The final tune-up races are almost in the books before the 2020 Kentucky Derby sets off Sept. 5 from historic Churchill Downs. The 148th Run for the Roses isn’t in its usual spot in May or at the head of the Triple Crown schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the 2020 Kentucky Derby field will still boast plenty of talented three-year-olds looking for glory. But who should you back among the top 2020 Kentucky Derby contenders?
Tiz the Law, who looked superb in his victory at the Belmont Stakes, is the current favorite in the early 2020 Kentucky Derby odds at 5-2. Honor A.P., who didn’t run in the Belmont but did win the Santa Anita Derby, is at 5-1. Authentic, another horse that skipped the Belmont, is at 10-1. Before making any horse racing predictions, you’ll want to see the latest 2020 Kentucky Derby picks from SportsLine’s Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2020 Kentucky Derby on a major heater on his horse racing picks. He has the picked the winner in six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes. At the Belmont, the first Triple Crown race of 2020, Demling called Tiz the Law the class of the field and he pulled away for a convincing victory.
This is the same handicapper who hit the Oaks-Derby double at Churchill Downs nine times in the last 11 years. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but twice in his last 11 tries. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Demling has released his early 2020 Kentucky Derby picks, predicting where every horse will finish. He’s sharing all of it at SportsLine.
2020 Kentucky Derby expert predictions
One surprise: Demling is fading Uncle Chuck, even though he’s one of the favorites at 10-1. Uncle Chuck is one of three Bob Baffert-trained 2020 Kentucky Derby horses along with Cezanne and Authentic. Another Bob Baffert-trained horse, Uncle Chuck is scheduled to run in this week’s Travers Stakes as a final workout before the Kentucky Derby 2020. Uncle Chuck squeezed in a final practice run last weekend, covering five furlongs in 1:00.20, co-best of 71 officially timed at the distance.
Uncle Chuck outran stablemate Thousands Words at the Los Alamitos Derby on July 4. That came less than a month after winning a maiden special weight victory on June 12, which pleased the owners who paid $250,000 for the colt at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Despite those two strong racing performances, Demling says Uncle Chuck looked sharp in a “pretty weak field” in the Los Alamitos Derby and doesn’t recommend including the horse in your 2020 Kentucky Derby bets.
Another shocker: Demling is high on Cezanne, even though he’s a 20-1 long shot in the latest Kentucky Derby odds 2020. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Bob Baffert is no stranger to training Kentucky Derby horses, and Cezanne is the latest looking to make a successful Run for the Roses.
Cezanne is undefeated so far in 2020, winning a maiden race with a Beyer Speed Figure of 90 at Santa Anita in June and earning a two-turn victory as a heavy favorite on July 2 at Los Alamitos. The son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of Achieving, Cezanne likely will get another run at either the Haskell Stakes or Travers Stakes before heading to Kentucky. Demling loves Cezanne, calling the colt “dazzling,” and believes he’s one of the horses you should back in your 2020 Kentucky Derby bets.
How to make 2020 Kentucky Derby picks
In addition, Demling is high on a double-digit long shot who benefits big-time from the Kentucky Derby 2020 being moved to September. He’s only sharing which horse to back, and his entire projected 2020 leaderboard, here.