Six Tips To Help You Pick The Derby Winner

This year, two experts in the cocktail and handicapping fields have teamed up to create the perfect match.

King of Cocktails connoisseur, Dale DeGroff and Duke of Doubles professional handicapper, Tony Gold will convene before Derby weekend to talk bourbon, betting and breeding. Dale will demonstrate how to prepare classic mint juleps with Bulleit Bourbon while Tony gives some great handicapping tips and the best bets for Saturday’s big race.

We were able to snag Tony’s Top Six Derby Tips for picking the winning horse and thought we’d share this info prior to Saturday’s race.

Tony Gold’s Top Six Derby Tips

1. Peaking performance: The most important rule of all is to find the horse that will peak in the Derby meaning, look for horses who improved with each race with either a strong first, second or third finish after a long layoff, with more room to improve. You can eliminate half the field simply by doing this.
2. Age factor: If the horse is two years old and hasn’t raced, the chances of it winning are slim. These are not fully mature horses and getting to a mile and a quarter requires much conditioning.
3. Time comparison: Log resulting times from each horse’s last prep race with the rest of the board.
4. Prep race outcomes: Look at what prep races historically produce the most winners.
5. Jockey experience: Consider the jockey’s skill set from previous races. The derby is a large field and a good experienced jockey can position a horse well early and avoid trouble, which can make or a break a horse’s chances.
6. Tactical speed: A Derby winner will jump early and can be found somewhere from mid-field to the second or third place by halfway around the course.

Who’s your pick for this weekend’s race??