Kentucky Derby: Can Any Horse Break Tiz The Law?

Feature Image: Tiz The Law is the 4-5 favourite to win the Kentucky Derby. Photo by: @BarstoolSports (Twitter.com).

Just when people thought nothing could be wilder than the finish of the 2019 Kentucky Derby, the COVID-19 pandemic figuratively said, “Hold my beer.”

The ending of the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby saw Maximum Security cross the finish line first, just ahead of longshot Country House. However, a steward’s inquiry followed and it was determined by the judges that Maximum Security caused War Of Will and Long Range Teddy to check up when he swerved into their path, costing them places in the race.

Maximum Security was taken down and Country House awarded the victory.

Crazy stuff, huh? Hang on to your hats. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

This year, in a Triple Crown first, the Belmont Stakes beat the Derby to the finish line.

In a sense, the Kentucky Derby was taken down, even though it was the race that was fouled by the novel coronavirus. Held every year on the first Saturday in the month of May, the pandemic lockdown forced postponement of the Run For The Roses until Sept. 5th.

The Preakness Stakes, normally the second jewel of the Triple Crown, was also postponed. It’s now going to be the third leg, run on Oct, 3rd. The Belmont, normally the final test of the three races, opened the competition on June 20th.

Tiz The Law won the Belmont in fine style and is also favored to take the victory on Derby Day.

Are there any horses out there capable of taking the measure of Tiz The Law in the Kentucky Derby? Let’s take a look at the current Kentucky Derby odds on a few of this year’s top contenders.

Tiz the Law (4/5)

The Barclay Tagg trainee followed up his solid Belmont performance with a dominant victory in the Travers Stakes. The Travers was run at its usual distance of 1¼ miles, the same distance that the horses will cover in the Derby at Churchill Downs.

Tiz The Law is now four-for-four in 2020 with wins in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, the Grade 1 Florida Derby, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, and now the Grade 1 Travers. And there was never a doubt that he’d be the winner in any of those victories. His stunning 109 Beyer Speed Rating is far and away the best among the three-year-old group this year.

Tagg sent out Derby winner Funny Cide in 2003. No horse has gone off as the odds-on favorite in the Kentucky Derby since Arazi in 1992. Tiz The Law could bring that streak to an end on Sept. 5th.

Art Collector (6/1)

Had the Derby been contested as normal in early May, Art Collector wouldn’t have been a factor in the race. The son of Bernardini made his racing debut two weeks following the original Derby date.

Art Collector shows four wins this year, with signature victories in the Ellis Park Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. The horse is assigned a Beyer Speed Rating of 103.

He’ll definitely be the hometown favorite on Derby Day. Trainer Tommy Drury, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., and owner/breeder Bruce Lunsford all have connections to Louisville.

Honor A.P. (7/1)

In five career starts, Honor A.P. has never finished worse than second. He won the Santa Anita Derby. His Beyer Speed Rating of 102 puts him right up among the top of the group amidst this year’s three-year-old class.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has been in the saddle for all five of Honor A.P.’s starts this year. Smith rode Justify to the 2018 Triple Crown and was also up for Giacomo’s 2005 Kentucky Derby triumph.

Authentic (9/1)

A trainee of Bob Baffert, who’s won five Derbys, one shy of the race record, the only question that Authentic must answer is whether he’s got the stamina to go the extra eighth of a mile in the Derby.

He’s won four of five starts, finishing second to Honor A.P. in the Santa Anita Derby. His signature win was in the Haskell. Smith was up his last start but Drayden Van Dyke was Authentic’s jockey in his other four trips into the starting gate.