Zandon is 3-1 favorite for Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

Zandon and filly Nest are the morning-line favorites for the 148th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, respectively, at Churchill Downs, which will host both marquee races at full capacity for the first time since 2019.

Zandon, trained by Chad Brown, drew 3-1 odds Monday and will start from the No. 10 post among 20 horses for the $3 million marquee event for 3-yearolds. The colt moved to second in Derby points behind Epicenter after rallying from the back of the field to win last month’s Blue Grass at Keeneland in Lexington. He has two wins, a second-place finish and a third in four career starts.

Zandon has the “perfect” spot dead center with Flavien Prat aboard, Brown said.

“We’re ready to go,” added Brown, who enters his eighth Derby seeking his first win after Good Magic finished third in 2018.

Epicenter was initially expected to be the Derby favorite following consecutive graded stakes wins, including the Louisiana Derby in March. The horse is the 7-2 second betting choice after drawing the No. 3 post.

Messier, one of two colts trained by Derby firsttimer Tim Yakteen after he took over their training this spring for suspended Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, is the 8-1 third choice and will start from the No. 6 post.

Yakteen’s other entrant, Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba, is a 12-1 choice from the No. 12 post.

“They made us wait,” said Yakteen, referring to his horses being among the final three chosen. “But in the end, we drew well.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen simply hoped that Epicenter could break well from near the rail beneath jockey Joel Rosario and see where it leads.

“How long he stands in there, how long it takes to load, 150,000 people staring at him — it’s a lot,” Asmussen said. “Joel is very confident in rhythm of the horse. So, if he is away cleanly Joel will let him be who he is.”

This weekend’s races will happen without Baffert, whom Churchill Downs suspended for two years following Medina Spirit’s failed postrace drug test and eventual disqualification as the winner of last year’s Derby.

Meanwhile, four-time Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas gets another chance for a fifth victory with Ethereal Road, who entered the field on Monday after Un Ojo withdrew. The Hall of Famer’s 50th Derby starter and first since Bravazo (sixth in 2018) has work to do as a 30-1 long shot from the No. 20 far post.

Rich Strike and Rattle N Roll are also eligible pending withdrawals. Post time on Saturday is 6:57 p.m. EDT.

For the Oaks, Nest drew the No. 4 post among 14 fillies and is the 5-2 favorite for Friday’s $1.25 million, 1 1/8th-mile race. Nest is one of three Todd Pletchertrained horses in the field, along with Goddess of Fire (No. 5 post) and Shahama (No. 13), both 15-1 shots.