Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby (G1) five times and the Triple Crown in two of the last four years. Baffert is locked and loaded again this year. Here’s a look at the Roadster odds for the Run for the Roses.
Game Winner has spent the past four months as the betting favorite for the Run for the Roses after his win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) last November. Meanwhile, Improbable has been heavily bet as well. Now, Baffert brings another top contender into the mix with Roadster.
Roadster actually showed a ton of potential as a juvenile. Baffert said last summer that the colt was one of his top prospects.
The colt broke his maiden in his debut last July at Del Mar by 4.25 lengths. Then, he came back to run third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1), but was beaten two lengths for the top spot by his stablemate Game Winner.
While Game Winner went on to win the American Pharoah (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Roadster was sidelined with throat surgery.
Roadster Odds: A Winner in March Three-Year-Old Debut
Roadster made his three-year-old debut on March 1 against first level optional claimers. He won easily by 2.5 lengths, setting him up nicely for the Santa Anita Derby (G1). There, he would need a top two finish to guarantee a trip to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby.
The colt was sent off as the second choice behind heavily backed Game Winner. But he got the best of his stablemate by a half-length.
“Roadster is a light horse, but always shown brilliance from day one,” Baffert said after the victory on Saturday. “We’re just lucky we were able to bring him back, because after Del Mar I was worried that maybe the (throat) surgery didn’t go well, because it could’ve gone worse.”
“But I couldn’t thank the surgeon that did it enough. He’s one of the best in the business and I’ve never had issues with it. His breathing is not an issue,” Baffert added. “Today he passed the test to know he’s good enough to go to the Big Show.”
Roadster Odds: Bet Down to Kentucky Derby Favorite
His early price on the Kentucky Derby odds went from +2000 on April 1 to sharing the favorite role with Game Winner and Improbable at +700 shortly after the race and now he has been bet down to the favorite at +500.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith may have a tough decision to make. He has ridden Roadster in all four of his career starts. But Smith also has the call on Omaha Beach, who is currently fifth on the Kentucky Derby odds at +1200.
The colt goes in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby (G1). He won one of the divisions of the Rebel (G2) in his last outing on March 16. He defeated Game Winner by a nose.
Another strong effort and Smith will have to make a tough call on which colt he wants to be aboard for the Run for the Roses.