2019 Kentucky Derby odds: Las Vegas names new favorite

The odds makers at William Hill U.S. didn't wait for jockey Mike Smith’s decision to install a new 2019 Kentucky Derby favorite.

Exiting the Arkansas Derby, winner Omaha Beach plunged from 10-1 to 7-2, with William Hill essentially sending the message: We’re not ready to risk more on this son of War Front regardless of who's in the irons.

Before the final preps, the 2-year-old champion Game Winner and Maximum Security, winner of the Florida Derby, were 5-1 co-favorites. Since then, Game Winner has stuck at the price while Maximum Security raised to 9-1, making action on the former claimer a bit more valuable.

The next top choices include Smith's other possible mount, Roadster (6-1), Tacitus (8-1) and Improbable (8-1).

After the odds were releases, Smith made the decision to ride Omaha Beach, opening up the mount on Roadster for Florent Geroux.

Inside of three weeks until the first Saturday in May, War of Will remains an interesting proposition at 18-1. The two-time stakes winner at Fair Grounds suffered a mild injury at the start of the Louisiana Derby, finishing ninth, but returned Saturday to work a bullet from the gate. Where would he be listed with a Louisiana Derby victory?

If Country House could get his own gate issues squared away, 40-1 isn’t too low to consider a play, either, while the Sunland Derby winner Cutting Humor remains at 50-1 despite a record-setting performance in the New Mexico prep.

Sunland runner-up Anothertwistafate, however, didn’t exactly flatter Cutting Humor when he was defeated as a heavy favorite over the weekend in Keeneland’s Lexington Stakes. Signalman (50-1), Anothertwistafate (60-1), Bodexpress (75-1) and Sueno (100-1) are those still on the board who could use a defection — or three — to make the gate May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Below, a full look at William Hill’s Kentucky Derby odds, with the option to go full screen at the lower right.