Betting The Horses

Rule is one of many horses trained by Todd Pletcher who have a shot at winning the Kentucky Derby. The legendary trainer has won just about everything there is in horse racing except the Kentucky Derby betting. Of Pletcher’s six horses likely to start at Churchill Downs on May 1, Rule has the most graded stakes earnings.

Rule has graded stakes earnings of $645,000, good enough for third place among Kentucky Derby contenders. He has ran in three graded stakes races, each time finishing in the top 3. He won the Delta Jackpot Stakes (G3) and the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and finished third at the Florida Derby (G1). His victory at the Sam F. Davis Stakes on February 13 was his fourth win in a row.

The colt was bred by WinStar Farms and is currently owned by them. He was sired by Roman Ruler, a versatile horse who competed at distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1 1/8 of a mile. His mother, Rockcide, is a half-sister to Funny Cide, the gelding who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Most recently, Rule was the favorite in the Florida Derby. The 5-2 favorite would finish a disappointing third, however, as long shots Ice Box (20-1) and Pleasant Prince (15-1) finished first and second, respectively, in a photo finish.

With just a few weeks before the Kentucky Derby, Rule clearly has the earnings to start. Most recently, he was reported to be training at Palm Meadows with Mission Impazible and Discreetly Mine, two of Pletcher’s other Derby hopefuls.