The Kentucky Derby has been won by the favorite for four straight years, and the longest odds on any of those winners were 5-1 for Orb in 2013. California Chrome and American Pharoah won at 5-2 in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and last year's winner, Nyquist, went off at 2-1. So which horse will be the favorite for Saturday's 143 rd Run for the Roses? Whichever horse breaks from the gate at 5:34 p.m.
CDT as the favorite, he might pay off better for his backers than the winners of the past four years - should he win, of course. 'I think it's as wide open as we've seen in a long time,', who'll saddle J Boys Echo for the Kentucky Derby. 'I think you're going to have some big odds on whoever the favorite is. I think you've got McCraken, I think you've got Always Dreaming, and, of course, Classic Empire.
I mean it could be any horse in this race.' Classic Empire figures to be at least the morning-line favorite when the track handicapper's odds are set on Wednesday. The best as a 2-year-old among this crop of Derby hopefuls, Classic Empire won his final prep at the Arkansas Derby and his two non-wins in seven races can be explained. In one, he unseated his jockey at the start; in the other, he had a foot abscess. The other winners of the major prep races coming in include Always Dreaming from the Florida Derby, Girvin from the Arkansas Derby, Gormley from the Santa Anita Derby and Irish War Cry from the Wood Memorial. All have things to like.
Always Dreaming ran away with the Florida Derby. Girvin's only loss in four races came on turf. Gormley has two Grade 1 stakes victories, and his jockey is three-time Kentucky Derby winner Victor Espinoza. Irish War Cry has four victories and one head-scratching, out-of-the-money run on his record. There's also McCraken, who's only loss might be explained by a prior ankle injury, and Thunder Snow as the exotic entrant, an Irish horse coming off a victory in the UAE Derby in Dubai. The field, probably of 20 horses, won't be official until Wednesday.
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There have been 36 points-paying races over the past year to qualify horses for the Kentucky Derby field. A rundown on the 20 horses assured of getting into the Kentucky Derby, if their owners choose to enter them, as determined by Churchill Downs': Always Dreaming, never out of the money in five starts, has won all three starts in 2017, capped by a 5-length victory over Kentucky Derby contender State of Honor in the Florida Derby on April 1 in his first stakes race. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who saddled 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.
Jockey: John Velazquez, who rode 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Record: 5-3-1-1. Earnings: $648,900. Pedigree: Above Perfection by Bodemeister. Battle of Midway earned his shot at the Kentucky Derby with a second-place run in the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.
He led all the way until being overtaken in the stretch by Kentucky Derby contender Gormley to finish second by one-half length. Battle of Midway did not race as a 2-year old and has raced only at Santa Anita. After winning his first outing on Jan.
21, Battle of Midway stepped up to the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes and finished third on Feb. He won again on March 9 before tackling the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer. Jockey: Flavien Prat. Record: 4-2-1-1.
Earnings: $290,000. Pedigree: Rigoletta by Smart Strike. Classic Empire was the best 2-year-old of 2016, winning the Grade 1 Breeder's Futurity and Breeder's Cup Juvenile. Then came the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 4, and Classic Empire ran third to Kentucky Derby contenders Irish War Cry and Gunnevera at Gulfstream Park. A foot abscess got the blame for that performance, and he came back to win the Arkansas Derby, overtaking two horses in the stretch, to jump to second in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings.
In Classic Empire's other non-win, he unseated his jockey at the start of the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes on Sept. Classic Empire's sire, Pioneerof the Nile, also was the father of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: Julien Leparoux. Record: 7-5-0-1. Earnings: $2,120,220.
Pedigree: Sambuca Classica by Pioneerof the Nile. Girvin sits on top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings after winning the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on April 1. All of his races have been at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, and his only non-victory - a second-place finish on Feb. 4 - came on turf.
Girvin took the lead heading into the stretch in his two stakes victories and ran down the leader in the stretch in his debut race. Brian Hernandez, the horse's regular jockey, chose to ride McCraken in the Kentucky Derby, and veteran Mike Smith will take the reins at Churchill Downs. Trainer: Joe Sharp. Jockey: Mike Smith, rode 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo. Record: 4-3-1-0. Download Hack Counter Strike Online Singapore. Earnings: $874,400. Pedigree: Catch the Moon by Take of Ekati.
Gormley, third in the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings, heads into the Run for the Roses after winning the Santa Anita Derby on April 8, overtaking Battle of Midway in the stretch and winning by one-half length. Gormley won his first race, then led wire-to-wire in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes to start his stay at Santa Anita on Oct.
Then came a seventh-place finish at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile - 16 lengths behind winner Classic Empire. Gormley won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes to start his 3-year-old season, then slumped to a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes before his big win in the Santa Anita Derby one month later. Trainer: John Shirreffs, who saddled 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo. Jockey: Victor Espinoza, who rode 2015 Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah, 2014 Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome and 2002 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem. Record: 6-4-0-0.
