Kentucky Derby 2016 Horses: Entry List, Vegas Odds and Dark-Horse Contenders

How do we top last year?

After American Pharoah finally ended horse racing's 37-year Triple Crown drought, it's hard to imagine how this Triple Crown season could possibly top the thrill of last year. 

Nonetheless, there are a slew of contenders who can put themselves in contention to match American Pharoah's historical accomplishment by winning this year's Kentucky Derby. Here's a look at the expected Kentucky Derby field before post positions are announced on Wednesday:

Horse	Trainer	Odds
Nyquist	Doug O'Neill	10-3
Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	8-1
Mohaymen	Kiaran McLaughlin	8-1
Gun Runner	Steven Asmussen	10-1
Brody's Cause	Dale Romans	12-1
Destin	Todd Pletcher	14-1
Mo Tom	Thomas Amoss	16-1
Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie Von Hemel	16-1
Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	18-1
Outwork	Todd Pletcher	20-1
Creator	Steven Asmussen	20-1
Danzing Candy	Clifford Sise Jr.	25-1
Shagaf	Chad Brown	25-1
My Man Sam	Chad Brown	25-1
Lani	Koji Maeda	30-1
Whitmore	Ron Moquett	50-1
Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	50-1
Trojan Nation	Paddy Gallagher	-
Oscar Nominated	Ken and Sarah Ramsey	-
Majesto	Gustavo Delgaro	-

Let's break down a few of the dark-horse candidates.

Shagaf

Shagaf is an interesting horse. After winning his first three races, he disappointed greatly at the Wood Memorial, finishing fifth in a race he was expected to win. That track was muddy and the horse never appeared to take to it, leaving open the question: Is Shagaf still a great horse that struggles on mud, or did the Wood Memorial expose him as a horse likely to disappoint in Kentucky?

His trainer, Chad Brown, is hedging toward the former.

“He caught a muddy track he just didn’t like and he didn’t get away from the gate,” Brown told Jonathan Lintner of the Louisville Courier-Journal. “When he did get a little momentum going he had to stop. Nothing really worked out for him that day and we’re taking the approach of just drawing a line through that race.”

And Brown feels the best is yet to come from Shagaf, per Lintner:

"

Since the Wood there’s been more improvement, more consistency; he’s gaining weight, getting stronger. The horse breezes by himself now; he was always one that needed company. He’s had two fabulous works here at Churchill, by himself, effortlessly. You can debate his numbers and how fast he runs but, to me, the horse is really peaking right now.

"

Shagaf is a long shot for a reason: You simply won't be sure which horse you are getting at the Derby. But if the horse that won his first three races and appears to be in fine form again shows up, he'll be dangerous.

Lani

If you like a bit of intrigue, Lani is the horse for you. The Japanese horse hasn't yet raced in the United States, but as Michael Beychok of The Tournament Edge (via Teresa Genaro of Forbes) noted, "He’s a well-traveled mystery horse from Japan with wins on two continents and one of three horses in the field that are sons of Tapit."

Tapit ran in the 2004 Kentucky Derby, finishing ninth in the year that Smarty Jones won the race. 

Betting Lani isn't for the feint of heart. It's hard to know how the horse will respond to its first race in the United States. But wins on two separate continents suggest that he travels well. 

Creator 

Another son of Tapit, Creator has burst onto the scene of late, including an impressive triumph at the Arkansas Derby. Beychok called his last two races "eye-catching displays of a powerful closing kick," which may ultimately serve him better in the Belmont Stakes but certainly can play a factor if he doesn't fall too far behind in Kentucky.

Yes, Creator didn't get his first win until February. But this is a horse that generally competes, with four runner-up finishes in eight races. 

Oh, and do you remember which horse won the Arkansas Derby last year?

That would be American Pharoah. Just saying. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.