Horse racing’s Triple Crown commences on Saturday when 20 three-year-olds leave the starting gate in the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Blue Grass Stakes winner Zandon is the 3-1 favorite in the 2022 Kentucky Derby odds. Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter is 7-2 in the 2022 Kentucky Derby field. Messier (8-1), Mo Donegal (10-1), White Abarrio (10-1), and Taiba (12-1) round out the top six 2022 Kentucky Derby horses in the odds. Post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. Before making any 2022 Kentucky Derby picks, you NEED to see what legendary handicapper Hammerin’ Hank Goldberg is saying.
The former horse racing analyst for ESPN and NBC, Goldberg became a legendary handicapper by going straight to the source. In 2004, he had dinner before the Belmont Stakes with trainer Nick Zito at a pizzeria in Queens. The dinner led Goldberg to play Zito’s 36-1 monster long shot Birdstone to win and on top of his exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets. When Birdstone shocked the world, Goldberg won $24,000.
His success has continued at SportsLine. In the San Felipe Stakes in March 2020, Hammer gave out a $20 exacta that paid 9-1. In the 2020 Belmont Stakes, Goldberg was all over Tiz the Law, who scored a convincing victory in the year’s first Triple Crown race. Hammer also nailed the exacta in the Blue Grass Stakes, Haskell Stakes and Pacific Classic that year.
Last year, he hit the Essential Quality-Hot Rod Charlie exacta in the Belmont Stakes. Now, he’s turned his attention to the 2022 Kentucky Derby field.
One surprise: Goldberg is completely tossing Zandon even though he is the morning-line favorite! Another shocker: Hammer is high on Smile Happy, even though he’s a 20-1 long shot. “Trainer Ken McPeek called me and said that Smile Happy gives him his best chance to win the Kentucky Derby,” Hammer told SportsLine. “McPeek likes this horse a lot.”
Hammer’s top choice is a horse who can “save ground from his post position.” He also is high on a big double-digit long shot who “has the speed to avoid a lot of trouble.” Goldberg is including these horses in his 2022 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see what Hammer has to say before locking in any picks of your own.
Who wins the 2022 Kentucky Derby? What big double-digit long shot is a MUST-BACK? And how has Goldberg constructed his wagers?… Join SportsLine now to get Hank Goldberg’s 2022 Kentucky Derby predictions, all from the legendary expert who has hit big on racing’s biggest days!
