Kentucky Derby Predictions: Horses Sure to Shine at 138th Race

Everyone has a favorite horse with the Kentucky Derby just hours away, but very few in the 20-horse field will accomplish what they set out to do. All of them obviously have jockeys, trainers and owners who want to win, but some have more realistic goals such as simply having a good showing or finishing in the money.

Once the race is over, most will only remember the winner, but over the course of the fastest two minutes in sports, many stars will shine. Some horses will set a blistering pace early, while others will make a harrowing dash late. That is what makes the Kentucky Derby so unpredictable and exciting to watch.

Here are three horses who are sure to impress in the run for the roses, even if only one of them can come out on top in the end.

Bodemeister

It's certainly no surprise that Bodemeister is considered the favorite heading into the Kentucky Derby as he has everything you look for in a potential winner.

Not only does he have an advantageous starting post at No. 5, but no horse has a better jockey-trainer combination than Bodemeister with Mike Smith and Bob Baffert. Smith has one Derby win to his credit, while Baffert has three, so Bodemeister certainly has the right men directing him.

Bodemeister has four dirt-track races under his belt since January and he has performed well, winning twice and placing twice. His most recent performance was a dominant win at the Arkansas Derby, which was his first race with Smith at the controls. Everything would seem to be in Bodemeister's favor, and while that can often lead to disappointment, Bodemeister looks like the clear horse to beat.

Daddy Nose Best

Perhaps he hasn't received as much attention as the likes of Bodemeister, Union Rags and Gemologist, but Daddy Nose Best is a horse that is essentially in the middle of the pack in terms of betting interest with a real shot to win. He is somewhat of a late charger as he is at his most dangerous in the latter stages of the race when he is either near the back or somewhere in the middle of the field.

His post draw of No. 10 is neither good nor bad, so he will continue to be fairly anonymous up until post time. Daddy Nose Best will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, and while Gomez has yet to win a Kentucky Derby, he is generally considered to be one of the best in the sport as evidenced by his success at the Breeders' Cup. Daddy Nose Best enters the Derby with back-to-back victories and a ton of momentum, and he could easily continue the trend of horses coming on late to win the Kentucky Derby.

Trinniberg

He may be one of the longest shots in the race, but there is no doubt that Trinniberg will make his presence felt. He is as fast as they come as a sprinter and will likely set the pace early, but the true question is whether he can hold up over the entire race.

No matter if he does or not, though, Trinniberg may hold the key to the result. If he gets things started at a break-neck pace, then it may force some jockeys to move their horses quicker than they bargained for.

That could absolutely throw things into disarray. It's fair to say that pacesetters normally tire out near the end of the race, but you never know what might happen. It's certainly possible that Trinniberg may grab the lead, never relinquish it and pull off one of the bigger Derby upsets in recent memory. It's more likely that he'll be a star for the first half of the race, though a spot in the top could be a possibility.