2020 Virtual Kentucky Derby Odds & Predictions

The Kentucky Derby may have been postponed until September 5th, but that isn’t stopping NBC from broadcasting a virtual Kentucky Derby featuring the 13 Triple Crown winners throughout history.

The best of the best will virtually Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs this Saturday afternoon around 5:45 (Eastern standard time) in a virtual showdown for the ages. The computer-generated fantasy race will use data algorithms including historical handicapping information about each horse. “Each of the Triple Crown horses is assigned what we’re calling a win probability,” Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers said. “That data is fed into Inspired Entertainment’s computer models. Those with a higher probability value are not necessarily going to win the race, but they’ll have more chances of doing so. The result is very much like the NBA draft. It’s a weighted lottery system.”

Although all three of Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown races remain the fastest ever run, the Sports Interaction line management team has only made the stallion a slight favourite (+350) over 1948 winner Citation (+400) followed by 1977 winner Seattle Slew (+500) and 1978 winner Affirmed (+500) who are the only two Triple Crown winners to race against each other in reality. Justify is the most recent Triple Crown winner (2018) and checks in at +1500, one of the longer shots on the board.

3. Secretariat (Ron Turcotte) -126
8. Citation (Eddie Arcaro) +608
6. American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza) +682
5. Seattle Slew (Jean Cruguet) +685
11. Count Fleet (Johnny Longden) +1000
9. War Admiral (Charles Kurtsinger) +1200
1. Affirmed (Steve Cauthen) +1200
12. Justify (Mike Smith) +1600
10. Whirlaway (Eddie Arcaro) +1600
7. Gallant Fox (Earl Sande) +2500
2. Asault (Warren Mehrtens) +3000
13. Omaha (Willie Saunders) +3300
4. Sir Barton (Johnny Loftus) +3500

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Through random draw, Affirmed, will race out of the number one position, Secretariat in the number three spot, Citation in the eighth gate. Brooks Pierce, president and chief operating officer of Inspired Entertainment, said track officials were shown three different weather conditions and chose to stage the simulated race in bright sunshine instead of what can be sloppy conditions at the historic track in early May.