NBCS
It is raining at the Kentucky Derby.
- It is expected to rain all day at Churchill Downs leading up to the Kentucky Derby.
- The track could be muddy and as a result gamblers have started betting heavily on My Boy Jack, dropping him from 20/1 to 5/1 and the second favorite.
- My Boy Jack is one horse with a proven track record on the mud having won the Southwest Stakes pulling away.
One horse in the Kentucky Derby already made a surprising move on race day at Churchill Downs, hours before the race was set to begin.
In the 24 hours leading up to the Kentucky Derby, gamblers have started betting heavily on My Boy Jack and his odds have fallen from a 20/1 longshot all the way to 5/1. He is now the second favorite behind Justify.
The reason for the sudden influx of money on My Boy Jack is the weather. It is expected to rain all day at Churchill Downs and My Boy Jack is one horse with a proven record on a muddy track having won the Southwest Stakes easily after pulling away on the homestretch.
According to Bob Ehalt of America's Best Racing, the Southwest Stakes was the only graded 3-year-old stakes race that had a Kentucky Derby starter and was run on mud, and My Boy Jack won easily.
Ehalt does note that other horses in the Derby do have experience on a wet track, including race favorite Justify, who won an allowance race at Santa Anita in March. Flameaway and Firenze Fire are the only horses with more than one start in the mud.
While the rain is not heavy yet, it is consistent and could lead to another muddy track.
NBCS
More Kentucky Derby coverage:
- A beginner's guide to betting the biggest horse race of the year
- Everything you need to know about the 20 horses racing in the 'Run for the Roses'
- Post positions and odds for the first race of the Triple Crown
- 5 contenders that can win at Churchill Downs this weekend