Kentucky Derby 2013: Predicting the Results for This Year's Race

As we head down the final stretch before the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby, it's time to figure out who has the best shot at winning the illustrious race at Churchill Downs.

It's unclear at this point if we have the next I'll Have Another in the field, who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes both in thrilling fashion before an injury prevented a run at the Triple Crown. But we do know that there are plenty of horses in the running that have a shot at achieving such greatness.

This year's crop of horses is no joke, and there's really a feasible way for one of five or six of these contenders to not only win at Churchill Downs but perhaps make a run to the Triple Crown.

In descending order, let's predict the top 10 finishers and why they'll finish there.

10th place – Normandy Invasion

Normandy Invasion is led by trainer Chad Brown, who has had a heap of success in the Breeders' Cup circuit. That will have this speedy stallion in the hunt and finish in the top 10. 

9th place – Mylute

Starting in the sixth gate, Mylute should be able to run with the front of the pack early on long enough to stay in the thick of things. Jockey Rosie Napravnik finished ninth last year with Pants on Fire at Churchill Downs, the highest finish ever for a female jockey, and she'll finish in that same spot in the 139th running. 

8th place – Java's War

Java's War hasn't been talked about much in the buildup to the race, but trainer Kenny McPeek has this horse ready to do what his 70-1 horse Sarava did in the 2002 Belmont Stakes—win. That preparation won't turn into an improbable victory; however, it will have him in the top 10.

7th place – Revolutionary

Here's another Todd Pletcher horse who has a decent shot of winning, at least in the odds. But with a strong crop of horses in front of him, Revolutionary won't be able to break out of the pack.

6th place – Overanalyze

Another horse trained by Pletcher, Overanalyze will show nice speed and endurance to put him among the front-runners down the stretch. 

Overanalyze may not be one of Pletcher's horses that most people are talking about, but he's just as able as any of them and will prove it with a solid finish. 

5th place – Frac Daddy

At just a 50-1 chance of victory, Frac Daddy is going to be that Cinderella story this year at Churchill Downs. He should start out in the front with some of the best speed among this year's horses, and he also can hold onto enough energy to sustain a late run.

The elite horses will find their way at the top by the end of the race, but don't expect Frac Daddy to slip to the back before crossing the finish line.

4th place – Goldencents

Rick Pitino's good luck from Louisville's 2013 NCAA tournament run won't rub off on the horse he's representing Saturday. 

With Doug O'Neill as his trainer, who choreographed I'll Have Another's 2012 run, Goldencents is an imposing match on paper and that will get him a top-five finish after a strong season thus far. But an inconsistent pedigree doesn't bode well for this horse. 

3rd place – Orb

As a 7-2 favorite, a third-place finish for Orb would be a disappointment, to say the least. But the field he's racing against is no joke, and the long list of contenders against him will prove to be too much. However, he'll be in the thick of things throughout the entire 1 1/4 miles before being overtaken by two speedsters down the stretch.

2nd place – Itsmyluckyday

If it weren't for an upset victory by Orb in the Florida Derby, Itsmyluckyday would likely be the odds-on favorite in Louisville this weekend. Instead, the 7-5 favorite from the Florida Derby is now at 15-1 on the Wednesday morning line and is a great horse to put your money on. 

1st place – Verrazano

With a unique combination of a quality pedigree, a world-famous trainer and a legendary jockey, Verrazano has what it takes to grab a victory at the Kentucky Derby. 

Todd Pletcher's expertise with his top horse is unlike almost anything horse racing has ever seen, and that will prove true here with Verrazano. Just as important, 2011 Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez will be riding the Thoroughbred to victory.

Coming from sire More Than Ready, Verrazano possesses great endurance and speed that will have him beating every horse in the field.