Earnings: $920,000. Pedigree: Race to Urga by Malibu Moon. Gunnevera has been well-campaigned from his base at Gulfstream Park, winning at three tracks. He's beaten and lost to Kentucky Derby contenders along the way.
After winning the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes on Aug. 14, Gunnevera ran fifth in Classic Empire's Breeders' Futurity victory, ran from ninth to the win over the final one-quarter mile in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes, couldn't keep up with Irish War Cry in a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes, ran away with the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and ran third to Always Dreaming and State of Honor in the Grade 1 Florida Derby his last time out.
Trainer: Antonio Sano. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Record: 9-4-2-1. Earnings: $1,170,200. Pedigree: Unbridled Rage by Dialed In.
Irish War Cry was sailing toward the Kentucky Derby - 3-for-3, including the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes, where Gunnerva and Classic Empire couldn't handle him - to open his career. Then came the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, and Irish War Cry came in seventh - 21 lengths behind winner Gunnevera.
He bounced back in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, running strong in the stretch to win by 3.5 lengths on April 8. Trainer: Graham Motion. Jockey: Rajiv Maragh.
Record: 5-4-0-0. Earnings: $699,460. Pedigree: Irish Sovereign by Curlin. Lookin At Lee got into the top 20 for the Kentucky Derby when trainer Todd Pletcher decided that Battalion Runner and Malagacy, both ahead of Lookin at Lee in the point standings, would not run on Saturday. Lookin at Lee won twice at Ellis Park and finished second in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes and Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity as a 2-year-old. He hasn't been as impressive since, but is well-campaigned, running in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, Grade 2 Rebel Stakes and Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
A closer throughout his career, Lookin at Lee is coming off a third-place finish in Arkansas - 1.5 lengths behind winner Classic Empire. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: To be announced. Record: 9-2-2-2. Earnings: $452,785. Pedigree: Langara Lass by Lookin At Lucky. McCraken won his three outings as a 2-year-old, all at Churchill Downs.
After ending the 2016 season by winning the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, McCraken started his 3-year-old campaign by winning the Grade 3 Sam F. Future Pinball Simpsons Download Game here. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by beating Kentucky Derby contenders Tapwrit and State of Honor on Feb. But McCraken suffered an ankle injury on Feb. 28 and skipped his scheduled prep at the Tampa Bay Derby. Back in Kentucky, he returned in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, unable to catch Kentucky Derby contenders Irap and Practical Joke in the stretch for a third-place finish. Trainer: Ian Wilkes.
Jockey: Brian Hernandez. Record: 5-4-0-1. Earnings: $410,848. Pedigree: Ivory Empress by Ghostzapper. Patch didn't race as a 2-year-old and lost his left eye in an accident before getting on the track.
In maiden special weight races at Gulfstream Park, he came from ninth in the stretch to finish second by a neck before winning his second time out. Patch made his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on April 1 and finished second by 1.25 lengths to Girvin, the leader of the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who saddled 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. Jockey: To be announced. Record: 3-1-2-0. Earnings: $230,020.
Pedigree: Windyindy by Union Rags. Practical Joke started his career with three straight victories - including the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes and Champagne Stakes -- before showing third in Classic Empire's runaway in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov.
As a 3-year-old, Practical Joke has finished second in both his races, running a distant second to Gunnevera in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and coming up three-quarters of a length short of Irap in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8. Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Joel Rosario, who rode 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb. Record: 6-3-2-1. Earnings: $1,015,800. Pedigree: Halo Humor by Into Mischief.
Sonneteer got into the top 20 for the Kentucky Derby when trainer Todd Pletcher decided that Battalion Runner and Malagacy, both ahead of Sonneteer in the point standings, would not run on Saturday. That should allow Sonneteer to run in the Kentucky Derby even though he hasn't won in 10 races. In his two stakes races, Sonneteer ran second to Malagacy by 2 lengths in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes and finished fourth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, 2 lengths behind winner Classic Empire. Trainer: Keith Desormeaux.
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux, who rode 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet. Record: 10-0-4-2. Earnings: $284,445. Pedigree: Ours by Midnight Lute. Tapwrit finished last in his first race and was shipped from New York to Florida, where he won his other two 2-year-old outings.
As a 3-year-old, Tapwrit finished second to McCraken by 1.5 lengths in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 11, won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby by 4.5 lengths over State of Honor on March 11 and turned in a clunker at the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes by finishing fifth, 11 lengths behind Irap on April 8.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who saddled 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Record: 6-3-1-0. Earnings: $343,902.
Pedigree: Appealing Zophie by Tapit. Untrapped holds the 18 th spot in the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings, but he looked like a sturdier Derby contender than that sounds until his most recent outing - a sixth-place finish at the Arkansas Derby on April 15, which was still only 4.75 lengths behind winner Classic Empire. As a 3-year-old, Untrapped finished second in the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes on Jan. 21 and the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 25 and third in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on March 18. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in his second outing on Nov.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: To be announced. Record: 6-1-3-1. Earnings: $259,658. Pedigree: Exit Three by Trappe Shot.