Arkansas Derby | Handicapping | Race Profile
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Last updated April 30, 2020
Arkansas Derby Handicapping & Picks
Arguably the biggest day of Oaklawn's spring Thoroughbred racing season, the Arkansas Derby holds a significant place on the betting world's calendar.
Expert Picks for the Arkansas Derby from our Handicappers
Are the numbers backing up Nadal's visually impressive performances? @EJXD2 says no, and he thinks the unbeaten colt is vulnerable in Div 2 of tomorrow's Arkansas Derby.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 1, 2020
He's joined by @JoeyDaKRacing & @ScottShap34 to discuss.
Full ep here: https://t.co/M5Xz2HeW2R pic.twitter.com/FLCq9aCeFv
The first division of the G1 Arkansas Derby looks a one act affair, according to the market, with Charlatan set to start a short fav.@JoeyDaKRacing, @EJXD2 & @ScottShap34 break it down on "Champing at the Bit".
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 1, 2020
Full ep: https://t.co/0UrVEasFh8 pic.twitter.com/46Mj0cCUmj
The importance of the Arkansas Derby and Handicapping trends
The Arkansas Derby was inaugurated in 1936 at Oaklawn Park. It has run at 1 1/8th miles since its inception and now offers a purse of $1,000,000. The race was elevated to Grade-II in 1973, and then promoted to Grade-1 in 2010.
Althea set the speed record in the 1984 Arkansas Derby with a time of 1:46.80.
Todd Pletcher has earned the most victories as a trainer. He won all of his titles in two separate back-to-backs, first winning with Graeme Hall in 2000 and Balto Star in 2001. The legendary trainer returned to the winner’s circle with Overanalyze in 2013 and Danza in 2014.
Pat Day won this race in 1980, 1987 and 1992 and is the winningest jockey of all time in the Arkansas Derby.
Three horses have won both the Arkansas Derby and then gone on to score in the Kentucky Derby. The first was Sunny’s Halo in 1983. He was followed by Smarty Jones who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. American Pharoah was the most recent, winning the 2015 Arkansas Derby on route to his awe inspiring Grand Slam victory through the remainder of the year where he won the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Additional American Classics winners include Elocutionist (1976), Tank's Prospect (1985), Pine Bluff (1992) Smarty Jones (2004) and Curlin (2007) who all won the Preakness Stakes. Additionally, Curlin won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Temperance Hill (1980), Victory Gallop (1988), and Creator (2016) all went on to claim the Belmont Stakes after winning the Arkansas Derby.
Concern won the 1994 Arkansas Derby and then took the Breeders’ Cup Classic later that year.
Afleet Alex won the 2005 Arkansas Derby, 2005 Preakness Stakes and 2005 Belmont Stakes.
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Arkansas Derby currently offers a 100-40-20-10 point split to the top-four horses.
What were the race times for winning horses in the Arkansas Derby?
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Classic Empire | Julien Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | 1:48.93 |
| 2016 | Creator | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 1:50.14 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 1:48.52 |
| 2014 | Danza | Joe Bravo | Todd Pletcher | 1:49.68 |
| 2013 | Overanalyze | Rafael Bejarano | Todd Pletcher | 1:51.94 |
| 2012 | Bodemeister | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | 1:48.71 |
| 2011 | Archarcharch | Jon Court | William H. Fires | 1:49.34 |
| 2010 | Line of David | Jon Court | John W. Sadler | 1:49.37 |
| 2009 | Papa Clem | Rafael Bejarano | Gary Stute | 1:49.00 |
| 2008 | Gayego | Mike E. Smith | Paulo Lobo | 1:49.63 |
| 2007 | Curlin | Robby Albarado | Steve Asmussen | 1:50.00 |
| 2006 | Lawyer Ron | John McKee | Robert E. Holthus | 1:51.38 |
| 2005 | Afleet Alex | Jeremy Rose | Tim Ritchey | 1:48.80 |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | Stewart Elliott | John Servis | 1:49.41 |
| 2003 | Sir Cherokee | Terry J. Thompson | Michael Tomlinson | 1:48.39 |
| 2002 | Private Emblem | Donnie Meche | Steve Asmussen | 1:50.20 |
| 2001 | Balto Star | Mark Guidry | Todd Pletcher | 1:49.00 |
