HORSE RACING

Crown Pride's Kentucky Derby Odds Make Him a Great Pick

Jay Ginsbach  —  @FairwayJay May 4th, 2022
The 2022 Kentucky Derby is May 7th, and 20 of the top 3-year-olds will Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. Which horses should you bet on at TVG?

The 2022 Kentucky Derby is on May 7th with post time at 6:57 p.m. ET. Using TVG projections and Horse Racing Nation as a guide, here are the horse profiles for America’s biggest and most popular race.

New players, get your first win-type wager on a single horse in any race at any track risk-free for up to $200 with TVG: Bet the Derby!

As always, check the program for racing information after the post position draw on May 2nd, and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure and BRIS and Beyer speed figures, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for the track, distances, and conditions.)

#7 Crown Pride

Morning Line Odds: 20/1
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Trained by Koichi Shintani and ridden by jockey Christophe Lemaire, Crown Pride was installed at 20/1 on the morning line odds breaking from post No. 7. Crown Pride makes his U.S. debut in the Derby after winning the UAE Derby at Meydan Race Course in Dubai. He won that race in one of the slowest times in recent history. That doesn't bode well for Crown Pride since no horse exiting the UAE Derby has ever won or had an impact in the Kentucky Derby.

Crown Pride is the fourth horse from Japan to enter the Kentucky Derby. Japan-based horses have increasingly made an impact on the international racing scene as of late, and Crown Pride has had no issues going 9 furlongs or more in his last three races. He's also been training well in his five workouts at Churchill Downs over the past month.

Crown Pride is expected to be among the pace pressers in the Derby, but it will be much faster than any pace he has tracked in his prior races. That could result in Crown Pride tapping out that energy reserve before they turn for home. He'll fare better if his first-time jockey reserves the horse's energy and sits mid-pack.

Crown Pride does not have any Beyer Speed Figures or BRIS Pace and Speed Ratings available. He'll get overlooked but will be capable of outrunning his long odds.