The Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby continues this Saturday at Oaklawn Park, where 10 horses looking to compete in the Run for the Roses will take to the track in the 88th Arkansas Derby in search of points to get to the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
The last of four Derby points races at Oaklawn, the maximum are on offer with 100 points and basically a guaranteed starting gate for the winner. 50 points go to place, 25 to show, 15 points for fourth and 10 for fifth.
Five-time Arkansas Derby winner Bob Baffert once again brings the favorite in Muth, who hit the morning line as the 8/5 chalk. This will be the colt’s first start outside of Baffert’s base in Southern California, where he has won three of five starts including the Grade II San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in January, and the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes for juveniles at the same track last October.
The winner of the Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on February 24 is back, as Timberlake is the second choice at 9/5. The Brad Cox trainee has won three of six times in the starting gate, including two of his last three featuring Equibase numbers over 105. With the 2019 Kentucky Derby winning jockey Flavien Prat aboard, we might see a duel between the chalk down the stretch.
As she often does, the Arkansas Derby might make a for a great preview of what we’ll see at the Run for the Roses in five weeks.
How to watch 2024 Arkansas Derby
Date: Saturday, March 30
Post time: 7:47 p.m.
TV channel: FS2
Live stream: foxsports.com/live, Fox Sports app
2024 Arkansas Derby Field
| Post Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line Odds |
| 1 | Will Take It | Eddie Milligan | Francisco Arrieta | 50/1 |
| 2 | Timberlake | Brad H. Cox | Flavien Prat | 9/5 |
| 3 | Dimatic | Steven M. Asmussen | Cristian A. Torres | 20/1 |
| 4 | Time for Truth | Ron Moquett | Rafael Bejarano | 20/1 |
| 5 | Liberal Arts | Robert Medina | Tyler Gaffalione | 15/1 |
| 6 | Informed Patriot | Steven M. Asmussen | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 30/1 |
| 7 | Muth | Bob Baffert | Juan J. Hernandez | 8/5 |
| 8 | Just Steel | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith J. Asmussen | 15/1 |
| 9 | Mystik Dan | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. | 5/2 |
| 10 | Imperial Gun | Steven M. Asmussen | Emmanuel Esquivel | 30/1 |
