2022 Kentucky Derby Field - Epicenter
Last Updated: 05/04/2022 at 8:27 PM ET
Epicenter will be ridden by Joel Rosario and is Steve Asmussen trained. The 3-year old has the second best odds at 7-2 to win Saturday's Kentucky Derby and will leave from the third gate. In six career starts, Epicenter has four wins and one second. Epicenter had much success in his four prep races for the Derby with three victories and missed out winning a fourth, when finishing second by just a head.
Epicenter is considered a model of a Kentucky Derby prototype thoroughbred with tactical speed, good response to a jockey’s handling, and a competitiveness when being challenged. Epicenter is a pacesetter and did just that when winning by over two lengths at the Risen Star Stakes.
In his final prep race, Epicenter sat off the pace set by Zozos at the Louisiana Derby then easily disposed of the pacesetter early down the stretch to win by over two lengths. The consistent thoroughbred is versatile as seen in his two wins in his final two prep races while using different tactics in both.
Steve Asmussen is North America's all-time winningest trainer and has two second-place and two third-place finishes in the Derby, from the 23 starters he has had. Rosario was the winner of the 2013 Kentucky Derby aboard Orb and is the current holder of the Eclipse Award.
Epicenter has shown his versatility by winning races using strong stamina from start to finish as well as sitting off the pace and overtaking the leader down the stretch. This year's Derby does not have any early speed in the field and horses that race close to the lead have had much success in recent years at the Derby. Epicenter falls into that group. Epicenter will be one of the first if not the first to reach the wire on Saturday.
