Kentucky Derby 2017 Odds: Best and Worst Horse-Jockey Tandem to Bet

The field for the 2017 Kentucky Derby is officially set, and several horses stand out as top contenders both due to their own talent and the body of work their respective jockeys possess.

Although having a great horse is of the utmost importance, saddling them with a jockey who has experience and knows how to win big races is often just as vital, especially in a 20-horse field like the Run For the Roses.

Here is a look at the current odds heading toward Saturday's race, as well as analysis regarding the best and worst horse-jockey duos in the field.

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Lookin at Lee	Steve Asmussen	Corey Lanerie	20-1
2	Thunder Snow	Saeed bin Suroor	Christophe Soumillon	20-1
3	Fast and Accurate	Mike Maker	Channing Hill	50-1
4	Untrapped	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	30-1
5	Always Dreaming	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	5-1
6	State of Honor	Mark Casse	Jose Lezcano	30-1
7	Girvin	Joe Sharp	Mike Smith	15-1
8	Hence	Steve Asmussen	Florent Geroux	15-1
9	Irap	Doug O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	20-1
10	Gunnevera	Antonio Sano	Javier Castellano	15-1
11	Battle of Midway	Jerry Hollendorfer	Flavien Prat	30-1
12	Sonneteer	Keith Desormeaux	Kent Desormeaux	50-1
13	J Boys Echo	Dale Romans	Luis Saez	20-1
14	Classic Empire	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux	4-1
15	McCraken	Ian Wilkes	Brian Hernandez	5-1
16	Tapwrit	Todd Pletcher	Jose Ortiz	20-1
17	Irish War Cry	Graham Motion	Rajiv Maragh	6-1
18	Gormley	John Shirreffs	Victor Espinoza	15-1
19	Practical Joke	Chad Brown	Joel Rosario	20-1
20	Patch	Todd Pletcher	Tyler Gaffalione	30-1

Best: Gormley with Victor Espinoza

Gormley seems to be flying under the radar in comparison to horses such as Classic Empire and Always Dreaming, but there is a lot to like about the Santa Anita Derby winner.

After a disappointing fourth-place result in the San Felipe Stakes, Gormley turned in a highly impressive performance in the Santa Anita and appears to be hitting his stride at the perfect time.

As seen in this video of a recent workout at Santa Anita courtesy of TVG, Gormley seems to be in fine form and is working various moves into his repertoire:

In addition to being a strong horse, Gormley arguably has better guidance than any other horse in the race thanks to the presence of jockey Victor Espinoza.

Espinoza is a three-time Kentucky Derby winner, and he won the Triple Crown aboard American Pharoah in 2015.

Despite his resume, Espinoza isn't being talked about much entering the Derby, but that's just the way he likes it, according to Jody Demling of Wave 3 News: "I like that we're being overlooked. I don't mind [people] talking about other horses and let them have the pressure. Gormley is doing well, and I don't mind a lot of people not talking about us."

There is often an overwhelming favorite in the Kentucky Derby, but that isn't necessarily the case this year with a handful of horses looking to be in the mix.

In a recent interview on CBS Sports Radio's Tiki and Tierney, Espinoza expressed his belief that no horse stands out above the rest:

Gormley has won four of his six career races, and he is used to being part of big events, such as the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Sham Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby.

He isn't being touted much despite having plenty working in his favor, and that could very well play into the hands of Espinoza and net him a fourth career Kentucky Derby win.

Worst: Fast and Accurate with Channing Hill

Due in large part to a lack of experience, Fast and Accurate is among the biggest underdogs in the entire Kentucky Derby field.

Owned partly by Olympic skier Bode Miller, Fast and Accurate has just two races to his credit. While both of them were wins, including the Spiral Stakes, his overall resume leaves plenty to be desired in comparison to the rest of the field.

According to John Piassek of DanonymousRacing.com, there isn't much to like about Fast and Accurate's chances:

To make matters even tougher, Fast and Accurate will be saddled by unheralded jockey Channing Hill.

The 29-year-old is talented, but he is also short on experience and success in top races such as the Triple Crown legs and Breeders' Cup.

Despite that, part-owner Kendall Hansen invested a huge chunk of change just to have an outside shot at a Kentucky Derby win, per WLWT 5: "We missed the deadline by just four or five days after winning the Spiral, and I have to pay $200,000 to run in the Derby, so I'm trying not to think about it. ... The money I won from winning the [Spiral Stakes] just passes through my hands back over to Churchill. If I think about $200,000 to be in a race, it's insanity, but for one chance to be in the Derby it's worth it, it really is."

Fast and Accurate has a great pedigree as the son of former Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Hansen, but his track record doesn't compare to that of his father.

If the combination of Fast and Accurate and Hill finds its way into the contending mix in any respect, it will be considered a massive upset at Churchill Downs.