Kentucky Derby 2015: Horses and Jockeys with Best Shot in Churchill Downs Field

Saturday's 2015 Kentucky Derby is rapidly approaching, which means it's time to put the expectations to bed and simply take in the most exciting event in horse racing.

Sure, the biggest favorites will be hyped ad nauseam in the days and hours leading up to 6:24 p.m. ET, when the field of 20 horses will be off to the races. But all that matters is what happens from the opening of the gates until the final furlong, and years past suggest that the sportsbook isn't always the way to go.

With that said, there has rarely—if ever—been a Kentucky Derby field as loaded as this one in regards to conceivable favorites. Here's a quick glance at every horse in the field, as well as a closer look into three favorites for the first Triple Crown race of the year.

2015 Kentucky Derby Field and Odds

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Latest Odds
1	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Elvis Trujillo	Jim Cassidy	25-1
2	Carpe Diem	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	17-2
3	Materiality	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	16-1
4	Tencendur	Manny Franco	George Weaver	50-1
5	Danzig Moon	Julien Leparoux	Mark Casse	33-1
6	Mubtaahij	Christophe Soumillon	Mike de Kock	12-1
7	El Kabeir	Calvin Borel	John Terranova II	33-1
8	Dortmund	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	15-4
9	Bolo	Rafael Bejarano	Carla Gaines	40-1
10	Firing Line	Gary Stevens	Simon Callaghan	16-1
12	International Star	Miguel Mena	Mike Maker	25-1
13	Itsaknockout	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	33-1
14	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	40-1
15	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin	16-1
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	13-5
19	Upstart	Jose Ortiz	Rick Violette Jr.	22-1
20	Far Right	Mike Smith	Ron Moquett	40-1
21*	Frammento	Corey Nakatani	Nick Zito	50-1

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark. Stanford (No. 11 post) withdrew from the Derby on April 30, per Claire Novak of Blood-Horse, and will be replaced by Frammento.

Top Contenders

American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza): 13-5

Garry Jones/Associated Press

In a Kentucky Derby field ripe with favorites, it seems fitting that American Pharoah is the one that stands above the rest.

The colt comes in having won four of the last five races in which he appeared, including a perfect two-for-two in 2015 recently spurred by a come-from-behind win at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. He has enough mileage to be ready for what's to come in the next several months, but he's also fresh enough to handle the rigors of attempting all three Triple Crown races.

In preparations for Churchill Downs, Pharoah has captured the eye of many, as Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde noted:

Of course, winning the Kentucky Derby is up first on the game plan, and a No. 18 post draw Wednesday—while not exactly ideal—was far from a deathblow. That may have changed with Stanford's withdrawal, as it pushed American Pharoah up from 18 to 17. 

According to Lane Gold of ESPN, that could be quite the deterrent:

It's true that there has never been a winner from the 17th post, but it could also be said that no horse of American Pharoah's caliber has ever lined up from that gate. With jockey Victor Espinoza leading the charge, don't expect Pharoah to end up in a tough spot after the first turn.

If American Pharoah can avoid trouble in the early strides and get some distance, opponents will have no match for his breakaway speed.

Dortmund (Martin Garcia): 15-4

Garry Jones/Associated Press

The Kentucky Derby is the ultimate setting for luxury, but nobody at Churchill Downs will be feeling more luxurious than trainer Bob Baffert.

Having a horse like American Pharoah is enough to make a trainer sleep at night heading into a big race, but Baffert can boast the consensus No. 2 favorite in Dortmund as well. Unlike American Pharoah, Dortmund has won all six of his career races, racking up three already in 2015.

Dortmund doesn't have the same Hall of Fame expertise on the saddle, but jockey Martin Garcia is more than capable of navigating clear of early trouble. As one of the biggest horses in the field, Dortmund's long gallop could leave many of the 20 horses in the dust by the first turn.

However, Jose A. Contreras of America's Best Racing sees the two in a completely different grouping:

While most Derby favorites sputtered to unfavorable post positions, Dortmund is sitting pretty at the No. 8 spot—an ideal position from which to make an early surge. If his legs stay underneath him for the duration and he picks up steam down the stretch, he could very well hold off the stacked field.

Materiality (Javier Castellano): 16-1

Garry Jones/Associated Press

From training to recent results to the pedigree, Materiality has plenty of good things going heading into the 141st Run for the Roses.

Only D. Wayne Lukas has sent more horses to the Kentucky Derby than trainer Todd Pletcher, who inserts Materiality and Carpe Diem as his 39th and 40th entrants all time. Both should give him a decent chance to win his second Derby, but the best odds are with Materiality.

Coming in off a resounding Grade 1 Florida Derby win, Materiality has galloped into the winner's circle three times in three races in 2015. He's championed by Afleet Alex, who won both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 2005. 

Starting from the No. 3 spot, Materiality will have to battle off the rail but not as much as Carpe Diem at No. 2. That's only a death sentence if the horse struggles out of the gates and gets caught, which doesn't seem likely if Steve Haskin of Blood-Horse's observations are any indication:

Jockey Javier Castellano has never won a Kentucky Derby but does have a Preakness victory to his name and is no stranger to Churchill Downs. When it comes to underdog selections, Materiality may be the way to go.