MyWinners Weekly Betting Preview — April 3–9, 2026
The Derby trail continues this weekend. Three Grade 1-level preps on the same Saturday afternoon — the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, the Santa Anita Derby in California, and the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York. Same distance. Same 100 qualifying points. All of them running within hours of each other. By the time the last race goes off Saturday, the Kentucky Derby field will have taken shape.
And there's more. Both UConn programs are in the Final Four. The men are in Indianapolis. The women are in Phoenix. The state of Connecticut has a lot riding on this weekend.
I'll keep the non-racing stuff tight. The cards speak for themselves.
Let's get into it.
🏇 LIVE HORSE RACING
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS STAKES (G1) — KEENELAND | SATURDAY
$1.25 million. 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. 1⅛ miles on dirt. 19 Kentucky Derby winners have come out of this race since 1911. Northern Dancer. Spectacular Bid. Good Magic. Sierra Leone. This is the race that has launched more champions than almost any other prep on the calendar. Race 11 on the card.
Here's the news that blew this race wide open: Paladin — the Derby points leader — was injured on March 28 and won't race again this spring. Gone. The horse everyone was building their Derby tickets around is out. That changes everything. There is no clear favorite. No dominant form line. The race is genuinely up for grabs.
Todd Pletcher has won the Blue Grass four times and leads all trainers in nominations this year. He already has Renegade and Nearly in his Derby string. A win here would give him an extraordinary hand heading into Churchill Downs.
Further Ado (Brad Cox / Gun Runner) is the 8-5 morning line favorite and the one to beat. Won the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs as a juvenile. Came back and finished second to The Puma in the Tampa Bay Derby — beaten less than a length, possibly without the clearest run. Here's what stands out: Gun Runner is the sire of both Paladin and Renegade, two of the best horses on the Derby trail. This colt is bred exactly for this trip. Cox won the Florida Derby last Saturday with Commandment. He's firing on all cylinders right now.
Great White (John Ennis / Not This Time) won the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in February and has been pointing at this race ever since. Trainer says he has "high cruising speed" and that 1⅛ miles is no issue. Working at Keeneland in the lead-up — locally based, fresh, and fit. Lightly raced profile means there could be more improvement to come. This is the type who could pinch a place at a price.
Blackout Time (Kenny McPeek) was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and spent time leading the Derby points standings earlier in the year. Finished a disappointing fifth in the Arkansas Derby last week and that needs explaining before you back him with confidence. Class is not in doubt. Form is a question mark right now.
Reagan's Honor (Cherie DeVaux) was targeted specifically at the Blue Grass — this isn't a fallback option. DeVaux also trains Golden Tempo, who ran well in the Louisiana Derby, so she knows how to prep a Derby horse. Not yet fully exposed at graded level. The unknown quantity in the field.
Creole Chrome (Joe Sharp) — Sharp was personally aboard for a sharp half-mile work at Keeneland on March 30. A trainer getting on his own horse's back four days before a Grade 1 is a serious show of confidence. Lightly raced colt whose ceiling is genuinely unknown. The live local shot.
The Keeneland spring meet opens Friday April 3 — first racing of the meet before the big Saturday card. On Saturday alongside the Blue Grass: the $650K Madison (G1), the $500K Appalachian (G2) on turf, and the $400K Shakertown (G2). One of the best days on the American racing calendar.
SANTA ANITA DERBY (G1) — SANTA ANITA PARK | SATURDAY
$500,000. 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. 1⅛ miles on dirt. Nine winners of this race have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby — California Chrome, Nyquist, Authentic. Bob Baffert has won it nine times. More than any other trainer in the race's history. He saddles two horses on Saturday. Race 10 on the card.
When the most successful trainer in this race's history has two bullets, you pay attention to which one takes the money.
Potente (Bob Baffert / Into Mischief) is unbeaten in two starts and the logical favorite. Won the San Felipe in only his second career start. $2.4 million purchase by Speedway Stables. Into Mischief is the sire line that has dominated the Derby trail for the better part of a decade — Authentic, Justify, Life Is Good. Bred to get the distance. Won the San Felipe by a head and galloped out strongly, which tells you there's more in the tank.
