2014 Eclipse champion 2yo male American Pharoah and Southwest Stakes (gr. III) winner Far Right are among eight horses that have been entered in the April 11th Arkansas Derby (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park. The nine-furlong race for 3yos is the last major prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), and will offer a total of 170 Derby qualification points to the top four finishers.
The heavy favorite on the morning line at odds of 1-2 is American Pharoah, who enters the race off a romping victory in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn on March 14th. Trained by Bob Baffert, the son of Pioneerof the Nile is among the early favorites to win the Kentucky Derby, and an impressive victory in the Arkansas Derby would likely establish him as the clear-cut horse to beat.
The second choice at 9-2 is Far Right, who rallied from behind to win Oaklawn’s first two Kentucky Derby preps — the Smarty Jones Stakes and Southwest Stakes — before skipping the Rebel to stay fresh for the Arkansas Derby. Other respected contenders included Madefromlucky and Bold Conquest, the second- and third-place finishers in the Rebel, and Mr. Z, third in the Southwest but most recently last of nine in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II).
$1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (gr. I)
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Last race |
| 1 | The Truth Or Else | Calvin Borel | Kenny McPeek | 4th Rebel Stakes (gr. II) |
| 2 | Mr. Z | Ramon Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 9th Louisiana Derby (gr. II) |
| 3 | Bridget’s Big Luvy | Angel Cruz | Jeremiah Englehart | 1st Private Terms Stakes |
| 4 | Madefromlucky | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 2nd Rebel Stakes (gr. II) |
| 5 | Bold Conquest | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 3rd Rebel Stakes (gr. II) |
| 6 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 1st Rebel Stakes (gr. II) |
| 7 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | Southwest Stakes (gr. III) |
| 8 | Win the Space | Kent Desormeaux | George Papaprodromou | 3rd Maiden Special Weight |
