022 Kentucky Derby field. With the Kentucky Derby 2022 featuring the largest field in North American racing, you’ll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Kentucky Derby picks.

Few people in racing are as connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.

She also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1.

Since joining SportsLine in November, her picks have cashed in six of 12 races, including the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Anyone who has followed her is way up.

Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds, made her picks and constructed her bets. Click here to see them.

Top 2022 Kentucky Derby predictions

One surprise: Yu is tossing Messier, even though he is one of the top 2022 Kentucky Derby favorites at 6-1. Bred in Ontario, Messier is best known for winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 15 lengths. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103 in that performance, tied for the best Beyer figure earned by any of the 2022 Kentucky Derby contenders.

But Messier lost to Taiba in the Santa Anita Derby, and Yu does not see how Messier turns the tables in the Kentucky Derby 2022. “He was bested by Taiba in pretty handily, he has been defeated before as a favorite and, while he had one brilliant race [against four rivals], I think his odds are too low to back him,” she told SportsLine. Yu will not have Messier in her 2022 Kentucky Derby betting strategy.

Instead, Yu is high on Charge It, even though he is a 20-1 long shot. Trained by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Charge It has one win and two seconds in three career starts. In his last race, he finished second to White Abarrio in the Florida Derby.

Yu believes Charge It has much room to improve before the Derby. “Charge It was ultra-green in his last race, which was also his stakes debut, his first try versus winners, and just his third career start, but he still managed to out-finish a bevy of runners with more experience to run second,” she told SportsLine. Yu is including Charge It in her 2022 Kentucky Derby bets. 

How to make 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, bets

Yu is high on three other horses, including an enormous long shot you need to see now. Yu says this long shot “always comes running in the end” and will appear in all of her exotics, potentially setting up a huge payday. She is including this horse in her 2022 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2022 Kentucky Derby? Which enormous long shot is a must-back? Check out the Kentucky Derby odds 2022 below, then visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who nailed last year’s winner on Derby Day.

2022 Kentucky Derby odds, horses, futures

Related articles

Share article

Latest articles

Newsletter

Subscribe to stay updated.