There have been a series of important Kentucky Derby points races in recent weeks, with those results shaking up the futures odds for the “Run for the Roses” as well as the tragic passing of Mourinho, the Smarty Jones Stakes winner, who was euthanized after a training accident.

Bolt D’oro remains the early front runner to win the Derby, priced at +300, however, there are many new contenders behind him on the Kentucky Derby futures board. Here’s a look at the notable favorites for kentucky derby betting:

Justify +400
This horse has come out of nowhere with two impressive showings in the past two months. Justify turned heads with his recent win at Santa Anita, blowing away the field for a 6.5-lengths victory on March 11. This is a Bob Baffert horse, so there’s instant Derby buzz – especially with the Santa Anita Derby approaching on April 7 or a possible run in the Arkansas Derby on April 14. The three-year-old broke his maiden with a 9.5-length win also at Santa Anita and while Baffert is being coy about his horse’s potential, the giant jump up the Derby futures board speaks to the quality of contender that Justify is.

McKinzie +400
Back in December, we pegged this horse as one to watch with his odds at +1,200. Since then McKinzie has finished first in the Sham Stakes G3 and second in the San Filipe Stakes G2, both held at Santa Anita. Surprise, surprise, this is another Baffert-trained horse, but McKinzie also comes with a good story that will make headlines come the first weekend in May: the horse is named after Baffert’s friend and Los Alamitos Race Course executive Brad McKinzie, who died due to kidney cancer last August. Due to that close connection, we could see this horse get a good push from Baffert before the Derby.

Good Magic +600
This horse was +1,000 back in November, then went on to win the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile and instantly sprung up the Kentucky Derby futures odds. He’s only raced once since that high-profile victory, finishing third in the Fountain of Youth Stakes in early March. The Chad Brown-trained three-year-old - ranked eighth in Derby points - is expected to take part in the Blue Grass Stakes in April before running at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Magnum Moon +900
Todd Pletcher has a Derby contender on his hands in Magnum Moon, who stirred the Derby pot with a victory in the Rebel Stakes G2 this past weekend. He’s won all three career races including a 3-lengths victory at the Rebel in which he exploded out of the final turn and left a very talented field in his dust for the spot in the Winner’s Circle. He’s pegged for a showing in the Arkansas Derby and currently sits fifth in the Derby points standings, offering terrific value at 9/1 odds to win at Churchill Downs on May 5.

Mask +900
This is another Chad Brown horse who has been lightly raced heading into the spring. Mask broke his maiden at Belmont Park back in October and then won the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in early January. He hasn’t seen action since that victory due to a setback during training in late January, but is expected to take part in the upcoming Lexington G3 in mid-April. While he has shown the talent to contend during Triple Crown season, his health may take importance over that and he could miss out on the Derby if Brown doesn't want to push him hard. Roll the dice at 9/1 odds on Mask at your own risk.