Kentucky Derby 2015 Weather: Latest Conditions for 141st Race at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs will play host to the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday, with 20 horse-and-jockey combinations bidding to etch their names into the annals of horse racing history.

The Run for the Roses is notorious in its reputation for churning out endearing storylines and shocking results, making it one of the most fascinating chases anywhere in the world. Indeed, in excess of 100,000 people are expected to turn out at the Louisville circuit to sample the most encapsulating 10 furlongs in the sport.

Joe Kristufek of America's Best Racing ran the rule over some of the contenders with Bleacher Report:

With the showpiece edging ever closer, here’s all of the information needed on whether those race-goers will need their umbrella or their shades today, as well as a thorough examination of which horses are best prepped to savor glory.

No.	Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	2	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Elvis Trujillo	Jim Cassidy	25-1
2	3	Carpe Diem	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	8-1
3	4	Materiality	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	16-1
4	5	Tencendur	Manny Franco	George Weaver	50-1
5	6	Danzig Moon	Julien Leparoux	Mark Casse	33-1
6	7	Mubtaahij	Christophe Soumillon	Mike de Kock	12-1
7		El Kabeir	Calvin Borel		SCR
8	8	Dortmund	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	18-5
9	9	Bolo	Rafael Bejarano	Carla Gaines	40-1
10	10	Firing Line	Gary Stevens	Simon Callaghan	12-1
11		Stanford	Florent Geroux		SCR
12		International Star	Miguel Mena		SCR
13	11	Itsaknockout	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	33-1
14	12	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	40-1
15	13	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin	16-1
16	14	War Story	Joe Talamo	Tom Amoss	50-1
17	15	Mr. Z	Ramon Vazquez	D. Wayne Lukas	50-1
18	16	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	13-5
19	17	Upstart	Jose Ortiz	Rick Violette Jr.	25-1
20	18	Far Right	Mike Smith	Ron Moquett	40-1

Weather Forecast, Louisville

Condition: Mostly cloudy

Wind: Calm

Temperature: 61 °F

Forecast and figures courtesy of Weather.com.

Bob Baffert Eyeing History in the Derby

Elsa/Getty Images

For the legendary trainer, there are two brilliant chances of victory, with the pre-race favourites American Pharoah and Dortmund poised to lead the charge.

The former of the duo tops the betting, and it’s easy to see why. He put together a stunning display earlier this month to win the Arkansas Derby and provided he stays out of trouble here—a favorable post position of No. 18 should ensure he does—there’s every chance he can romp to glory.

Here’s a look at that classy victory at Oaklawn Park:

His stable-mate Dortmund should give him an excellent race here, though. He’s unbeaten in his racing career to date, winning on all six of his starts. The Baffert-trained colt also enjoyed some excellent preparation for the Kentucky showpiece, winning the Santa Anita Derby.

As we can see here, courtesy of Joaquin Jaime of TVG, he’s a very impressive horse indeed:

Dortmund also has some ancestral prestige in this race. He’s the son of 2008 winner Big Brown, and with Martin Garcia aboard—a jockey who has won two previous Triple Crown races—there is experience in the saddle too.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Baffert’s pairing won’t have things quite their own way, though. Todd Pletcher has two solid chances in Materiality and Carpe Diem. Granted, their hopes haven’t been assisted by tough post draws—they’ll be in No. 4 and No. 3, respectively—but they have the speed and power to force their way to the front and make a telling impact.

As noted by Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form, Pletcher’s pairing have been a little understated in the buildup given the hype surrounding the two favorites:

However, it’s going to be very difficult for either of those horses to get the better of either favorite. The Baffert pairing have looked a cut above in their preparation races, and with experienced jockeys on board, they’ll be acutely aware of what is needed to get past the post first in these high-pressure occasions.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

American Pharoah is the quality horse in the field. With Victor Espinoza on board, who triumphed in this race 12 months ago, expect him to steer the favorite around the 10 furlongs with composure before timing his finish to perfection to edge out Dortmund.

Prediction: 1. American Pharoah, 2. Dortmund, 3. Materiality