O'Brien has French Derby favorite in Constitution River
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Constitution River and Daryzan lead the betting for Sunday’s Group 1 French Derby at Chantilly Racecourse north of Paris after diverse starts to their careers.
Constitution River, trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, has won 3 of 4 starts and his only race this year – a dominant win by seven lengths as the heavy favorite in the Dee Stakes at 1 5/16 miles at Chester Racecourse in England on May 7.
The $1.75 million French Derby is run at 1 5/16 miles.
Daryzan, trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, has raced only once, winning a one-mile race for first-time starters by five lengths as the odds-on favorite at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in Paris on May 5.
Daryzan drew the inside post in a field of 16 in the French Derby, formally known as the Prix du Jockey Club. Constitution River starts from post 15.
As of Friday morning, Constitution River was the 13-8 favorite, with Daryzan at 7-2.
Constitution River, owned by the Coolmore syndicate, will be ridden by Ryan Moore, who will have ample opportunity to save ground in the first half of the race.
Chantilly is a right-handed track. The French Derby starts in a chute to the left of the grandstand, with a lengthy run to the backstretch before a sweeping turn leading to a three-furlong stretch and a slight uphill finish.
O’Brien, who won the 2025 French Derby, has three runners in this year’s field, including Hawk Mountain and Montreal.
Hawk Mountain, 6-1 in early betting on Friday for the French Derby, was fifth in his first start last August but has won his last four starts, a span that includes the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at a mile at Doncaster Racecourse in England last October and his lone start his year in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche at 1 1/8 miles at Chantilly on May 4. Hawk Mountain led throughout the Prix de Guiche in a field of five and won by 1 1/4 lengths.
Montreal has won once in three starts. He was second by a head to Dolmalan in the listed Prix de Seresnes at 1 1/4 miles on April 28 at Chantilly in his only start this year. Dolmalan is unbeaten in three starts, including two races at 1 1/4 miles at Chantilly, but was rated as a 14-1 outsider for the French Derby. Montreal was 16-1.
The French Derby will be a stamina test for the promising Komorebi, who was second by a length in the Group 1 French 2000 Guineas at a mile on May 10 at Longchamp. The French Derby will be the longest race for Komorebi, who is trained by Andre Fabre.
The French Derby has a post time of 10:30 a.m. Eastern.
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