[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Major advertisers” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” module_id=”Major advertisers”]

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_post_title admin_label=”Post Title” title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”off” featured_placement=”below” parallax_effect=”on” parallax_method=”on” text_orientation=”center” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” text_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” module_bg_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0)” title_all_caps=”off” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text admin_label=”1st part of story” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

by Frank Vespe

The rains came. And came. And came.

Friday’s Kentucky Oaks day card at Churchill Downs was contested over a sloppy, sealed main track and a turf course listed as good.

Saturday looks like more of the same.

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”All advertisers” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”2nd part of story” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

The weather forecast for Louisville, as of 7:30 Saturday morning, calls for cool temperatures with a high in the low 60s and rain showers during the day. Chance of rain: 100 percent.

Are bettors already figuring that into their wagering? Hard to know — but if early wagering is an indicator, the final line may not look much like the morning line did.

While linemaker Mike Battaglia installed two-year-old champ Classic Empire as tepid 4-1 morning line favorite, bettors have thus far been decidedly cool to that horse. He was 7-1 in wagering as of 7:30 Saturday morning.

The favorite, at 9-2, was Always Dreaming, whom Battaglia had installed as the 5-1 co-second choice. Irish War Cry, 6-1 on the morning line, was 5-1 in early wagering. And McCraken, like Always Dreaming 5-1 on the morning line, had drifted up slightly to 6-1.

Irish War Cry, bred in New Jersey, is one of two Midlantic-breds in the field. The other, Pennsylvania-bred Fast and Accurate, was 33-1 in early action, down from a morning line of 50-1.

The biggest mover in the early wagering was Gunnevera, bet down to 9-1 off a 15-1 morning line. Full updated odds are below.

Handicapping help:

• Betting the Derby podcast with Derby Bill Watson, Nick Hahn, and Linda Dougherty
• GQ: Kentucky Derby horse-by-horse
• Nick’s Picks for Kentucky Derby weekend

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3rd part of story” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

KENTUCKY DERBY POST POSITIONS AND ODDS

1. Lookin at Lee — 25-1
2. Thunder Snow — 17-1
3. Fast and Accurate — 33-1
4. Untrapped — 59-1
5. Always Dreaming — 9-2
6. State of Honor — 47-1
7. Girvin — 21-1
8. Hence — 17-1
9. Irap — 36-1
10. Gunnevera — 9-1
11. Battle of Midway — 39-1
12. Sonneteer — 36-1
13. J Boys Echo — 43-1
14. Classic Empire — 7-1
15. McCraken — 6-1
16. Tapwrit — 29-1
17. Irish War Cry — 5-1
18. Gormley — 24-1
19. Practical Joke — 32-1
20. Patch — 13-1

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Minor advertisers” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]