Pat Day Mile 2015: Post Time, Odds, Predictions for Entire Field

One can imagine that even those oblivious to most sports in America will have heard of the Kentucky Derby, set to take place Saturday at Churchill Downs. It's a much-discussed sporting institution and notable for being the first leg in the vaunted horse racing Triple Crown.

The crowds that gather at Churchill Downs may seem excessive for a roughly two-minute race but like a premier boxing match, the Kentucky Derby has a vast undercard of races to gin up excitement for the Run for the Roses. 

One such race is the Pat Day Mile, formerly known as the Derby Trial.

This is the first year the Grade 3 race bears the name of Pat Day, a legendary jockey who—among many other achievements—won the Kentucky Derby in 1992 atop Lil E. Tee. Overall, it's the 91st running of this event, now moved to Saturday as an appetizer before the big race. According to ChurchillDowns.com, the Pat Day Mile will be the fifth race of the day with a post time of 12:38 p.m. ET.

The competition should be fierce for the three-year-old horses, with $200,000 on the line for their respective owners. 

Here's a look at the entrants for the Pat Day Mile, along with odds and predictions for the entire field.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds	Prediction
1	Where's the Moon	Robby Albarado	Henry Dominguez	15-1	8th
2	Gimme Da Lute	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	7-2	2nd
3	The Truth or Else	Joel Rosario	Kenneth G. McPeek	15-1	4th
4	Hillbilly Royalty	Luis S. Quinonez	Donnie K. Von Hemel	8-1	5th
5	Lord Nelson	Rafael Bejarano	Bob Baffert	3-1	3rd
6	Competitive Edge	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	6-5	1st
7	Pain and Misery	Julien R. Leparoux	Henry Dominguez	20-1	6th
8	Peace and War	Javier Castellano	Olly Stevens	20-1	7th

Note: Odds courtesy of ChurchillDowns.com and updated as of Thursday, April 30 at 7 a.m. ET.

In the race's former incarnation as the Derby Trial, it was a notable precursor to the Kentucky Derby itself, known for featuring plenty of viable thoroughbreds that would go on to greater glory. Darren Rogers of ChurchillDowns.com explains:

"

The most significant change to the stakes menu involves the now former Derby Trial. The Grade III, one-mile race for 3-year-olds – which produced 13 Kentucky Derby winners mainly in the 1940s and 50s but has been less meaningful in recent years because of today’s modern training methods – has been moved from Opening Night to Kentucky Derby Day, renamed the Pat Day Mile and boosted by $50,000 from $150,000 to $200,000. It is one of four Spring Meet stakes races to receive a purse hike.

"

The Pat Day Mile will not be a launching pad to greater success now that it's on Derby Day, but it should still be an exciting race to follow and a meaningful tribute to one of horse racing's greatest jockeys. Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery seems to hope so, via Rogers:

"

There’s no better way for Churchill Downs to show its appreciation and honor Pat Day – a legendary jockey, great ambassador of horse racing, pillar in the Louisville community and a man known for his devout faith – than to pay tribute with a race named in his honor on Kentucky Derby Day, America’s greatest day of racing. We’re thrilled to salute one of our most beloved individuals and role models.

"

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Competitive Edge is the morning-line favorite to win the race, not a huge surprise considering the horse is undefeated. The colt is 3-for-3 in his career, with the last win coming at the Tamarac Stakes on March 27. Competitive Edge also boasts a 5 3/4 lengths win at the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes in September 2014, per Equibase.com.

Notable trainer Bob Baffert has very promising horses lined up for this race in Gimme Da Lute, running from the No. 2 position, and Lord Nelson, breaking out of post No. 5. Both horses are strong with favorable odds and position Baffert well for a glorious day at Churchill Downs considering he has two top thoroughbreds in American Pharoah and Dortmund running in the Kentucky Derby.

Lord Nelson is the more experienced horse of the two, with seven starts (three wins) in his career to Gimme Da Lute's three. After a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7, Lord Nelson rebounded to finish second at the Bay Shore Stakes on April 4. 

Experience aside, fans of horse racing and Notorious B.I.G. might be more tempted to cheer on Gimme Da Lute. The California-bred colt has won his last two races, but he is a long way from home with all three of his starts having come at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. 

While the Derby Trial was a proving ground for the Kentucky Derby, it's possible that as the Pat Day Mile this race sets up the winner and other top gallopers for greater fame and fortune at the Belmont or Preakness Stakes.