Churchill Downs will be the site of the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. After the COVID-19 pandemic and various controversies have affected the Run for the Roses the past three years, the 2022 Kentucky Derby is shaping up to be a competitive, exciting run. Six 2022 Kentucky Derby horses are listed at 12-1 or lower in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds. Eight of the Kentucky Derby contenders piled up at least 100 points during the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Zandon, who will break from post No. 10, is the 3-1 favorite in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds. Epicenter (7-2) is coming out of the No. 3 post, while Messier (8-1) will be between them at No. 6. The 2022 Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. With the Kentucky Derby 2022 featuring the largest field in North American racing, you’ll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Kentucky Derby picks.
Few people in racing are as connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
She also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1.
Since joining SportsLine in November, her picks have cashed in six of 12 races, including the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Anyone who has followed her is way up.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds, made her picks and constructed her bets. Click here to see them.
Top 2022 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Yu is tossing Messier, even though he is one of the top 2022 Kentucky Derby favorites at 8-1. In fact, Yu says Messier barely cracks the top 10. Named after former NHL great Mark Messier, the equine Messier has three wins and three seconds in six career starts. In his last race, he finished second to Taiba in the Santa Anita Derby despite having every chance to hold him off.
Messier has lost twice as a heavy favorite and Yu does not trust him at a relatively short price in the Kentucky Derby 2022. “Messier comes into the Derby with a good record but is neither great nor infallible,” she told SportsLine.
Instead, Yu is high on Cyberknife, even though he is a 20-1 long shot. The Brad Cox-trained colt will break from post No. 16, a position that has produced four winners. Yu was especially impressed with his win at the Arkansas Derby, where he held off Barber Road and Secret Oath as he covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.42.
It was Cyberknife’s third win in a four-race span, and they all came at least 1 1/16 miles, so the 2022 Kentucky Derby distance shouldn’t be a problem on Saturday. Yu notes that Cyberknife’s workouts have looked strong at Churchill Downs and the horse’s demeanor appears to be improving. “We knew the talent was there,” Yu told SportsLine. “We just needed the brain to catch up, and it seems that is happening at the right time.”
How to make 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Yu’s top pick is an overlooked horse who has the “speed to press and has top connections.” Yu is also high on an enormous long shot who is her “must-use-in-exotics horse.” She said this colt “has shown race after race that he belongs in the Kentucky Derby.” She is including these horses in her 2022 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2022 Kentucky Derby? Which enormous long shot is a must-back? Check out the Kentucky Derby odds 2022 below, then visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who nailed last year’s winner on Derby Day.
