The best longshot to bet in the 2019 Kentucky Derby

May 01, 2019 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

In this recent era of Kentucky Derby domination by favorites, finding the best longshot to play may seem like a fool's errand. On the other hand, it isn't necessarily all about cashing a Win, Place, or Show ticket. Those are certainly nice, but finding the right outsider to help boost the return on high-paying wagers such as the Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta is also beneficial.

There are certainly no shortage of options for that in this field, where all but a few can be considered capable of making the top four under the right circumstances. The buzz surrounding #3 BY MY STANDARDS (20-1) the last couple of weeks suggest he'll be a shorter price than his morning line odds, but still sufficiently high when you consider horses like Omaha Beach, Tacitus and the three Bob Baffert colts will be taking a significant amount of money in the Win pool.

His recent record and the positive vibes generated by his training at Churchill implies he's a horse blossoming at the right time. Though it took awhile for him to break his maiden, the son of Goldencents has finally figured things out in recent months. So confident was trainer Bret Calhoun following that first win, By My Standards was entered in the Louisiana Derby (G2) five weeks later. Sent away at 22-1, he ran like an old pro to register the upset by three parts of a length over Spinoff, with the rest far back.

By My Standards was able to save ground throughout in the Louisiana Derby, and can do so again breaking from post 3 on Saturday. He finished second in his debut at Churchill, his lone previous run over the track, and it was in the slop, too, a condition he might have to face again given the weather forecast.

Although his sire was primarily a miler who stayed nine furlongs once in the Santa Anita Derby (he was unplaced in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and Preakness), By My Standards could have the talent to see out the trip better and meet the above objective of adding a little spice to the exotics. He's certainly on the short list of horses many believe capable of halting the win streak of favorites in this race at six.