On Saturday, February 11, the Kentucky Derby trail makes its one and only trip to Northern California for the El Camino Real Derby! The race covers 1 ⅛ miles on the Tapeta track, making it both a stamina and surface test for the inevitably eclectic field. This means it is always an excellent betting race!
The El Camino Real offers a $100,000 purse, 10-4-3-2-1 Road to the Kentucky Derby points, and a guaranteed berth into the Preakness Stakes for the winner! Rombauer, the 2021 El Camino Real winner, use the race as a jumping-off point for a Preakness-winning campaign. Tank’s Prospect (1985), Snow Chief (1986), and Tabasco Cat (1994) also swept that double, with Tabasco Cat scoring in the Belmont Stakes, too.
Keep reading to find out the best horses to play in this year’s El Camino Real, and to find out the best places to bet horse races online in New York!
Before you start to handicap the El Camino Real Derby, you can maximize your profits by choosing the right online betting site. There are many options, but you can make a quick and confident choice with our expert reviews of New York online racebooks!
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These are the expected contenders for the 2023 El Camino Real including their trainers:
Closer to the race the track will determine post positions, jockey assignments, and morning-line odds. Note, however, that morning-line odds are just the track’s best estimate for what the odds will be. On track, the odds can fluctuate all the way until post time.
This is why betting online can give you an advantage. Online betting sites offer fixed-odds wagering on major stakes races all year long. This means you can lock in your odds the moment you bet, and know exactly what you will win if your horse wins. It also means you won’t get a worse price on your horse if the price drops before post time.
Now that you have created your online wagering account, it’s time to get to know the contenders in the race and pick a winner! These are the leading contenders in the El Camino Real Derby:
Although Passarando was defeated in California-bred company last out, that was on dirt in Southern California. He returns to his home track and a synthetic surface for this, and should be ready to roll. His versatile off-pace style gives him every chance to settle behind a contested pace, and his pedigree suggests he will have the stamina to get nine furlongs.
Trainer Bob Baffert has won two out of the last three editions of this race, meaning it makes sense to look at his horses. Nullarbor will be part of the speed and was well beaten in his only route try, making him unappealing. But, Gilmore has a good chance to do well. He graduated in a maiden special in his first two-turn try, he can rally off the pace and handle early trouble, and sire Twirling Candy is a strong synthetic influence.
Though Thirsty John will probably take significant betting interest coming from well-known Southern California trainer Peter Miller, take a stand against him. Miller has never won this race. Thirsty John will probably be part of the hotly contested pace. And, his pedigree appeals significantly more for dirt than for this synthetic footing he is trying.
Chase the Chaos should get a good trip rallying from midpack. Though he was ignored to the tune of 65-1 in the Gold Rush two starts back, he finished a quality second to Passarando and then franked that with a 7 ½-length triumph in allowance company. He is an improving horse, and the Uncle Mo on bottom may get him the nine furlongs.
Happy Does was the well-beaten second from Chase the Chaos’s last win, though he did return to win an allowance at Golden Gate in game fashion since. He is another who should be able to settle off all the speed horses. Though he will need a significant step forward in order to be a win candidate, his consistent efforts on Tapeta should be enough to get him another piece.
Even though Harcyn is only proven on the lead, he has enough upside to consider in exotics in the El Camino Real. He did handle a contested pace early in his maiden win. And, though he has never tried two turns, his pedigree appeals strongly. He is by Goldencents, a sire whose progeny do well if the dam side has stamina – and his dam is a Street Cry half to both Tiago and Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.
All you need to do now is place your wager on the race! Here are the experts’ best bets for the 2023 El Camino Real:
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