Kentucky Derby Contenders 2015: Latest News on Projected Favorites

Every year, horse racing becomes at least of a curious, passing interest to many American sports fans when the calendar turns to the Kentucky Derby.

It's the first of three legs in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown, and the winner of the Kentucky Derby immediately becomes a media darling as fans hope and wonder if the first-place horse can go on to win the Belmont and Preakness Stakes.

The 2015 edition of the Run for the Roses—set for Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky—features a crowded, strong field, but the early favorites will no doubt be the names bandied about the most on race day. Underdogs can be great fun to root for, but the Kentucky Derby in a way makes you hope for the favorites—even if no bets have been placed.

A brilliant thoroughbred with a strong pedigree makes the Triple Crown seem all the more within reach, rather than a plucky upstart stealing a win.

Here's a look at the latest odds for the 2015 Kentucky Derby field, followed by some of the latest news for the main contenders.

Horse	Odds
American Pharoah	5-2
Dortmund	4-1
Carpe Diem	15-2
Mubtaahij	10-1
Materiality	12-1
Frosted	16-1
Firing Line	16-1
International Star	18-1
Upstart	20-1
El Kabeir	33-1
Far Right	33-1
Bolo	40-1
Danzig Moon	40-1
Ocho Ocho Ocho	40-1
Mr Z	40-1
Keen Ice	40-1
Itsaknockout	40-1
War Story	40-1
Tencendur	66-1

Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of April 27.

While those odds will look very different after Wednesday's all-important post-position draw, the early favorites appear to be a pair of Bob Baffert-trained horses in American Pharoah and Dortmund, Carpe Diem and Mubtaahij.

American Pharoah has earned effusive praise for his pre-Kentucky Derby workouts from multiple observers, even drawing comparisons to a certain legendary NBA player. 

"He's simply like Michael Jordan and stays in the air like he did in his rookie year. He stays in the air longer than any horse, and you get the feeling that there's not one gear left, but he may have two, three or four gears," private clocker Gary Young said on Sunday, via The Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

American Pharoah has won four of his five career races, including an overpowering first-place run at the Arkansas Derby on April 11. Per the AP, American Pharoah galloped five furlongs in 58.40 seconds, the best of 32 horses working out at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

Churchill Downs PR provided this quote from a clocker on Sunday:

While American Pharoah appears to bet set for a brilliant run on May 2, one cannot discount the looming specter of Dortmund, a magnificent horse drawing attention for his impressive size, per Jason Frakes of The Courier Journal:

"

Baffert said Dortmund – at 17 hands – likely is the tallest horse he's ever trained, with former Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Midnight Lute also in the conversation. Dortmund's sire, 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, was 16.1 hands.

A hand is 4 inches, and horses are measured from the ground to the withers, which is where the neck joins the body. An average horse measures 16 hands.

Baffert said Dortmund weighs 1,280 pounds, well above the average thoroughbred weight of 1,100 pounds. By comparison, Baffert's American Pharoah – the likely Derby favorite - measures 16.1 hands and 1,170 pounds.

"

Jockey Mike Garcia has no qualms with riding such a towering horse.

"No, not at all," he said, via Frakes. "It feels really comfortable. … I can see everybody."

Perhaps the experienced Garcia can use Dortmund's height to his advantage at Churchill Downs. In a crowded field, Garcia might have a shot at spotting a running lane or hole opening up before other jockeys from his lofty vantage point.

As for final pre-Derby workouts, The Courier Journal's Jonathan Lintner noted on Saturday that Dortmund went six furlongs in one minute and 13.6 seconds, Carpe Diem traversed four furlongs in 48.6 seconds, and Mubtaahij ran a half-mile in 49.7 seconds.

The Kentucky Derby Twitter page also noted on Monday that Mubtaahij and Carpe Diem had arrived at Churchill Downs:

Dortmund arrived at Churchill Downs early on Sunday, per John Asher of KentuckyDerby.com.

With the post positions still a mystery, it's worth noting that those horses considered legitimate contenders can change. A slot in the dreaded No. 1 hole for any horse not named American Pharoah would be a significant downer, as would the likes of Carpe Diem or Mubtaahij lining up on the outside to start the race. 

While any of these horses can still win from a bad spot, the odds and prognostications will almost certainly shift. Dortmund is a fine, fine horse, and a favorable post position combined with an unsavory draw for American Pharoah might even tip the odds in his favor as we inch closer toward Saturday.