The 2022 Jim Dandy: Saturday Odds, Picks, And Epicenter’s Two-Front Battle With Zandon And Early Voting

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – MAY 21: Jockey Jose Ortiz #5 and Early Voting lead Epicenter and jockey Joel … [+] Rosario #8 to win the 147th Running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 21, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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t’s axiomatic that Thoroughbreds need smaller races “put into them,” in trainer’s parlance, in order to attain the polish and tactical experience required for the big runs, and today’s field for the Jim Dandy has had the extreme good fortune to have top Triple Crown colts Zandon, Epicenter, and Early Voting pile into the $600,000 Grade 1. A lot of stars had to align in order to put this amount of Triple Crown talent in this traditional prep for the Travers (on August 27 this year). It’s almost as if it’s a 19th-century match race that some extra horses piled in.

But before we get into what, exactly, Early Voting’s blazing Preakness win over Epicenter means and whether it will do him any good today, or whether the also-ran Epicenter can lift his Triple Crown record out of its slump, herewith, a refresher on the morning line. We’ll add live odds as the money starts to talk out at Saratoga.

(Post Position, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line)

1. Western River, Brisset, Santana, Jr., 20-1

2. Epicenter, Asmussen, Rosario, 3-2

3. 3. Tawny Port, Cox, Ortiz Jr., 8-1

4. 4. Early Voting, Brown, Ortiz, 8-5

5. 5. Zandon, Brown, Prat, 2-1

(Source: Saratoga/NYRA, 30/7/2022)