2021 Churchill Downs morning line, odds: Race 2 picks for Kentucky Derby Saturday from SportsLine's horse racing writer

The Todd Pletcher-trained Cadencia will try to win for the first time when she faces 11 other maidens in Race 2 on Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Cadencia is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Race 2 odds. Post time is 11:01 a.m. ET.

Before making any Race 2 picks, you'll want to hear what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010. In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.

Now, Menez has handicapped the field for Race 2, made his picks and formulated his bets.

We can tell you that he is high on Soma, a 12-1 long shot. "This Janney homebred returns after a long series of works, and you know that [trainer Shug] McGaughey doesn't want to embarrass one of his top clients on Derby day," Menez says. "I like that Jose Ortiz stays on." Menez is using Soma prominently in his wagers.

Menez is high on another double-digit long shot who "should be forward in this relatively paceless race." He's including this horse in his exactas, and so should you. You NEED to see which horse it is before making any picks of your own.

So who wins Race 2 at Churchill Downs on Saturday? What double-digit long shot must be used? And how did Menez structure his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get Race 2 picks and wagers, all from the insider who once cashed for $6,900 on Kentucky Derby day!