Last-minute news and notes for Kentucky Derby bettors
Tiz the Law winning the Florida Derby (G1). (Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photography)
September 5th, 2020
Kentucky Derby day is officially here! And while this year's running is unlike any we have witnessed in the past, there is no lack of enthusiasm surrounding this first Saturday in September.
Set to go off at 7:01 p.m. ET at Churchill Downs, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will feature Barclay Tagg-trained Tiz the Law, the favorite and winner of the Belmont S. (G1), run at 1 1/8 mile, back in June.
The 3-year-old bay colt is expected to cruise to a victory at Churchill Downs, despite drawing post 17, from which no horse has won the Derby.
Before Tiz the Law takes his shot at the fastest two minutes in sports, Churchill Downs will host 13 races — including the Pat Day Mile (G2) and Derby City Distaff (G1) — throughout the day.
Read below for the last-minute news and notes surrounding Derby Day, from the weather to late scratches, and more.
It's the best day of the year! Happy Kentucky Derby Day to all of our followers. What's your best bet today? #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/ZIWckbuxny
— TwinSpires Sportsbook 💵 (@TS_Sportsbook) September 5, 2020
Last-minute Kentucky Derby scratches
On Tuesday, eighteen horses entered the Kentucky Derby, after Art Collector surprisingly scratched the morning of the post-position draw.
On Thursday and Friday, two more horses dropped out of the race.
On Sept. 3, trainer Juan Carlos Avila announced that King Guillermo (post 6) had developed a fever and would miss the Derby. The colt is owned by former Major League Baseball player Victor Martinez, who races under the stable name Victoria's Ranch.
Unfortunately we will not be running this Saturday at the KD, a fever yesterday afternoon took us away from this great dream, first it is the health of our King Guillermo, who will be ready to show that he is one of the best in the country sooner rather than later,
— JUAN C.AVILA (@JCAvila63) September 3, 2020
The following day, the Derby field shrunk to 16, when Finnick the Fierce (post 1) scratched because of a foot issue. The morning line odds for the one-eyed horse were set at 50-1.
Max Player (30-1 ML) will now break from the inside position, and posts 1, 18, 19, and 20 will be left vacant.
#KyDerby Field Update: Finnick the Fierce has scratched
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) September 4, 2020
from Saturday's Kentucky Derby. pic.twitter.com/WoXmJ7fr7z
Kentucky Derby race day weather
As of mid-morning, the forecast for race time is 79 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, with 0% chance of rain.
Yesterday's Kentucky Oaks saw similarly spectacular weather. On a fast track, longshot Shedaresthedevil (20-1 ML) upset Gamine (1-1) and Swiss Skydiver (8-5) to finish first in a time of 1:48.28. The Brad Cox trainee set a new record for the 1 1/8-mile race.
Back in 2001, Monarchos' claimed the Kentucky Derby in the second-fastest winning time on a track that played fast the entire day. The weather on that first Saturday in May was partly sunny with 0% precipitation. Monarchos' time of 1:59.97 fell just short of Secretariat's record winning time of 1:59.40.
Secretariat also ran on a fast track on a partly cloudy afternoon with 0% precipitation.
Tiz the Law has won all but one of his seven starts in his career. His lone loss occurred the only other time he raced at Churchill Downs, where he finished third on a muddy track.
On a fast track, Tiz the Law is undefeated.
#7 Shedaresthedevil decisively upsets at 15-1 in the #KyOaks with @flothejock up for @bradcoxracing pic.twitter.com/dZhiKoo1Ui
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) September 4, 2020
How to watch the Kentucky Derby
Tune in to pre-race coverage on Fox Sports 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, then head to NBC from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. for full Kentucky Derby coverage.
You can also follow @KentuckyDerby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for a look inside Derby Day festivities, and head to @BetAmerica for live race updates.
Tiz the Law continues his pursuit of the Triple Crown today on @NBCSports.
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) September 5, 2020
Coverage begins at 2:30pm EDT. pic.twitter.com/qNseIRcODA
Fastest pre-Derby workouts
#2 Max Player may be a longshot at 30-1, but he has shown promise while working out at Churchill Downs' track. On Aug. 28, he posted a sharp five-furlong workout in just under one minute. That came just weeks after he finished third, behind Tiz the Law, in the Travers (G1) at Saratoga.
#Thousand Words, trained by Bob Baffert, also hit the sub-one-minute mark on a five-furlong workout on Aug. 29, although he ran at Del Mar, as opposed to Churchill Downs. The colt also faced fairly weak company in the workout.
#15 Ny Traffic posted his last official workout at Saratoga. He ran five furlongs in 59.45 on Aug. 28 and looked strong at the finish.
#17 Tiz the Law has shown excellent speed in his work at Saratoga ahead of the Derby. It's difficult to find any flaw in this colt's running style.
Derby betting resources
You may feel confident Tiz the Law will capture the garland of roses, but a winning bet on the horse won't bank you as much money as some of the other competitors in the field.
Check out these sources on betting the Kentucky Derby and boosting your payout:
How to bet the 2020 Kentucky Derby for a large payoff
Budget-friendly ways to bet the Kentucky Derby favorite
Can a deep closer win the Kentucky Derby?
Bet the 2020 Kentucky Derby at BetAmerica!
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