Top Kentucky Derby Contenders from BetThoroughbreds

Top Kentucky Derby Contenders are on everyones mind as we are about 2 months shy of the most exciting two minutes in sports! So it’s time to check out the Top Kentucky Derby Contenders!! Bet Thoroughbreds has put together our Top 3 Contenders as of March 7! Check it out below!

Top Kentucky Derby Contenders

1. McCraken – I really like this horse, and I think he is a top Kentucky Derby Contender. He is McCraken wins Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3)unbeaten in four starts and looks better and better with every start. He is a son of Ghostzapper so you know he has tactical speed and endurance. Ridden by Brain Hernandez Jr, he won the Sam F Davis stakes with a come from behind rally. This is what I want in a Top Kentucky Derby Contender, I want him to come from behind the pack. Too much happens in the beginning of the Derby, you need a horse to slingshot from behind, so McCraken is my man! McCraken has a small injury that Trainer Ian Wilkes considers “minor” and his next start will be the April 8 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

2. Gunnevera (pictured above)- Gunnevera is my second choice because I can’t resist the bargain here. Lots of bang for your buck with this top Kentucky Derby contender. He reminds me of Real Quiet, because Gunnervera was purchased as a yearling for a mere $16,000 while other top prospects like Classic Empire went for $475,000. Real Quiet who won the ’98 Derby and Preakness and missed the Belmont by a nose went for $17,000 and they called him “The Fish.” Gunnevera is raking up the race and has been two for his last three, and that third race was a 2nd place finish. He has raced 7 times, which is impressive in this day in age, and has a solid pedigree on both sides. And like McCraken, he has a devastating closing kick.

3. One Liner – His win in the Southwest Stakes earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 102, the highest of all campaigning 3 years olds. The only question with this top Kentucky Derby contender is taking to the distance of the race. We all know you need the endurance but as we also know, you need the speed to close fast, which this horse showed he had in the Southwest Stakes. He needs to finish well in his next start to earn enough points to get into the Derby.