Kentucky Derby 2025 trail: Draw, odds for Arkansas Derby
Cornucopian, the $1.1 million colt who won his debut for trainer Bob Baffert last month by 5 3/4 lengths, drew the outside post Sunday and was declared the 7-5 morning-line favorite for next weekend’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.
Joking about his fate at draws, Baffert said, “Usually they put me in the 1, and then they draw the race.”
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Nine 3-year-olds, all with Oaklawn experience, were drawn into the 1 1/8-mile race that definitely will send the winner and almost certainly will add the second-place finisher to Kentucky Derby 2025.
An Into Mischief colt owned by the big partnership led by SF Racing, Cornucopian led from gate to wire going six furlongs at Oaklawn on Feb. 23. His effort was rewarded with a 101 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.
“It’s a mile-and-an-eighth. He’s got a big run,” Baffert said. “He’s shipped. He ran well. It’s asking a lot, but he’s doing well. He’s been working well. He’s a very talented horse.”
After Irad Ortiz Jr. had the mount last month, John Velázquez will take the reins next weekend.
Baffert, who won with Muth in 2024, and fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who did not enter this year, share the Arkansas Derby record with five training victories apiece.
Five horses who competed in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel (G2) on the same card as Cornucopian’s maiden race will have a rematch Saturday. That day’s winner Coal Battle was made 7-2 in the program, third-place Sandman 3-1, fourth-place Publisher 6-1, eighth-place Brereton’s Baytown 30-1 and 10th-place Speed King 15-1.
Monet’s Magic, who finished fifth in the Southwest (G3) going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn on Jan. 25, is 20-1 on the Arkansas Derby morning line.
Bestfriend Rocket and First Division, who finished one-two in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race March 2 over the same track, were installed as 20-1 long shots.
“There’s some nice horses in there,” Baffert said with an eye toward five-time winner Coal Battle. “He likes to win, and he’s got a lot of Ws by his name. That’s a big deal. I was pretty impressed with the way he won last time.”
The Arkansas Derby is the 13th of 14 races Saturday with a scheduled post time of 7:48 p.m. EDT.
Baffert said he still was aiming Eclipse Award winner Citizen Bull toward the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 5. Otherwise he did not have final plans for his other 3-year-old colts including Barnes, who probably needs a top-three finish in his final prep to make the Kentucky Derby.
“I run to win the race,” Baffert said. “I’m not thinking about the points. The points come with the wins, right? I’m running these races trying to win them.”