Kentucky Derby 2014 Lineup: Picks and Projections for All Entries in the Field

The 2014 Kentucky Derby promises to be one of the most exciting events of the year, complete with an awesome atmosphere, elite talent and, hopefully, a close race.

One way to make the Derby even more intriguing is to have a wager down on the outcome of the action. Whether you are looking to make a small bet among friends at a party or risk a massive amount at the racetrack or off-track betting, we have you covered.

Keep reading for a look at how each horse in the field may finish, plus some advice for betting the Triple Crown event and more.

2014 Kentucky Derby Viewing Info

Date: Saturday, May 3

When: Coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET

Post Time: 6:24 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBCSports.com

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds	Projection
1	Vicar's In Trouble	Rosie Napravnik	Mike Maker	20-1	5
2	Harry's Holiday	Corey Lanerie	Mike Maker	50-1	17
3	Uncle Sigh	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Gary Contessa	30-1	16
4	Danza	Joe Bravo	Todd Pletcher	8-1	2
5	California Chrome	Victor Espinoza	Art Sherman	5-2	4
6	Samraat	Jose Ortiz	Rick Violette Jr.	15-1	15
7	We Miss Artie	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	50-1	18
8	General A Rod	Joel Rosario	Mike Maker	15-1	12
9	Vinceremos	Joe Rocco Jr.	Todd Pletecher	30-1	19
10	Wildcat Red	Luis Saez	Jose Garoffalo	15-1	14
11	Hoppertunity	Mike Smith	Bob Baffert	SCR	SCR
12	Dance With Fate	Corey Nakatani	Peter Eurton	20-1	13
13	Chitu	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	20-1	8
14	Medal Count	Robby Albarado	Dale Romans	20-1	11
15	Tapiture	Ricardo Santana Jr.	Steve Asmussen	8-1	10
16	Intense Holiday	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	8-1	9
17	Commanding Curve	Shaun Bridgmohan	Dallas Stewart	50-1	7
18	Candy Boy	Gary Stevens	John Sadler	15-1	6
19	Ride On Curlin	Calvin Borel	William G. Gowan	15-1	3
20	Wicked Strong	Rajiv Maragh	James A. Jerkens	6-1	1
21	Pablo Del Monte	Jeffrey Sanchez	Wesley Ward	SCR	SCR

Horse to Keep an Eye On: Danza at 8-1

Danza is slowly generating interest as one of the more intriguing horses in the field and may inch closer to the favorite in odds as post time draws nearer.

Casual fans will love him, as his namesake is Who’s the Boss? star Tony Danza. The celebrity is a big fan of this colt and plans to be in attendance at Churchill Downs on Saturday, according to his Twitter feed:

While that should get some interested, those looking to take a deeper, more calculated bet would be foolish to write off this fan favorite. According to Gary West of ESPN.com, the three-year-old has been looking good during warm-ups and recently breezed through a half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

Not only was that time respectable, Danza also proved the killer instinct he put on display at the Arkansas Derby is still burning within him. West noted that Danza kicked into extra gear down the stretch to leave Vinceremos, another contender in this race, in the dust.

Todd Pletcher, who has plenty of Derby experience and won it all back in 2007 with Super Saver, trains Danza and has had nothing but good things to say about the colt leading up to the Run for the Roses.

According to a separate report by West, the trainer admitted he’s seen vast improvement from Danza: "He's been working well and doing well, and we have to be pleased with how he's coming into this race. He's getting better and better."

It remains to be seen if he’s good enough to best this next horse, however, but it should be a good battle as they come around the turn and duke it out near the finish line.

Projected Winner: Wicked Strong at 6-1

This colt is a rising star in the horse racing ranks and should not be ignored by anyone looking to turn a profit on the event.

Those who play the ponies on a somewhat regular basis should be familiar with Wicked Strong, as he came away with a huge win at the Wood Memorial a little while ago and is looking poised to carry that momentum into Churchill Downs.

Winners at the Wood have traditionally done well in Kentucky, with 11 prior victors going on to be adorned with a blanket of roses during the first weekend in May. It is a little soon to be thinking about this, but four of those would also become Triple Crown victors.

It would be downright unwise to say Wicked Strong is going to pull off that rare feat—which hasn’t been done since affirmed in 1978—but this colt seems to be destined for greatness.

The three-year-old had his name changed to honor the Boston Marathon victims after the tragedy in 2013 and has been wildly successful ever since. Owner Don Little Jr. told Jacqueline Tempera of The Boston Globe that destiny is playing a role in his colt’s successes:

"Absolutely, totally, I believe in fate," Little said. "There are things we don’t have control of, that are bringing us good energy. ... I truly believe this is meant to be. Too many coincidences have aligned."

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens was also confident about his horse’s chances, as per Tempera:

“It’s amazing how fate seems to be working for us,” Jerkens said. “I never say we’re going to win because that will blow your chances. But I will say we’re quietly confident.”

While predicting the winner of the Kentucky Derby is never easy, it is almost certain that Wicked Strong will finish near the front. He should be a shoo-in for most exactas, trifectas, superfectas and other exotic bets on the race.