Cherokee Nation (Bob Baffert / Not This Time) has had one career start. One win. And a speed figure that made handicappers do a double-take — the fastest dirt mile at Santa Anita since 2016. A 100 Beyer in his debut. Baffert's own assessment heading in: "we'll find out just how good he is." When a Hall of Fame trainer says that about his own horse, you're dealing with a genuine unknown. If the figure was real, he wins this by daylight. If the distance finds him out, you'll know quickly. The most compelling win-place proposition on the Derby trail right now.
Intrepido (Jeff Mullins / Maximus Mischief) won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita in October — beating four Baffert horses. Finished fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, second in the Robert B. Lewis in February. Then Mullins skipped the San Felipe entirely to bring him here fresh. Trainers don't do that by accident. Best established form in the race and he can't be dismissed.
Robusta (Doug O'Neill) ran Potente to a head in the San Felipe from off the pace. Finished strongly. That patient, closing style suits the longer trip — and O'Neill is a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer. He won't be here without a plan. If the pace is honest, he'll be right there at the end.
So Happy won the San Vicente by two lengths and finished third in the San Felipe in his first try around two turns. Improving with each start. Mike Smith rides. Solid place candidate.
Start the Ride won the Cal Cup Derby — the California-bred prep over this exact course and distance — in January. Steps out of state-bred company here for the first time. Significant class jump. But at the right price on his home track, he's hard to dismiss entirely.
Also on the card: the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and the Monrovia (G3) on the hillside turf. The biggest race day of the Santa Anita spring meet.
WOOD MEMORIAL STAKES (G2) — AQUEDUCT | SATURDAY
$750,000. 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. 1⅛ miles on dirt. Secretariat won this race in 1973. Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000. It says Grade 2 on the program — a quirk of history — but Churchill Downs assigns it the same 100 qualifying points as any Grade 1 on the calendar. The grade is a footnote. The points are what matter. Race 12 on the card.
Thirteen runners. The biggest field of the three major preps running Saturday. With that many horses, pace scenarios get unpredictable, traffic becomes a real danger, and the horse that finds the cleanest trip from a good draw can massively outperform their odds.
Chad Brown has two horses in here. Iron Honor is the one. Undefeated, blinkers on, Gotham winner on this track, 50 Derby points already banked. That's where the money should go.
Iron Honor (Chad Brown / Nyquist) is undefeated in two starts and the clear horse to beat. Won the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct — the premier local prep for this race, on this exact track. Blinkers have been the key addition and he's improved with each start. Already has 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on the board. Brown rarely puts a horse in this spot without believing it can win. The most proven horse in this field on this circuit, and he has the home track advantage.
Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers / Liam’s Map) won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes by six and a half lengths as a juvenile. Dominant at two. Made his 3-year-old debut in the Fountain of Youth and finished fifth — camp scratched him from the Arkansas Derby to save him for this instead. Back on his home track where he dominated last fall. Paco Lopez rides from the rail. The 1⅛ miles are an open question, but the raw talent is undeniable.
Bravaro (Saffie Joseph Jr.) — Joseph named the Wood Memorial as the target weeks ago and stuck to it. Two wins at Aqueduct last fall. Adds blinkers here. Florida raiders have won 11 of the last 15 renewals of this race. He fits that angle perfectly and arrives ready.
Talk to Me Jimmy blew his last field away by 11 lengths in the Withers. That kind of performance can't be ignored even if the company was modest. Must-include in trifectas.
Red Zone Runner (Hugo Padilla / Practical Joke) won the City of Brotherly Love at Parx by 15½ lengths in March. Dominant, but against weaker company. Padilla named the Wood as the target immediately after that win — no detours, no hesitation. The class jump is the question. At a big price, he's worth a look.
Courting is Todd Pletcher’s entry. A $5 million Keeneland purchase, he’s been lightly campaigned but Pletcher has seven Wood Memorial wins and doesn’t bring horses here without a reason.
