Piedmont’s racehorse trainer Donnie Von Hemel is at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas today. He does not have a horse in the Kentucky Derby.
Hemel did in 2016. This year, he said the favorite in the Derby is a good bet, even if it is not much fun to pick the favorite. Essential Quality looks hard to run down, even with a challenger like Rock Your World who may be on his hooves for a spell but lacks the experience in the Derby at at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky, post time 5:57 p.m. today, Von Hemel said.
“Essential Quality has the resume and the experience today,” Von Hemel said.
Von Hemel spoke during a morning break while getting ready for his own horses in races six and eight at Oaklawn Park Saturday.
Von Hemel, 59, had a fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby with Suddenbreakingnews in 2016.
This year, a horse he trained, Junesandra, is in the sixth race at Oaklawn and Sound the Charge is in the eighth race.
As for the Derby, he said he thinks favorites are more likely to win these days, although longshots have been known to steal the headlines and pay much better for bettors. The $3 million race is a mile and quarter, and Essential Quality should outlast the field, he said.
Two other horses to look are in the 17th, Highly Motivated and 18th, Super Stock, positions in the 20-horse race. Von Hemel said there are advantages to being in the outside or inside post positions. He said there is space for the 17 and 18 horse to have a good trip.
Highly Motivated finished second to Essential Quality in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland April 3. Super Stock won the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn and drew the 18th position.
Known Agenda, in wearing the #1 today in the Derby, won the Florida Derby and morning odds dropped to 6 to 1.
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