Road to the Kentucky Derby: Arkansas Derby
The 2021 Arkansas Derby came up light this year, with just six 3-year-olds entered in the final Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. But Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has the two favorites in Concert Tour (1-1) and Hozier (3-1). The 1 1/8 mile Grade 1 race at Oaklawn Park offers a purse of $1 million and assures the winner of a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby on May 1.
The post-time favorite has won the last five editions of the Arkansas Derby.
Best horse racing rebates and bonuses
2021 Arkansas Derby
The 2021 Arkansas Derby is restricted to 3-year-olds, and the top four finishers receive Kentucky Derby qualifying points (100-40-20-10). Concert Tour is the prohibitive favorite over five rivals, and he’s currently No. 11 on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 50 points, which is already enough to qualify for the Run for the Roses.
The 85th running of the Arkansas Derby is televised by NBC Sports as part of their “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series during a one-hour program airing on NBCSN and beginning at 7 p.m. EST.
Saturday, April 10, 2021. Post, odds, jockey, trainer. Race 12 from Oaklawn Park with post time 7:41 p.m. EST.
1 – Super Stock (6-1)
- Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
- Trainer: Steve Asmussen
2 – Caddo River (7-2)
- Jockey: Florent Geroux
- Trainer: Brad Cox
3 – Hozier (3-1)
- Jockey: Martin Garcia
- Trainer: Bob Baffert
4 – Get Her Number (6-1)
- Jockey: Francisco Arrieta
- Trainer: Peter Miller
5 – Concert Tour (1-1)
- Jockey: Joel Rosario
- Trainer: Bob Baffert
6 – Last Samurai (15-1)
- Jockey: John Court
- Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Legal Twinspires. Get an added bonus when using the promo code LSRTVG, or $100 when ing at Twinspires.
Arkansas Derby contenders and profiles, including Concert Tour
Concert Tour is 3 for 3 with all wins this year. He’s posted triple-digit Equibase Speed Figures in winning each race, including the San Vicente (G2) in February and the Rebel Stakes (G2) a month ago at Oaklawn Park. In winning the Rebel wire-to-wire at 5-2 odds, Concert Tour finished more than 4 lengths in front of runner-up Hozier and another few lengths back to Super Stock and 6-5 race favorite Caddo River, who finished fourth and fifth. Get Her Number finished seventh.
Concert Tour is a son of Street Sense, who won the 2007 Essential Quality. Concert Tour was the second choice at 5-1 in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool and will be one of the favorites in the Run for the Roses.
Hozier can finish in the top 3 and likely have enough points to make the Kentucky Derby field, as he currently has 20 points. The Rebel was his first stakes race, but he’s posted a pair of blistering workouts, and Hozier will ship in from Santa Anita with stablemate Concert Tour.
Caddo River won the Smarty Jones stakes in January, but was “rank” in his next start as the favorite in the Rebel. He should be more composed and more aggressively placed up front in this race, and he can go the added distance without issue. Caddo River is a son of Hard Spun, who finished second in both the 2007 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Super Stock finished in the money in four stakes races last year as a 2-year-old but found some traffic trouble when finishing fourth in the Rebel Stakes in his 3-year-old debut. His late pace numbers say he should be the hardest charger down the deep stretch. He’ll have to chase down the two fastest horses in the field up front, Concert Tour and Caddo River. A win or runner-up finish will give either Caddo River or Super Stock enough points to qualify for the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
The Arkansas Derby headlines four stakes races Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Arkansas Derby History
| Year | Winner | Odds | Payout | Time | Style | Favorite |
| 2020 | Nadal (Division 2) | 4-5 | $3.80 | 1:48.34 | Pace Presser | 1st |
| 2020 | Charlatan (Div 1) | 2-5 | $2.80 | 1:48.49 | Front | 1st |
| 2019 | Omaha Beach | 8-5 | $5.40 | 1:49.91 | Front | 1st |
| 2018 | Magnum Moon | 4-5 | $3.60 | 1:49.86 | Front | 1st |
| 2017 | Classic Empire | 9-5 | $5.80 | 1:48.93 | Midpack | 1st |
| 2016 | Creator | 11-1 | $25.20 | 1:50.14 | Closer, far back | 10th |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 1-9 | $2.20 | 1:48.52 | Stalking | 1st |
| 2014 | Danza | 41-1 | $84.60 | 1:49.68 | Stalking | 3rd |
| 2013 | Overanalyze | 7-2 | $9.40 | 1:51.94 | Midpack, off pace | 10th |
| 2012 | Bodemeister | 5-2 | $6.80 | 1:48.71 | Front | 1st |
| 2011 | Archarcharch | 25-1 | $52.40 | 1:49.34 | Closer, far back | 7th |
| 2010 | Line of David | 17-1 | $36.60 | 1:49.37 | Front | 5th |
| 2009 | Papa Clem | 4-1 | $10.00 | 1:49.00 | Midpack | 2nd |
| 2008 | Gayego | 2-1 | $6.40 | 1:49.63 | Pace Presser | 1st |
| 2007 | Curlin | 4-5 | $3.60 | 1:50.00 | Stalking | 1st |
| 2006 | Lawyer Ron | 3-5 | $3.00 | 1:51.38 | Front | 1st |