Albus (Doug O'Neill) won a maiden at Tampa Bay Downs in February stretching out. O'Neill chose to ship east rather than stay in California for the Santa Anita Derby. That's a deliberate decision from a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer. Longer shot, but he's here for a reason.
Also on the Aqueduct card: the $300K Carter Handicap (G2), the $200K Gazelle (G3) — a Kentucky Oaks qualifier — and the $150K Distaff (G3). A full day in New York.
KENTUCKY DERBY
WHERE WE STAND
Just 28 days to go. The Derby is May 2 at Churchill Downs. After last Saturday, the qualifying picture looks very different.
Renegade and Commandment lead the points race after the Arkansas and Florida Derbies. Paladin — who had been the clear leader — is out for the spring. That opens the door wide. Saturday's three winners each collect 100 points. The runners-up get 50. A horse that was sitting on the bubble going into the weekend could vault into the top 20 with a big run at Keeneland, Santa Anita, or Aqueduct.
The trail is almost over. After Saturday, there are no more major preps before Churchill Downs opens. Whoever comes out running on Saturday afternoon walks into the Derby with real momentum — and a guaranteed ticket.
DERBY FUTURES BETS — POOL 6 IS OPEN 👀
Pool 6 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager runs Thursday April 2 through Saturday April 4 — three days only, closes at approximately 6pm ET on Saturday, right before the Blue Grass, Wood Memorial, and Santa Anita Derby go off. Win and Exacta pools. $2 minimum. This is the sixth and final futures pool before the first Saturday in May.
Ao of Thursday’s starting odds, Arkansas Derby winner Renegade is the 4-1 morning line favorite. Owned by Repole Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, he stamped himself as the early Derby leader with a commanding four-length win at Oaklawn. The rest of the top of the market: Commandment 6-1 (Florida Derby winner, Brad Cox); The Puma 8-1 (Tampa Bay Derby winner); Chief Wallabee 10-1.
Here's where Saturday's horses sit in the starting odds:
Blue Grass: Further Ado 15-1, Class President 15-1, Reagan's Honor 20-1, Great White 90-1, Creole Chrome 90-1
Santa Anita Derby: Potente 30-1, Cherokee Nation 30-1, Intrepido 50-1, Robusta 80-1, So Happy 90-1
Wood Memorial: Iron Honor 25-1, Napoleon Solo 60-1, Talk to Me Jimmy 50-1, Bravaro 80-1
Worth noting: several horses are grouped under #40 All Other 3-Year-Olds at 30-1 — including Nearly (35 points), Stark Contrast (50 points), and Blackout Time (25 points). If you think any of those sneak into the field, one ticket covers all three.
No refunds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. If a horse is injured or scratched before the Derby, betting on that individual is suspended and you get nothing back. Size your bets accordingly.
Real-time odds available at KentuckyDerby.com from 12:30–6:30pm ET each day the pool is open.
ALSO… CHURCHILL DOWNS OPENS APRIL 24 (👀)
The spring meet at Churchill Downs kicks off April 24 — eight days before the Kentucky Derby. The first looks at Derby horses on their home track begin. If you want to watch this year's preps play out under race conditions at the actual venue, that's your window. Mark it.
SPORTS
BOTH UCONN TEAMS ARE ALIVE. CONNECTICUT, BRACE YOURSELF.
🏀 MARCH MADNESS — FINAL FOUR
Forget everything else. Both UConn programs are in the Final Four. The men are in Indianapolis. The women are in Phoenix. The state of Connecticut has never had a weekend quite like this.
The Men
Down 19 to Duke. Cold from three. Looked completely dead. Then Tarris Reed started bullying through the paint, the Huskies chipped and clawed, and with 0.4 seconds on the clock, freshman Braylon Mullins launched from somewhere near the parking lot. It went in. Duke went home. That's who Dan Hurley's team is. They don't panic. They don't flinch. This is their third Final Four in four years.
