Horse Racing: Louisiana Derby Odds, Preview, and Picks (Mar 22)

The Road to the Kentucky Derby is getting shorter, meaning that there will be huge pressure on horses to pick up points to secure their berth in the race at Churchill Downs in May. A notable prep race is set for Fair Grounds this weekend, as the G2 Louisiana Derby is staged.

It has been a key prep in recent seasons, with Hot Rod Charlie and Epicenter both winning the race before running stormers in the Derby. But, which runner will gain the victory this Saturday?

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How To Watch

• When: Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 6:42 PM ET
• Where: Fair Grounds, Louisiana
• How To Watch: FanDuel TV

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Odds

Horse	Odds
John Hancock	+250
Built	+400
Instant Replay	+650
Chunk Of Gold	+700
Caldera	+800
Vassimo	+900
Hypnus	+1100
Tiztastic	+1400

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Race Preview

Key prep action on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is set for this weekend, as the G2 Louisiana Derby will be held at Fair Grounds. This race has been held since 1894, and it will be run over a distance of 1 3/16 miles. Connections will be hoping to win their share of the $1 million purse.

Brad Cox holds an excellent record in this race, while Flavien Prat has been aboard the winner in the last two years. Therefore, it is no surprise to see John Hancock at the top of the betting. The three-year-old is extremely lightly raced, but he has won on both of his starts under rules. The latest of those was an eye-catching effort over 1 1/16 miles when beating Owen Almighty in the Sam F. Davis Stakes.

Cox is also represented by Instant Replay, who is a son of Maximum Security. The three-year-old posted a career best effort to get off the mark at Churchill Downs last year, and returned from a no-show by winning an AOC over 1 1/16 at Fair Grounds last month. Likely player for a leading trainer.

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Hypnus was an outstanding winner at Fair Grounds on debut, striking a speed figure of 115. Things didn’t go to plan in the G2 Rebel Stakes last time out when finishing only seventh. However, it could be too son to give up on his chances in graded company. Yinzer was an eye-catching winner of a maiden last time out, and could be an exotics play for Steven Asmussen,

Tiztastic, Vassimo, and Built all finished behind Chunk of Gold in the G2 Risen Star Stakes last time out. That could be a fascinating form line to consider this week. Built could yet be the leading chance of those four, as he was previously very impressive when setting a 123-speed figure when landing the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds last year.

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Louisiana Derby Picks

A red-hot renewal of the Louisiana Derby offers plenty of clues for the Kentucky Derby this year. I like the chances of Built. He produced a solid enough figure on the clock when third last time out, while he also has previous experience at Fair Grounds after winning the Gun Runner and taking a very respectable second in the G3 Lecomte.

Free Pick:

• Built