Kentucky Derby Betting: Cairo Prince Making Noise

Here’s some news and notes from the world of Kentucky Derby betting news.

Keep an Eye on Cairo Prince

A second-place finish was almost worth a win for Cairo Prince.

Owned by Namcook Stables and trained by Kiaran P. McLaughlin, Cairo Prince made major waves recently by finishing as the runner-up to Derby hotshot Honor Code at the $400,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.

The horse had gained some notoriety with an early-season victory at Nashua, but onlookers were interested to see how he’d fare at Remsen, a quality race filled with good competition. Cairo Price and Honor Code managed to establish themselves as the class of the field, however, rendering the Stakes a two-horse race as the remainder of the eight-horse field trotted behind, never contending.

The reason for all the excitement around Cairo Prince comes down to consistency. This was the third race of his career and he’s showed well in all three – in fact, Remsen could actually be seen as a disappointment, given the fact it’s the first race Cairo Prince has failed to win this season.

Even Honor Code’s trainer, Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, tipped his cap to the runner up. “I think the horse in second is a nice horse,” McGaughey said.

With the result, Cairo Prince’s early online horse odds were dropped to 20-1 for the 2014 Kentucky Derby.

Tapiture Running Strong

Another two-year-old worth monitoring for Kentucky Derby betting is Tapiture, who took care of Laddie Boy down the stretch of the $175,200 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

There’s always some extra juice regarding races run at Churchill, the site of the 2014 Kentucky Derby. As such, many were impressed at how well Tapiture ran. He trailed Laddie Boy for a good stretch of the race but turned it on over the final six furlongs, finishing the race in 1:43.51 – an impressive time, even though it was on a fast track.

The win also represented a big points boost for Tapiture in the Derby standings, an important statistic to monitor when it comes time to bet on Kentucky Derby. He received 10 for the victory, giving him 12 total after a third place finish in the Iroquois.

For those wanting to monitor Tapiture moving forward, be sure to pay attention to him this winter, as he’ll be racking at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans to further his shot of qualifying for the Derby. Should he fair well there, it’s expected his odds for the Derby will drop, possibly into the range we’re seeing for the likes of Honor Code and Cairo Prince.

Points Leaderboard Update

Since we just finished discussing Tapiture’s 10-point gain at Churchill, let’s take a look at where the ponies sit as the winter months come creeping in:

— With his win at Remsen, Honor Code is now tied with Havana atop the leaderboard with 14 points.

— Tapiture sits right behind with 12, followed by Bond Holder (11), New Year’s Day (10), Rise Up (10), We Miss Artie (10), Ami’s Holiday (10) and Cleburne (10).

— Cairo Prince sits tied on points with Dance With Fate, Smarty’s Echo, Laddie Boy, Smart Cover and Big Bazinga.

About Tennessee Leduc

Born in Summersville Kentucky, Tennessee is an impassioned fan of horse racing, women, civilized debauchery, and... mint juleps. He writes, he reads, he listens, but above all he experiences the world he lives in.

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