Can any horse win the 2019 American Triple Crown?

Omaha Beach is the favourite ahead of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby. Source: KentuckyDerby.com

The 2019 Kentucky Derby is this weekend but as any keen racing observer knows it can never be about what’s in front of us, it’s about what’s to come.

Specifically, the American Triple Crown.

After a baron period of almost 30 years without a horse claiming all three of America’s most famous races champion Bob Baffert runner American Pharaoh broke the drought, winning the Triple Crown in dominating fashion in 2015.

It only took three years for the draem to yet again be realised.

Bob Baffert won the American Triple Crown in 2019, this time with Justify. An unraced three-year-old, Justify remained unbeaten across his six race career, winning the Kentucky Derby in just his fourth-ever start.

A win in the Kentucky Derby is the plain and obvious first step towards the American Triple Crown, but with such an open betting market it is hard to narrow down which gallopers are in contention to claim all three races.

Five days out from the Kentucky Derby Roadster and Omaha Beach are at the huge price of $51 with online bookmaker Bet365 to win the Triple Crown while Improbable and Game Winner are locked together on the second line of betting at $67.

It’s a perennial fascination for American racing enthusiasts and the general public alike, but just how likely is a 2019 American Triple Crown?

It all starts this weekend in Louisville.

Who are the American Triple Crown contenders?

Gary and Mary West’s Game Winner is towards the top of the Kentucky Derby betting markets. Source: KentuckyDerby.com

The obvious place to start is at the head of the Kentucky Derby betting market.

Omaha Beach holds the early call and looks set to go off as a $6.50 favourite with the online bookmakers barring disaster in the build up. Heading into the Derby Omaha Beach has recorded three-straight wins and looks cherry ripe for the big occasion.

“Omaha Beach has looked the part of a Kentucky Derby favorite since arriving here to Louisville,” Horse Racing Nation’s Brian Zipse said about the Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach, which will boost the confidence of early backers.

It would be remiss of us to talk about a modern day American Triple Crown without mentioning the name of champion trainer Bob Baffert. The master trainer has won the last two Crowns and saddles up key elect Game Winner.

Game Winner, who is currently the $8 second favourite with online bookmaker Ladbrokes looks like Baffert’s best chance at winning this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Despite finishing second in his last two starts to Omaha Beach and Roadster there’s always been something special about Game Winner and his one and only start at Churchill Downs in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The other Baffert chance is Improbable.

The trainer said this about his chances at Churchill Downs: “(Improbable) really likes this track. They’re coming from Santa Anita where it has been pretty deep, they’ve made it really, really deep. He’ll work tomorrow…but he’s really coming into this race pretty well.”

It is also important to note that Baffert has never lost a Preakness Stakes with a Kentucky Derby winner.

Bodes well for Baffert’s chances at yet another Triple Crown if he can claim the Derby.

Will the American Triple Crown be won in 2019?

Pardon the pun, but while it’s not impossible, to borrow the name from the second favourite, it is Improbable.

This year’s Kentucky Derby presents as one of the most open in recent memory with no runners having a bulletproof build up to the big one.

However, history suggests that if Baffert wins the Kentucky Derby then success in Preakness Stakes is sure to follow, but with Omaha Beach coming into this weekend’s feature as the obvious selection is it worth having a wager on the American Triple Crown?

We always think it’s a prudent measure to back Baffert in at Churchill Downs, so it wouldn’t be the worst idea to place a bet down on either Game Winner or Improbable to win the American Triple Crown heading into this weekend.

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