They face Illinois on Saturday at 6:09pm ET in Indianapolis. The oddsmakers have Illinois as -1.5 favorites. Let that sink in. A program going for three titles in four years and they're not even the chalk. Freshman Keaton Wagler has been sensational, the Illini have the top-rated offense in the country, and they're the tallest team in Division I. But Illinois has never won a national title. UConn has done this twice in the last three years. In April, tournament experience and coaching is a real thing — and Hurley has more of it than almost anyone alive.
Then Michigan vs. Arizona at 8:49pm ET — two No. 1 seeds, five combined losses all season, co-favorites for the title at +160 and +165. UConn is listed at 7/1. Dan Hurley has heard worse.
Saturday April 5 — UConn vs. Illinois, 6:09pm ET (TBS) | Illinois -1.5, Total 139.5
Saturday April 5 — Michigan vs. Arizona, 8:49pm ET (TBS) | Michigan -1.5, Total 157.5
Monday April 7 — National Championship, 8:50pm ET
The Women
UConn is 38-0. On a 54-game winning streak. Chasing a seventh perfect season in program history. Without Paige Bueckers. This team has a different look — Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, freshman Blanca Quiñonez — and the same result. Nobody has come close.
Friday night they get South Carolina in a rematch of last year's national championship. Joyce Edwards has been the Gamecocks' best player all month. Dawn Staley's defense is suffocating. This is a genuine heavyweight collision — two programs that simply don't lose — and it's happening in the semis, not the final. Then UCLA vs. Texas in the nightcap at 9:30pm ET. All four No. 1 seeds. Zero easy games. Geno Auriemma has been doing this for forty years. Don't bet against him.
Friday April 4 — UConn vs. South Carolina, 7:00pm ET (ESPN)
Friday April 4 — UCLA vs. Texas, 9:30pm ET (ESPN)
Sunday April 6 — National Championship, 3:30pm ET
Bobby V's in Stamford and Windsor Locks will have every game on every screen. The men Saturday night, the women Friday night, championships all weekend. Get in the room.
Read our March Madness Final Four preview →
⚠️ CT bettors: Individual UConn games are off the table at licensed CT sportsbooks. Connecticut law restricts wagering on in-state college teams. Everything else on the board — Illinois, Michigan, Arizona — is fair game at Fanatics Sportsbook in every Winners venue.
🏀 NBA — PLAYOFF PICTURE
Thunder running away with the West at 57-15. Pistons lead the East at 52-19. The 5-through-9 scrap in the East — Raptors, Hawks, Sixers, Magic, Heat — all within 2.5 games of each other. Play-In starts April 14. Playoffs tip off April 18.
⚽ SOCCER
Champions League quarter-finals kick off April 7–8: PSG vs. Liverpool, Real Madrid vs. Bayern, Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP vs. Arsenal. Four enormous ties. Every game at Bobby V's.
THIS WEEK'S PROMOS 💵
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WHAT'S ON IN-VENUE
Bobby V's — Stamford & Windsor Locks Three Derby preps simulcast all afternoon. Final Four on every screen from 6pm. Women's Final Four on Friday night. This is a dawn-to-midnight weekend. Come for the racing, stay for the basketball.
Champions League quarter-finals start next week — PSG vs. Liverpool, Real Madrid vs. Bayern, Barcelona vs. Atlético, Arsenal vs. Sporting CP. All four games showing at Bobby V's. Get your diary in order.
The racing this weekend is the main event. Online at app.mywinners.com — or on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android — you can bet horse racing and greyhound racing on every race covered in this preview. The Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby, Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby futures, UK greyhounds, Australian greyhounds. All of it.
Want to bet the Final Four or the NBA? That's what Fanatics Sportsbook is for — live at all nine Winners and MyWinners venues across Connecticut. Get your racing bets in on the app, then head to your nearest venue for the basketball. Best of both worlds.
Three Derby preps. Both UConn teams in the Final Four. Kentucky Derby futures open. Saturday is the day the Derby field takes shape. Don't miss it.
I'm off to build my Blue Grass tickets. You should too.
