Kentucky Derby 2016 Contenders: Lineup and Pedigree for All Entries in the Field

Horse racing fans had to wait a long 37 years between the last two Triple Crown winners—Affirmed in 1978 and American Pharoah in 2015. Thanks to the presence of Nyquist in the 2016 field, they may only have to wait one year for another one.

Horse racing’s most prominent event is Saturday at Churchill Downs, and Nyquist will look to take the first step toward joining some of the sport’s most historic names. Horses such as American Pharoah, Affirmed, Seattle Slew and Secretariat all began their Triple Crown journeys with a victory in Louisville, and a long list of horses will try to do the same on Saturday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the lineup and pedigree information for those potentially in the field, as well as a predicted winner.

The list of the top 26 Derby horses on the leaderboard and their pedigree information is courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com, as of Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, but it is important to note Beth Harris of the Associated Press (via ABC News) said “the final lineup won’t be known until Wednesday, when entries are drawn and post positions are assigned.”

Standing	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Points	Pedigree
1	Gun Runner	Steven M. Asmussen	Florent Geroux	151	Quiet Giant by Candy Ride (ARG)
2	Nyquist	Doug F. O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	130	Seeking Gabrielle by Uncle Mo
3	Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	126	Dawn Raid by Curlin
4	Outwork	Todd A. Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	120	Nonna Mia by Uncle Mo
5	Brody's Cause	Dale L. Romans	Luis Saez	114	Sweet Breanna by Giant's Causeway
6	Creator	Steven M. Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	110	Morena (PER) by Tapit
7	Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	N/A	100	Heavenly Romance (JPN) by Tapit
8	Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	84	Im a Dixie Girl by Eskendereya
9	Mohaymen	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Junior Alvarado	80	Justwhistledixie by Tapit
10	Danzing Candy	Clifford W. Sise Jr.	Mike E. Smith	60	Talkin and Singing by Twirling Candy
11	Destin	Todd A. Pletcher	Javier Castellano	51	Dream of Summer by Giant's Causeway
12	Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie K. Von Hemel	Luis Quinonez	50	Uchitel by Mineshaft
13	Oscar Nominated	Michael J. Maker	Robby Albarado	50	Devine Actress by Kitten's Joy
14	Shagaf	Chad C. Brown	Irad Ortiz Jr.	50	Muhaawara by Bernardini
15	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	Victor Espinoza	44	Melody's Spirit by Pleasantly Perfect
16	Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	Brian Hernandez Jr.	44	Goodbye Stranger by More Than Ready
17	My Man Sam	Chad C. Brown	Julien R. Leparoux	40	Lauren Byrd by Trappe Shot
18	Majesto	Gustavo Delgado	Javier Castellano	40	Unacloud by Tiznow
19	Trojan Nation	Patrick Gallagher	Aaron T. Gryder	40	Storm Song by Street Cry (IRE)
20	Mo Tom	Thomas M. Amoss	Corey J. Lanerie	32	Caroni by Uncle Mo
21	Fellowship	Mark E. Casse	Jose Lezcano	32	Go Girlfriend Go by Awesome of Course
22	Adventist	Leah Gyarmati	Kendrick Carmouche	32	Sharp Minister by Any Given Saturday
23	Laoban	Eric J. Guillot	Jose Lezcano	32	Chattertown by Uncle Mo
24	Dazzling Gem	Brad H. Cox	Joseph Talamo	30	Dazzler by Misremembered
25	Cherry Wine	Dale L. Romans	Corey J. Lanerie	25	C. S. Royce by Paddy O'Prado
26	Discreetness	William H. Fires	Jon Kenton Court	10	Fondness by Discreet Cat

Predicted Winner: Nyquist

Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images

The Kentucky Derby may be the most anticipated race on the calendar, but there haven’t been a lot of Cinderella stories in recent years. That won’t change in 2016, as the favorite Nyquist (per OddsShark, as of Sunday) will take home the title just like prominent horses such as Orb, California Chrome and American Pharoah did in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Nyquist turned heads at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2015 when he became a two-year-old champion. He is a perfect 7-0 in his career entering the Kentucky Derby, and his official profile on KentuckyDerby.com listed all his victories: The Florida Derby, the San Vicente Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the FrontRunner Stakes, the Del Mar, the Best Pal Stakes and the Maiden Special Weight.

Nyquist impressed at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but the 1 1/8 miles Florida Derby was an indication he is ready to win at Churchill Downs. The Derby is 1 1/4 miles, but it wasn’t only the longer-race factor that mattered at the Florida Derby.

Nyquist beat Mohaymen, who was undefeated before the race and was largely seen as a possible Kentucky Derby winner. It was just one race, but Nyquist blew the fourth-place finisher away.

One person who recognizes potential greatness when he sees it is four-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert, and he had nothing but glowing reviews for Nyquist, per Harris: “He hasn’t done anything wrong at all. You have Nyquist, and you have a lot of horses underneath.”

One of those challengers underneath is Gun Runner, but Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun said, “His speed figures, however, are mediocre,” when talking about Nyquist’s competitor.

Elsewhere, Exaggerator has a notable victory at the Santa Anita Derby under his belt, but Nyquist has beaten him in head-to-head competition three different times. There is no precedent between these two horses that suggests Exaggerator will be able to triumph this time around at the Kentucky Derby.

Nyquist also has a talented team behind him considering owner J. Paul Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Mario Gutierrez combined to win the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another. The trio is accustomed to the bright spotlight and will not be intimidated by the pressure mounting for Nyquist as the Derby favorite.

Nyquist also boasts a solid pedigree Laurie Ross of Horse Racing Nation broke down. Uncle Mo is the sire, and he won the two-year-old championship with a straightforward win at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He also won the Champagne Stakes and “was considered by many to be the most talented colt of his generation,” per Ross, although he dealt with illness as a three-year-old.

Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images

As for the female family, Nyquist’s dam Seeking Gabrielle only won one race, but his half-sister Seeking the Sky was a graded-stakes-winning sprinter.

The pedigree is important, but Walker highlighted one aspect of Nyquist’s makeup as a racer in particular that will help him win Saturday’s Kentucky Derby:

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But Nyquist possesses a trait that served California Chrome and American Pharoah well — tactical speed. This means jockey Mario Gutierrez will be able to place him wherever he chooses, likely a few paces off the lead, and make a move whenever the race dictates. Unlike many of his top rivals, Nyquist is not wedded to a fast start or a late charge. He has proven he can win in different scenarios.

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That type of versatility will prove critical in the crowded Kentucky Derby field. Look for Nyquist to make a late charge and parlay the hype surrounding him into a victory at the first leg of the Triple Crown.