Kentucky Derby Contenders 2015: Horses and Jockeys Worth Backing in 141st Race
The 2015 Kentucky Derby is nearly set to start at Churchill Downs, where the best horses and jockeys in the world will vie to notch the first leg in the Triple Crown season in Louisville.
The Derby only permits up to 20 entries into the exclusive field. This year's lot features a couple of clear-cut favorites who should create an exciting finish headlined by the oddsmakers' top choice, American Pharoah.
Check out the complete list of contenders below, followed by a breakdown of the favorites to back at the 141st Run for the Roses.
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| 1 | Ocho Ocho Ocho | Elvis Trujillo | Jim Cassidy | 50-1 |
| 2 | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 8-1 |
| 3 | Materiality | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 |
| 4 | Tencendur | Manny Franco | George Weaver | 30-1 |
| 5 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 30-1 |
| 6 | Mubtaahij | Christophe Soumillon | Mike de Kock | 20-1 |
| 7 | El Kabeir | Calvin Borel | John Terranova II | 30-1 |
| 8 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 3-1 |
| 9 | Bolo | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | 30-1 |
| 10 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 12-1 |
| 11 | Stanford | Florent Geroux | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 12 | International Star | Miguel Mena | Mike Maker | 20-1 |
| 13 | Itsaknockout | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 14 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 50-1 |
| 15 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 15-1 |
| 16 | War Story | Joe Talamo | Tom Amoss | 50-1 |
| 17 | Mr. Z | Ramon Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 50-1 |
| 18 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 5-2 |
| 19 | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette Jr. | 15-1 |
| 20 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | 30-1 |
Contenders to Count On
American Pharoah
Victor Espinoza is expected to be in the irons for American Pharoah, who is perceived as the horse to beat in this year's Kentucky Derby.
Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde highlights how well American Pharoah fared in his final workout:
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has had three Kentucky Derby winners, but none since 2002. Espinoza has ridden to victory twice in the most exciting two minutes in sports, including in 2014 aboard California Chrome.
Not only does Espinoza know how to deal with the expectations of being on the prohibitive favorite, but he also has a top contender from Baffert's barn. And there's no reason to believe American Pharoah won't be up to the challenge.
Darren Rogers of Churchill Downs PR logged a telling quote this last Sunday:
American Pharoah's strong pedigree features Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile. He also has the ability to finish in style, which was evident in his eight-length victory at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
Espinoza may well have struck gold two times in a row in mounting a Triple Crown favorite. There's little reason to discount American Pharoah as a viable champion, based on his skill set, tremendous connections and pedigree.
Dortmund
Speaking of the benefits of heredity, Dortmund's sire is Big Brown, who won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2008.
No one can deny the muscular frame and raw power Dortmund has, which have helped him to six wins in as many career starts. Having such a big body ought to help Dortmund in his bid to win at Churchill Downs.
Baffert also trains Dortmund. That's even greater incentive for bettors to gravitate his way if they're keen on a bit of a longer shot and larger gains than an American Pharoah wager.
Dortmund's body of work and actual body bode well for his chances in Louisville, although jockey Martin Garcia isn't quite as formidable as American Pharoah's rider and didn't succeed in keeping Dortmund in check during his Santa Anita Derby win. That didn't ultimately matter, but it could in the Kentucky Derby.
The win at Santa Anita Park was by 4 ¼ lengths, so Dortmund has the goods to dust a quality field. What Garcia must make sure of is to not set a pace that's too ambitious because such a strategy only favors American Pharoah.
Plenty of tactical talk is bound to take place between Baffert and Garcia. The latter won last year's Breeders' Cup Classic and got it done on the Triple Crown stage at the 2010 Preakness. It's a strong enough resume to not discount Garcia aboard Dortmund.
Materiality
Todd Pletcher is no trainer to be overlooked in his own right. A lot of attention will be centered on Baffert, which actually benefits Pletcher since Baffert is trying to get off a Churchill Downs slide of over a decade.
If there's any jockey bound to notch his maiden Kentucky Derby triumph soon, it's Javier Castellano, the projected mount for Materiality.
Castellano has won the Eclipse Award two years in a row as the champion jockey, earning the most money in each of the past two seasons. Not included in that or any other point of his career is a Run for the Roses. It seems a mere matter of time before Castellano adds that to his list of accomplishments.
Steve Haskin of The Blood-Horse spoke highly of Materiality's work from last Friday:
Having managed to win the Preakness in the past, Castellano is like Garcia in that he knows how to deal with the weight of these races. Churchill Downs' slightly longer track has always just not quite worked out for Castellano, but now could be the time for change.
It seems like a long shot with how formidable Dortmund and American Pharoah appear. However, if there is a dark horse to bet on, Materiality is the one to seek out despite starting from the third post, and he is a profitable bet at 12-1.
The inexperience Materiality had didn't show in his Florida Derby win. His graded-stakes debut was a big test that he passed; his freshness and Castellano's savvy in the saddle will make Materiality a force to be reckoned with.
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