Arkansas Derby

When the gate open American Pharoah will be a heavy favorite to pull off the Rebel/Arkansas Derby double and stamp himself as the one to beat in 2 weeks time at Churchill Downs in the run for the roses.Coming off an impressive score last month by close to 7th lengths in the Rebel, the pool one derby favorite Returns Saturday afternoon for Team Baffert in his second start in 2015

The Rebel marked the season debut for the Bob Baffert trainee who, with a strong performance, could go favored in the Kentucky Derby (G1) three weeks from Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby is the final prep in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series which awards 100 qualifying points to the winner.
American Pharoah wound up missing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) due to a suspension injury but was voted the nation’s best two-year-old colt off superb wins in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner (G1),

Coming into this race the opposition in the Arkansas Derby is a tad deeper than the Rebel, but American Pharoah is still expected to be an overwhelming odds-on choice Saturday and will be difficult to overtake with few apparent rivals for early supremacy. Victor Espinoza retains the mount.

Expected runner in the Arkansas Derby

Made From Lucky-Who was a solid second in his debut in The Rebel.

Bold Conquest- Places third in the Rebel

The Truth Or Else- Was fourth in the Rebel but has yet to win a graded event.

Far Right- Skipped the Rebel but was a winner in the $150,000 Smarty Jones and Southwest (G3)early in the season.

Mr. Z- Has placed in 7 graded stakes events and might be the spoiler to American Pharoah,but this colt hasn’t proved he can win a graded event.

Bridget’s Big Luvy- A winner in the $100,000 Private Terms at Laurel but the competition there was nothing compared to what he will face this afternoon.

The 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby is the final prep in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series which awards 100 qualifying points to the winner.
and we have a feeling those 100 points will be handed over to odds on choice American Pharoah when it’s all said and done.

The field, from the rail out, with riders and odds:

The Truth Or Else (Calvin Borel, 15-1)
Mr. Z (Ramon Vazquez, 10-1)
Bridget’s Big Luvy (Angel Cruz, 20-1)
Madefromlucky (John Velazquez, 6-1)
Bold Conquest (Ricardo Santana Jr., 20-1)
American Pharoah (Espinoza, 1-2)
Far Right (Smith, 9-2),
Win The Space (Kent Desormeaux, 30-1)