Following Monday's post position draw, Zandon emerged as the 3-1 favorite in the odds. His team, including trainer Chad Brown, owner Jeff Drown and jockey Flavien Prat, have to be pleased with Zandon's No. 10 gate draw; it has produced the second-most winners all-time after No. 5.
The dark bay colt has four career starts and two wins for $713,000 in career earnings. Prat rode Country House to a second-place finish in the 2019 Derby, but the pair was elevated to first after after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference.
At 7-2, Epicenter is the colt next favored to emerge victorious in the Derby.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, North America's all-time winningest trainer, Epicenter has four wins in six starts, one of the most impressive resumes of this year's field.
Drawing gate No. 3 is less than ideal for the bay colt, however; horses running from that position have finished in the money (first, second or third) 19 times and have won five times, but Epicenter and jockey Joel Rosario will have to work not to get blocked early on.
If he's anything like his namesake, hockey's Mark Messier, this three-year-old will improve on his 8-1 odds and fight for the win.
The bay colt has finished in the exacta in all six of his career starts, winning three. However, he gave up a late lead in the Santa Anita Derby, which Kentucky Derby bettors will remember.
Formerly trained by Bob Baffert, Messier was switched to Tim Yakteen and will be ridden by John Velazquez.
