Kentucky Derby Field 2013: Horses with Strongest Pedigrees

When it comes to horse racing, jockeys and trainers can only do so much. The biggest impact on a horse's capability comes from his pedigree.

Pedigree plays a huge role in a horse's strengths and weaknesses. Most of these horses come from a long line of pure thoroughbreds, with generations of victories stacked on top of each other. 

Where a horse comes from and what his ancestors excelled in is always a huge factor in figuring out who has the best chance to win. All the more reason why it's necessary to delve into the topic just days away from the 2013 Kentucky Derby. 

Let's take a look at the horses with the best pedigrees in the field at Churchill Downs this weekend.

Orb

It's no secret that Orb is one of the biggest favorites to gallop to victory at Churchill Downs, and a huge reason for that is his pedigree.

Orb is perfect for the 1 1/4 miles it takes to win the Derby, coming from a Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable homebred. His sire, Malibu Moon, is a product of A.P. Indy and has produced countless champions at the 1 1/4 mile length.

This horse also has connections to Lady Liberty and Unbridled, the latter of which took home the 1990 Kentucky Derby.

Simply put, there isn't a horse in the field that has a better pedigree than Orb and that will play a huge role in this race. 

Verrazano

Verrazano comes directly from his sire, More than Ready, who brings a great pedigree of horse racing victories and high-place finishes. And More than Ready was trained by Todd Pletcher, Verrazano's trainer, so that dynamic should only help him to get the most out of Verrazano's untapped potential.

Verrazano will use also some skills from the dam's side of his pedigree, Enchanted Rock, who is by a plethora of champions at all sorts of distance levels. 

The pedigree and history of Verrazano's breed should only help him to stand out from the pack at Churchill Downs.

Overanalyze

Overanalyze's pedigree isn't as historically dominant as the previous two horses, but it offers plenty of reason for excitement and mentions some household names.

He's from the Dixie Union sire, which has produced Union Rags, last year's Belmont Stakes winner. That facet speaks for itself, along with ties to Dixie Strike and Grasshopper.

Overanalyze's pedigree is tailor-made for this distance, which should prove to be obvious down the home stretch when he begins passing horses of smaller pedigrees.

It's not the pedigree of an Orb or Verrazano, but there's nothing to scoff at when it comes to Overanalyze's pedigree.