When it comes to horse racing, the first Saturday in May is all about Churchill Downs and the running of the Kentucky Derby. With the world turned upside down these days, the biggest betting race of the year had to be moved to the first Saturday in September because of the coronavirus. Fortunately, Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas is helping to fill that huge void with the running of two divisions of this year's $1 million Arkansas Derby.
The Grade 1 Arkansas Derby is usually run in early April as the last big prep race ahead of the Kentucky Derby. This year it was pushed back to May 2 as part of a full card at Oaklawn. Interest in this race from the best trainers in the game pushed the entry list to 22 three-year old thoroughbreds. To accommodate that many entries, the race was divided into two divisions with 11 contenders in each run.
Since that point, two horses from each division have been scratched to reduce the field to nine for each race. In Division 1, famed trainer Bob Baffert's Charlatan is a 1/1 favorite on the morning line. Todd Pletcher's Gouverneur Morris is second on the list at 9/2 odds. The rest of the field has a few interesting choices. However, this presents the perfect opportunity to go chalk with an exacta play.
Baffert will be going for the sweep in the next division with Nadal as a the 5/2 favorite. This would be my pick as well after this Kentucky-bred colt won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March. Wells Bayou will start from the No. 9 post as a 7/2 second-favorite but my second choice is Storm The Court at 6/1 odds.
Arkansas Derby Division 1
Win: Charlatan
Place: Gouverneur Morris
Show: Shooter's Shoot
Arkansas Derby Division 2
Win: Nadal
Place: Storm The Court
Show: Wells Bayou
LINK: Triple Play at Oaklawn Park, Highlighted By 2020 Arkansas Derby
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