Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 27, 2019

WHO’S HOT

The one-two finishers from both the Louisiana Derby and Sunland Park Derby last weekend are the four newcomers to this week’s Derby Watch top 20, which is increasingly driven by the points list as Derby Day draws closer because you can’t win it if you’re not in it. By My Standards and Spinoff, the top two in the Louisiana Derby, are both 20-1 on the Kentucky Derby line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper. Watchmaker has both Cutting Humor and Anothertwistafate, the top two in the Sunland Park Derby, at 30-1.

WHO’S NOT

To make room for the newest members of the top 20, Galilean, Harvey Wallbanger, Mind Control, and Mucho Gusto had to be removed. The only one of those four who raced in the past week was Mucho Gusto, who was a distant third in the Sunland Park Derby. War of Will, 12-1 last week, was raised by Watchmaker to 20-1, and Country House went from 30-1 to 50-1, following their performances in the Louisiana Derby.

:: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with comments from Jay Privman and Mike Watchmaker

ON THE BUBBLE

The unbeaten Maximum Security, risked in his debut for $16,000, is among the horses in the Florida Derby on Saturday. Both that race and the United Arab Emirates Derby, also Saturday, offer 100 points for first and 40 for second, so any horse who finishes in the top two in those races and has designs on the Derby will have enough points to make the list if he’s not there already.