2025 Louisiana Derby Preview & Picks
The Fair Grounds hosts its fourth and final qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby as (10) 3-year-olds are entered to race for the $1 million in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. The top five finishers in the race will receive points (100-50-25-15-10) to help them reserve a spot in the first jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
The Field & Morning line odds:
- John Hancock: 7-2
- Chunk of Gold: 8-1
- Tistastic: 8-1
- Yinzer: 12-1
- Caldera: 5-1
- Built: 4-1
- Vassimo: 12-1
- Furio: 12-1
- Instant Replay: 6-1
- Hypnus: 10-1
John Hancock, with only two lifetime races, is improving, and is tabbed as the Morning Line Favorite but Built and Caldera have the best (last race) numbers. Instant Replay started this year with a superb race––I feel he has big upside and I like the 6-1 price.
Here are my selections for the race:
Win & Place – Instant Replay
Exacta Key –
- Instant Replay with/ Built, Caldera & Chunk of Gold Built
- Caldera & Chunk of Gold with/ Instant Replay
2025 Fair Grounds Oaks Preview & Picks
The Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks for three-year-old fillies is run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt with a purse of $400,000. In 2009, one of the all-time great fillies, Rachel Alexandra, won this race and went on to be named Horse of the Year. A field of nine 3-year-old fillies is entered for the 1 1/16 mile race, which is the last stop on the local Road to the Kentucky Oaks and the first filly stop in the prep series to award 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers.
Good Cheer looks like a standout here and will be heavily bet at the windows. I’m playing a young lady who has only one start and it was a good one. She’ll stretch out here from 6 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles but I believe she can handle the distance. She is also trained by one of the best female trainers in the world, Cherie DeVaux. Oh, I forgot to mention her name, It’s Ahavah.
Win & Place – Ahavah
2025 Jeff Ruby Steaks Preview & Picks
The 1 1/8 miles Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park has been a Kentucky Derby qualifier since the points system began in 2013. It is one of eight races offering points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. Turfway installed a synthetic surface in 2015, utilizing a Polytrack surface before switching to Tapeta. It’s typical for horses who have grass breeding or shown ability on grass and/or synthetic surfaces to run in this race, pick up points and claim a Derby spot but trainers do tend to take a shot with independently dirt horses. This one looks to be wide open.
Exacta Box – Poster, Maximum Promise, Baby Max & Innovator
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Johnny Avello is an employee of DraftKings. Personal views on the races and strategies above do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in selecting their horses to wager upon. DraftKings employees may also deploy different strategies than what is recommended above. DraftKings employees do not have access to any non-public information.
