How Postponement Affects Kentucky Derby Field

The last time the Kentucky Derby wasn’t held on the first Saturday in May was in 1945. How will the delay affect the field in 2020?

Arguably my favorite Saturday of the year, when the world is treated to the tradition known as “Fastest Two Minutes in Sports,” has become the latest victim of the coronavirus pandemic. For the first time in 75 years, the Kentucky Derby, which often draws a crowd gathering of more than 150,000 people, will not be a part of the first Saturday in May. Amid growing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Churchill Downs has decided to postpone the 146th running of the iconic American sporting event from May 2 to September 5.

"Throughout the rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic, our first priority has been how to best protect the safety and health of our guests, team members and community," Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a statement on Tuesday.

The first Run for the Roses was held in 1875 and has become an annual festival held on the first Saturday in May. The last time the Kentucky Derby wasn’t held on the first Saturday in May was in 1945, when the government issued a ban on horse racing due to World War II. The ban was later lifted on V-E Day (May 8), and the Derby was eventually run on June 9. The only other year in history the Derby wasn’t held in May was in 1901, when it was conducted on April 29.

"As the situation evolved, we reached the difficult conclusion that we needed to reschedule. At no point did we ever consider canceling the Kentucky Derby," Carstanjen said.

The Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the illustrious Triple Crown, is the latest major sporting event to be postponed or canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, joining NCAA basketball tournaments, the Masters golf tournament, the MLB, NBA, NHL and UFC.

For those who want to look ahead, here are the latest odds for some hopefuls when the race is run several months now:

Kentucky Derby Future Odds

The top contenders on my early list are Authentic, winner of the San Felipe, King Guillermo, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, Nadal, winner of the Rebel Stakes, Ete Indien, winner of the Fountain of Youth and Mischevious Alex, winner of the Gotham Stakes. In addition, we could have another Justify on our hands in Bob Baffert’s inexperienced three-year-old Charlatan.

What a machine this could be!
Charlatan - super impressive again at @santaanitapark on Saturday night for @DraydenV and Bob Baffert! pic.twitter.com/Ufr2dcXIlm

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 15, 2020

With the Kentucky Derby now being postponed several months, it could very well give the most untapped talent (2-2 in his career) of the group more time to develop. In fact, Baffert has three of my top horses in Authentic, Nadal and Charlatan.

A lot can change between now and September 5, but I actually think the extra time off may enable a star in the making to gain more experience and join the discussion of top contenders with Authentic and Nadal.

As of now, those are the top three, but I am so intrigued about what the extra months will do to the Derby trail. Until then, we also will hopefully get to see more of Tiz the Law, Maxfield, Gouverneur Morris and Enforceable.

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