Kentucky Derby: Lineup and Odds
The most culturally rich and important day in Kentucky history is here. The 143rd annual Kentucky Derby has long been an event that people across the world come to see.
Celebrities, royalty, and everyday people alike join together today at Churchill Downs racetrack to witness what is widely known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”. Legends are born at the Kentucky Derby, the most recent being American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner.
Arguably the most famous horse to ever arise out of this tradition is Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Secretariat became so big, they made not one, but two movies after him. Who will become the next American Pharoah or the next Secretariat? Here’s a look at the 20-horse field and their post position (taken from Bleacher Report):
| Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Lookin At Lee | Corey Lanerie | Steve Asmussen | 28-1 |
| 2 | Thunder Snow | Christophe Soumillon | Saeed bin Suroor | 16-1 |
| 3 | Fast and Accurate | Channing Hill | Mike Maker | 66-1 |
| 4 | Untrapped | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 50-1 |
| 5 | Always Dreaming | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 4-1 |
| 6 | State of Honor | Jose Lezcano | Mark Casse | 40-1 |
| 7 | Girvin | Mike Smith | Joe Sharp | 16-1 |
| 8 | Hence | Florent Geroux | Steve Asmussen | 22-1 |
| 9 | Irap | Mario Gutierrez | Doug O’Neill | 25-1 |
| 10 | Gunnevera | Javier Castellano | Antonio Sano | 12-1 |
| 11 | Battle of Midway | Flavien Prat | Jerry Hollendorfer | 28-1 |
| 12 | Sonneteer | Kent Desormeaux | Keith Desormeaux | 33-1 |
| 13 | J Boys Echo | Luis Saez | Dale Romans | 33-1 |
| 14 | Classic Empire | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 19-4 |
| 15 | McCraken | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Ian Wilkes | 13-2 |
| 16 | Tapwrit | Jose Ortiz | Todd Pletcher | 25-1 |
| 17 | Irish War Cry | Rajiv Maragh | Graham Motion | 13-2 |
| 18 | Gormley | Victor Espinoza | John Shirreffs | 16-1 |
| 19 | Practical Joke | Joel Rosario | Chad Brown | 16-1 |
| 20 | Patch | Tyler Gaffalione | Todd Pletcher | 33-1 |
Who to Watch For
It’s going to be an ocean on the racetrack today, as the rain looks to keep piling in on this dreary Derby Saturday. The condition of the track will be something to keep your eye on if you plan on betting today. Early on, it’s looking like Always Dreaming is the favorite (4-1 odds) to win the race. Also, Classic Empire and McCraken looked primed to make a run for win.
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There are always long shots that people love to throw money down on, hoping to win big. Here are a couple of longshots that have potential to win:
Hence (22-1 odds)
Tapwrit (25-1 odds)
Practical Joke (16-1 odds)
If you’re looking to make some money, throw a couple ten-dollar wins on one of the previous longshots mentioned, and see if it sticks. Regardless, today is a day of pride in our home state of Kentucky. Be safe and have fun, Kentucky.