Expert Pick of the Week: 2023 Arkansas Derby

Mar 30, 2023 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

An excellent field of 11 sophomores will vie in the lucrative $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The vital 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event will be contested at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt and attracted a bevy of talented three-year-olds, in what promises to be an exciting feature.

I have been impressed with the continued progression shown by the Brad Cox-trained Angel of Empire and consider him to be the one to beat. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Angel of Empire was a debut dirt winner in August, and following a failed run on the lawn, the son of Classic Empire blitzed allowance foes in the Hoosier State to cap his productive two-year-old campaign. The bay put in a fine late run to finish a clear second behind a wire-to-wire winner in the Smarty Jones S. on January 1, which preceded an impressive victory from well off of the early tempo in the recent Risen Star S. (G2) on the Fair Grounds main surface.

The $70,000 yearling purchase has posted four solid morning drills in the interim and seems poised to take another step forward while making his second try at nine furlongs. Bred in the Keystone State, the colt lands in a field with some speed signed on which will aid his late run in the stretch. Top pilot Flavien Prat comes in to guide the sophomore, which is an obvious positive.

The Chris Hartman-conditioned Two Eagles River has impressed me since his debut tally at Churchill Downs in October and comes off a superb allowance win on the oval in his latest endeavor. By Cloud Computing, the $220,000 juvenile buy was flattered when Disarm, the colt he soundly defeated last time out, returned to finish a fantastic second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) last weekend at Fair Grounds.

Two Eagles River is a bit of a question mark at the 1 1/8-mile trip, but the dark bay will be in with a big chance if he duplicates his most recent performance. He shows four solid morning drills in advance of Saturday and will also be forwardly placed with Nik Juarez retaining the mount.

An exacta with #6 Angel of Empire on top of #4 Two Eagles River in the 2023 Arkansas Derby is the Best Bet of the Week.