Kentucky Derby Contenders: Which Horses Have the Speed Advantage?

There are numerous factors in play when it comes to handicapping the Kentucky Derby. One of the most important is speed, which is especially crucial early in the mile-and-a-quarter race when several horses tend to get squeezed out by the huge field.

Getting a quick jump out of the gate and using that early speed to find a comfort zone within the hard-charging group is the first step to derby success. Those that don't have it are forced to fight from behind the entire way, an extremely unfavorable position when so many horses are involved.

With that in mind, let's check out three horses in Saturday's race that should be able to get off the ideal starts courtesy of their speed edge. All of them are serious contenders to take home to first leg of the Triple Crown.

For a complete list of derby horses, visit the race's official site. All speed figures used are courtesy AllHorseRacing.ag.

Goldencents

Goldencents had a tremendous showing in the Santa Anita Derby, his final warm-up race before the derby. He posted a 105 Beyer, which was tied for the best winning figure by any horse during the road to the Kentucky Derby.

The best thing about his Santa Anita dominance is the fact it shows he's peaking at the right time. Form, which is another factor to consider heading into the race, can't be overlooked. The fact he enters off such a high note bodes well for his chances.

Here is co-owner Rick Pitino watching him, captured by WLKY's Fred Cowgill:

All told, Goldencents has won in four of his six starts and also has a second-place finish. Aside from a forgettable showing at the San Felipe Stakes, he's looked like a top contender at every other stop and has the speed to make an early move.

Verrazano

Verrazano was the other derby horse to post a 105 Beyer figure. He did it in his second career race at Gulfstream Park, which was when it really started to become clear he had serious potential. He also cracked 100 in the Tampa Bay Derby.

With four wins in four career starts, Verrazano is undoubtedly going to generate a massive amount of hype leading up to post time. It's deserved because of the natural speed he's shown, but there are some other factors to consider.

The biggest one is a lack of experience. The colt has raced just four times and hasn't faced any real adversity. A field of 20 is obviously going to present some unique challenges. A few more races would have helped prepare him for it. But the speed is definitely good enough.

Itsmyluckyday

One horse outside the top few contenders with good speed is Itsmyluckyday. He posted a 104 Beyer in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes and had another strong showing in the Gulfstream Park Derby on New Year's Day.

Add in the fact he finished second to top contender Orb in the Florida Derby the last time out, and there's clearly a lot to like about the horse. He went through a little slump near the next of last year, but has seemingly worked out the kinks in 2013.

All told, Itsmyluckyday will probably enter the derby as a solid value choice. The speed factor gives him a chance to keep pace with the top horses. He's also endured and emerged from a rough patch, and he should be in the mix coming down the stretch on Saturday.