| 2000 | Graeme Hall | Robby Albarado | Todd Pletcher | 1:49.00 |
| 1999 | Certain | Kent Desormeaux | Leo Azpurua, Jr. | 1:49.20 |
| 1998 | Victory Gallop | Alex Solis | W. Elliott Walden | 1:49.80 |
| 1997 | Crypto Star | Pat Day | Wayne Catalano | 1:49.20 |
| 1996 | Zarb's Magic | Ronald Ardoin | Bert Thomas | 1:49.20 |
| 1995 | Dazzling Falls | Garrett Gomez | Chuck Turco | 1:50.60 |
| 1994 | Concern | Garrett Gomez | Richard W. Small | 1:48.00 |
| 1993 | Rockamundo | Calvin Borel | O. J. Glass, Jr. | 1:48.00 |
| 1992 | Pine Bluff | Jerry D. Bailey | Thomas Bohannan | 1:49.40 |
| 1991 | Olympio | Ed Delahoussaye | Ron McAnally | 1:47.60 |
| 1990 | Silver Ending | Gary Stevens | Ron McAnally | 1:48.00 |
| 1989 | Dansil | Larry Snyder | Frank L. Brothers | 1:49.20 |
| 1988 | Proper Reality | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert E. Holthus | 1:48.40 |
| 1987 | Demons Begone | Pat Day | Philip Hauswald | 1:47.60 |
| 1986 | Rampage | Pat Day | Gary A. Thomas | 1:48.20 |
| 1985 | Tank's Prospect | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | 1:48.40 |
| 1984 | Althea | Pat Valenzuela | D. Wayne Lukas | 1:46.80 |
| 1983 | Sunny's Halo | Ed Delahoussaye | David C. Cross, Jr. | 1:49.40 |
| 1982 | Hostage | Jeffrey Fell | Willard C. Freeman | 1:51.60 |
| 1981 | Bold Ego | John Lively | Jack Van Berg | 1:50.40 |
| 1980 | Temperence Hill | Darrell Haire | Joseph B. Cantey | 1:50.60 |
| 1979 | Golden Act | Sandy Hawley | Loren Rettele | 1:50.00 |
| 1978 | Esops Foibles | Chris McCarron | Loren Rettele | 1:52.20 |
| 1977 | Clev Er Tell | Ray Broussard | Homer C. Pardue | 1:50.60 |
| 1976 | Elocutionist | John Lively | Paul T. Adwell | 1:49.20 |
| 1975 | Promised City | David E. Whited | Larry Spraker | 1:51.80 |
| 1974 | J.R.'s Pet | Darrel McHargue | Harold Tinker | 1:50.60 |
| 1973 | Impecunious | Jorge Velasquez | George R. Handy | 1:49.60 |
| 1972 | No Le Hace | Phil Rubbicco | Homer C. Pardue | 1:48.80 |
| 1971 | Twist The Axe | Garth Patterson | George T. Poole | 1:49.20 |
| 1970 | Herbalist | Jimmy Nichols | Roy J. Gillem | 1:50.20 |
| 1969 | Traffic Mark | Phil I. Grimm | Ronnie Warren | 1:50.60 |
| 1968 | Nodouble | William McKeever | J. Bert Sonnier | 1:50.00 |
| 1967 | Monitor | Jimmy Nichols | Harry Trotsek | 1:48.60 |
| 1966 | Better Sea | Johnny Sellers | Blaine Heap | 1:49.20 |
| 1965 | Swift Ruler | Larry Spraker | Gin L. Collins | 1:52.20 |
| 1964 | Prince Davelle | Charlie Burr | Doug M. Davis, Jr. | 1:51.40 |
| 1963 | Cosmic Tip | Robert Mundorf | E. Mahoney | 1:50.40 |
| 1962 | Areopolis | Robert L. Baird | Harold Tinker | 1:49.60 |
| 1961 | Light Talk | Robert Nono | Steve Ippolito | 1:50.20 |
| 1960 | Spring Broker | Eugene Curry | Marion Van Berg | 1:54.40 |
| 1960 | Persian Gold | John Combest | Monte D. Parke | 1:53.00 |
| 1959 | Al Davelle | Ronnie Baldwin | D. Howell | 1:48.80 |
| 1958 | Count Deblanc | Johnny Sellers | Charles C. Norman | 1:53.80 |
| 1957 | Kentucky Roman | John Delahoussaye | Norman A. McMaster | 1:49.60 |
| 1956 | Johns Chic | John L. Rotz | Logan Fischer | 1:51.20 |
| 1955 | Trim Destiny | L. C. Cook | Cecil Locklear | 1:49.60 |
| 1954 | Timely Tip | Howard Craig | Reid Armstrong | 1:49.80 |
| 1953 | Curragh King | John H. Adams | James Wallace | 1:49.60 |
| 1952 | Gushing Oil | Alfred Popara | Joe Jansen | 1:49.20 |
| 1951 | Ruhe | Job Dean Jessop | Robert McGarvey | 1:51.00 |
| 1950 | Big Ike | Harold Keene | Cecil Locklear | 1:52.00 |
| 1949 | Cacomo | Billie Fisk | A. Williams | 1:54.60 |
| 1948 | Fertile Lands | Paul Glidewell | Marian Barton | 1:51.00 |
| 1947 | Fleetridge | Arthur Craig | Roy J. Gillem | 1:51.40 |
| 1946 | Bob Murphy | Wendell Eads | Charles Sanborn | 1:51.80 |
| 1945 | NO RACE | |||
| 1944 | Challenge Me | Anthony Skoronski | Dan Cataldo | 1:50.20 |
| 1943 | Seven Hearts | John H. Adams | W. Graves Sparks | 1:52.20 |
| 1942 | With Regards | Johnny Longden | T. D. Grimes | 1:50.00 |
| 1941 | He Rolls | Preston Mills | Victor P. Noyes | 1:52.60 |
| 1940 | Super Chief | Jack Richard | Dave Womeldorff | 1:52.20 |
| 1939 | Ariel Toy | Lee Hardy | Hugh W. Jackson | 1:52.40 |
| 1938 | Tiger | Alfred Robertson | Robert McGarvey | 1:50.80 |
| 1937 | Eastport | Ray Hightshoe | E. Russell | 1:50.80 |
| 1936 | Holl Image | Herb Fisher | Jack Carter | 1:53.40 |