Mandarin Hero Kentucky Derby Horse Alternate Odds, History and Predictions (An Intriguing Backup Option)

It's finally time for Kentucky Derby betting. In just a few short days, 20 of the world's best horses will participate in the 149th Run for the Roses and aim for eternal glory.

One of the alternate horses for this year's race is Mandarin Hero. Here's everything you need to know about this Kentucky Derby alternate before he potentially vies for the 2023 crown.

Mandarin Hero Kentucky Derby Odds and Post Position

Mandarin Hero doesn't have any odds on him at the moment due to his status as an alternate participant. The talented colt would find his way into the race should any of the top 20 entries be pulled from the event, whether that's due to a trainer's choice or a potential drug test.

Mandarin Hero's pole position will be determined by the horse that he would potentially be replacing. 

Mandarin Hero Horse Trainer and Jockey

Mandarin Hero is trained by Terunobu Fujita. He's a relative newcomer to the training scene, having only one race under his belt.

Mandarin Hero's jockey will likely be Kazushi Kimura. The 2019 Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice Jockey has racked up over $25.6 million in career earnings and has won 13% of his races in 2023 thus far.

Mandarin Hero Race History

Mandarin Hero has a career record of six starts with four victories, as well as a pair of second-place finishes. He enters the Derby following a second-place showing at Santa Anita back on April 8. 

Mandarin Hero Kentucky Derby Prediction and Pick

Mandarin Hero is worth considering if he finds himself participating in the 2023 Kentucky Derby. While his North American history is next to non-existent, the fact that he's never finished worse than second place in a race can't be ignored. With Kimura being one of the best young jockeys in the sport today, a potential upset isn't out of the question.

Check out more Kentucky Derby coverage from The Duel:

Naturally, you can bet on which horse will win the Kentucky Derby with FanDuel Racing.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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