Kentucky Derby 2015: Latest Odds, Lineup Info and Top Horses for Churchill Downs
The final few days before the first Triple Crown race of 2015 are ticking fast, as the world of horse racing gears up for action at the 141st Kentucky Derby.
The finalized field of 20 horses that will fill the posts Saturday afternoon is yet to be announced, with 25 contenders still vying for the spots prior to the Wednesday draw. With that said, it's long been known that a few of the top names are overwhelming favorites to take home the victory.
Possibilities are at a high entering Churchill Downs with the hope of ending the Triple Crown drought in the back of the mind of every owner, trainer and fan in attendance. While that may be a pipe dream, there's one guarantee in that a horse will be crowned champion on the biggest stage in the sport.
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Let's take a look at the latest information as it stands Tuesday.
2015 Kentucky Derby Lineup and Odds
| American Pharoah | 9-4 |
| Dortmund | 9-2 |
| Carpe Diem | 7-1 |
| Materiality | 12-1 |
| Mubtaahij | 12-1 |
| Frosted | 16-1 |
| Firing Line | 18-1 |
| International Star | 18-1 |
| Upstart | 20-1 |
| El Kabeir | 33-1 |
| Far Right | 33-1 |
| Itsaknockout | 33-1 |
| Bolo | 40-1 |
| Danzig Moon | 40-1 |
| Keen Ice | 40-1 |
| Mr. Z | 40-1 |
| Ocho Ocho Ocho | 40-1 |
| War Story | 40-1 |
| Stanford | 66-1 |
| Tencendur | 66-1 |
| Frammento | 21st |
| Bold Conquest | 22nd |
| Metaboss | 23rd |
| Firespike | 24th |
| Toasting Master | 25th |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark. Updated lineup available at KentuckyDerby.com.
Top Horses at Churchill Downs
American Pharoah
As tough as it is to narrow down this list of Kentucky Derby contenders to three top horses, there's no doubting who is at the top of the list.
American Pharoah has dazzled every time he's taken to the track in 2015, winning in runaway fashion at Rebel in March before overcoming some adversity to win the Arkansas Derby. The speedster is adept at escaping from the field and is virtually unbeatable on a straightaway.
The odds tell the entire story of how hyped this horse is entering the Derby, but Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden put it in even better context:
This sort of hype around a horse is not a rarity at the Kentucky Derby. In fact, ultra-favorites are manufactured—whether fairly or not—virtually every year. But it's hard to argue against the fact that American Pharoah feels different.
Of course, many of the same things were said a year ago about one California Chrome—who came one Belmont Stakes win short of the Triple Crown. But he at least showed the world what he could do in those first two races. If American Pharoah can do the same, his name will be etched in history.
Dortmund
The early career dominance of Dortmund would result in being the Kentucky Derby favorite most years. Well, this is not most years.
He's won each of the three races he's featured in throughout 2015, all at Santa Anita Park from February to April. The last one was a dominant performance at the Santa Anita Derby in which the rest of the field had no chance of catching up down the stretch.
For all of this, Dortmund isn't even the best horse in his camp as trainer Bob Baffert splits time with American Pharoah. But he does have a taller frame that could pay off if he uses it right.
"He's a big tall horse with his stride, and he has speed. He's really, really fast early," Baffert told The Associated Press, via Yahoo Sports. "Smaller horses that try to keep up with him, they give up. He has a lot of determination and a lot of heart. He'll need that."
Dortmund will need all of that to hold off the rest of the field and perhaps strong post position on American Pharaoh, who will burn him in an open race but can be held off if in the right spot.
Carpe Diem
In a Kentucky Derby field chock-full with horses coming in on furious win streaks, meet another in Carpe Diem.
The WinStar Farm-owned horse has only raced twice in 2015 but has burst away from the field in both races—the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Tampa Bay Derby. All in all, he's won four of his last five like one much talked-about horse, per Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman:
Trainer Todd Pletcher is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby stage, having saddled 40 horses to give him the second most in the race's history behind D. Wayne Lukas. Carpe Diem also has experience on the saddle, with John Velasquez—the 2011 Kentucky Derby-winning jockey of Animal Kingdom—bringing Hall of Fame expertise.
If a horse outside of the top two is going to surprise and end up in the winner's circle, it has a great chance of being Carpe Diem.
History and information courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com.
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