Triple Crown News Minute Presented By Kentucky Equine Research: Arkansas Derby's Second Division

By all accounts, the second division of Saturday's Grade 1 Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., going as the 13th race on the 14-race closing-day program, is much deeper in quality than the first division, which is dominated by the Speightstown colt Charlatan, likely an odds-on favorite.

Nadal, who like Charlatan is an undefeated runner from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert, is the morning line favorite. Coming off a win in the G2 Rebel on a sloppy track at Oaklawn, the 3-year-old Blame colt faces 2019 champion Storm the Court, two-time graded stakes winner Silver Prospector, G2 Tampa Bay Derby upset winner (at 49-1 odds) King Guillermo and G2 Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou.

The Arkansas Derby is an official points race on the road to the Kentucky Derby, which this year has been postponed from May 2 until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In each division, 170 points will be distributed to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10). The race will be run with no spectators on-site at Oaklawn.

In this edition of the Triple Crown News Minute, Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick assesses the field and lands on Silver Prospector – a Steve Asmussen runner who is 10-1 on the morning line – for an upset.