The top three-year old colts in the world will all ultimately come together at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May for the Kentucky Derby. Golden Gate Fields hasn't produced many runners in the Derby over the years, but the winner of the California Derby is at least going to have a shot to move on to Santa Anita to run against some of the top three-year ponies out there.
You can find horse racing odds at BookMaker.eu at the online racebook.
ODDS ANALYSIS
1: He's a Tiger 12/1
2: Mana Strike 4/1
3: Allaboutaction 5/2
4: Algenon 8/1
5: Go Long 20/1
6: Frank Conversation 2/1
7: Canada 6/1
8: Marqula 10/1
Allaboutaction and Frank Conversation are the two ponies who really could end up being Kentucky Derby qualifiers when push comes to shove. They're the favorites at one of the premier races at Golden Gate Fields, and we would fully expect to see either of these two head to Santa Anita if they won this race at 5 to 2 and 2 to 1 respectively.
Mana Strike, Canada and Algenon are the next in line, while Marqula, He's a Tiger and Go Long are the longshots on the board.
FAVORITE TO FOLLOW
This is a big race for Frank Conversation. A trainer like Doug O'Neill doesn't come to a place with Golden Gate Fields without having a reason for it, and his reason is because he believes Frank Conversation can make the Kentucky Derby field.
Here we have a colt who probably has his last chance to impress on the dirt. He's had success on turf, but in his two dirt races, he finished eighth in his maiden effort and fifth at the Los Alamitos Futurity. Granted, the Los Alamitos was a Grade 1 race against some really stiff competition, but that's why O'Neill really needs to see a successful run here.
We know that Frank Conversation is going to get out to the head of the pack in this one, though he'll have some competition he'll have to beat two to the prime spots in Go Long and He's a Tiger.
UNDERDOG TO WATCH
There aren't a lot of designed stalkers in this field, but the appropriately named Mana Strike is one of them. A price of 4 to 1 isn't fantastic, but it's notable in a field this short.
Mana Strike put on a huge surge at the end of the Gold Rush Stakes in December here at Golden Gate Fields to beat out Algenon and Marqula. He'll have to run up against some tougher competition here at the California Derby, but if he puts on a show like that one, he'll be tough to hold off, particularly if the starters tire themselves out early on.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We haven't discussed Allaboutaction yet, but we think he's in for a tough time here on Saturday as a co-favorite or thereabouts. He's never run in a race of this magnitude, and the one time he went up against Mana Strike and the rest of the colts we've mentioned at the Gold Rush, he was fourth best even though he was the odds on favorite that day.
That's why we're sticking with Frank Conversation. O'Neill has to believe in him at his level, or else he wouldn't be wasting his time with a race with such a menial purse, relatively speaking.
Play Frank Conversation to win the California Derby
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