Kentucky Derby 2013 Live Stream: Online Viewing Info and More

Churchill Downs welcomes a talented field of 19 horses for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby. Horse racing doesn't capture the national spotlight often, but derby day is always an exception as the quest for the Triple Crown begins.

The first thing that stands out about the 2013 field is the high level of competitiveness. Orb, the morning-line favorite, is now the third choice behind Goldencents and Revolutionary. Without a clear top horse, it should be one of the most intriguing races in recent memory.

Whichever horse emerges from the deep group will move within two wins of winning the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Here's a look at the horses hoping to accomplish that feat, followed by a closer examination of the top contenders on the board.

Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

When: Saturday, May 4 at 6:24 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Full Field and Odds

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Black Onyx	Joe Bravo	Kelly Breen	SCR
2	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	25-1
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	5-1
4	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart	31-1
5	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	8-1
6	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	14-1
7	Giant Finish	Jose Espinoza	Anthony Dutrow	44-1
8	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	5-1
9	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher	14-1
10	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher	26-1
11	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	42-1
12	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa Jr.	11-1
13	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II	49-1
14	Verrazano	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	11-1
15	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	32-1
16	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude McGaughey III	6-1
17	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas	31-1
18	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Kenny McPeek	15-1
19	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Kenny McPeek	22-1
20	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez	43-1

Odds as of 7:30 a.m. ET (via KentuckyDerby.com)

Top Contenders

Goldencents (5-1)

It's no surprise to see Goldencents move to the top of the board. Trained by Doug O'Neill, who helped guide I'll Have Another to a derby victory last year, the talented colt has won four of his six career races. That includes the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his last start.

Goldencents' best trait is versatility. He's shown early pace, late pace and everything in between, which will allow him to adapt to the race. There are a lot of horses in the field that rely on one trait and if things don't break perfectly, they don't have a chance. That's not the case for the early co-favorite.

The only worrisome result was a fourth-place finish in the San Felipe Stakes. The fact he was able to bounce right back to post his best effort to date in the Santa Anita Derby makes that less of a concern, though. He's got all the tools to live up to his favored status.

Revolutionary (5-1)

Revolutionary has finished in the money in all six career starts. The last three of those resulted in wins, including the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in his final race before the derby. It suggest he's peaking at exactly the right time.

The main reason he's garnering a lot of attention isn't his results, though. It's the fact the reigns will be handed to three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel. Starting from the No. 3 post will allow Borel to quickly assume his favorite spot along the rail.

Whether or not Revolutionary will have the late kick necessary to outlast such a deep field is the biggest question mark. Borel should be able to conserve some energy in the early going, but the true test will be when they turn for home and he calls for a surge from his star horse.

Orb (6-1)

The fact three horses are listed between 5-1 and 6-1 odds without a clear favorite at around 2-1 shows exactly how much uncertainty there is. The field features no dominant horse, but several strong contenders capable of stealing the spotlight.

Orb is perhaps the toughest riddle to solve. While he's won four straight races after a lackluster start to his career, the form he's illustrated still doesn't shout derby champ. He would need to take another step forward to win today.

Although it's entirely possible he pulls it off, he simply didn't provide enough value as the singular favorite, which is why his odds have begun to fade. A good horse to work into exotic picks now that his value is more reasonable.

Normandy Invasion (8-1)

The word associated with Normandy Invasion heading into the derby is potential. He's won just one of his five career starts, and that was a maiden race against lackluster competition last year. So the results haven't been there yet.

Yet, a strong showing at the Grade 1 Wood Memorial (second to Verrazano) has people thinking he's ready to break out. He's flashed tremendous late pace, a major key in the mile-and-a-quarter derby, and will break for a favorable post (No. 5).

The most important thing for him will be staying within striking distance. If the pace is slow, he's definitely a contender because he's going to make up ground late. Just remember, he's rated highly to do what he could be, not what he has been so far.

Verrazano (11-1)

The lack of early love for Verrazano was unexpected. He's dropped from 4-1 odds since betting began despite wins in all four career races and the top prime power number of the bunch. At 11-1 he would present great value.

His last two wins have shown he can handle good competition. He outlasted Normandy Invasion and Vyjack in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and Java's War and Falling Sky in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby. Those are both very good results.

The most pressing concern is the lack of adversity he's faced. With just four starts of experience, the Kentucky Derby is going to be a major test, and it's unclear if he's ready to handle it. That and a marginal post position are probably why he's fallen out of favor, at least so far.