How to make money with Honor A. P. in the Kentucky Derby

Sep 04, 2020 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A total of 16 horses will go postward in the 146th edition of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Four-time Grade 1 wizard #17 Tiz the Law (3-5) is the one to beat and will be heavily backed in every pool. The formidable New York-bred has decimated each field he’s encountered except for one, and that race happened to take place beneath the Twin Spires in the 2019 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2).

So what if the famed Churchill Downs surface proves difficult once again for the Barclay Tagg trainee? Which direction should bettors turn to?

Santa Anita Derby (G1) victor #16 Honor A. P. (5-1) would be a fine alternative in my opinion. Trained by John Shirreffs, the $850,000 yearling purchase has never been worse than second in his lifetime, and he seems poised to excel running 1 1/4 miles for the initial time on Saturday. In addition, he presents decent value at his morning line price as the clear second choice.

There are a variety of ways to make money if Honor A. P. is wearing the garland of roses following the “greatest two minutes in sports,” starting in the win pool. The son of Honor Code is far from a longshot, though there is nothing wrong with wagering on a contender at an estimated 4-1 price if you like him enough.

While I don’t think there is a ton of value in the horizontal wagers (Pick 3, Pick 4, etc.) with Honor A. P., he will be worth more than his win odds in the vertical plays (exacta, trifecta, etc.), especially if Tiz the Law fails to fire or encounters a horrific trip. Any vertical exotic bet would yield a healthy return if the favorite is off the board.

I have a few suggested ways on how and where I would place my money on Honor A. P.

• Win: 16
• Exacta: 16 with ALL
• Exacta: ALL with 16
• Trifecta: 16 with 17 with ALL
• Trifecta: 16 with ALL with 17