'Wicked Strong' Among 2014 Kentucky Derby Favorites

Boston area residents who didn't plan on betting on this year's Kentucky Derby may now have a good reason to put a few dollars down on Saturday's race. 

Wicked Strong, a 3-year-old colt owned by partners from Centennial Farms in Beverly, Mass., has a real chance of winning the 140th Run for the Roses - and a portion of his winnings will benefit The One Fund Boston.

Although he came with the name Moyne Spun, Wicked Strong's owner and Centennial Farms President Donald Little Jr. said he always planned on changing his horse's name - but wasn't inspired until the days following the 2013 Boston Marathon.

When Little filed paperwork to rename his colt Boston Strong, he learned that the moniker had already been claimed by another New England partnership company.

"When we named him (Wicked Strong), it was more out of anger," Little told brisnet.com. "It's more of a reaction to what had happened and what was going on in the city with the intention of something good coming out of it and being able to donate some money to the One Fund and be able to help the families and the victims." 

Little said he was optimistic about Wicked Strong's chances when reached by phone in Kentucky Thursday morning - his horse's odds of winning are currently set at 8-1.

"We donated one percent of Wicked Strong's winnings to The One Fund Boston and we've been able to raise more than $7,000 to date," Little said. "But for the Triple Crown races we will be donating five percent."  

Which means that one winning performance from Wicked Strong in the next few weeks could do a lot of good for the victims of last year's bombings.

Top prize at The Kentucky Derby is $2 million while a win at The Preakness Stakes or The Belmont Stakes pays out $1.5 million.

The Kentucky Derby will be held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, May 3, 2014. It will be airing on NBC from 4 to 7 p.m.

Here's more information about The 2014 Kentucky Derby and the latest odds.