Kentucky Derby 2016: Top Contenders and Unheralded Horses in Lineup Field

The 2016 Triple Crown chase will commence Saturday, when a new batch of thoroughbreds will race in the 142nd Kentucky Derby.

Last year, favorite American Pharoah began his path to history at the Run for the Roses. This weekend, the undefeated Nyquist will assume the seat of the favorite, according to Odds Shark.

Among a full field of 20 horses, the colt is far from a lock to maintain his winning streak. Some strong choices lurk not far behind the favorite, and a couple of long shots could surprise bettors at Churchill Downs.

Before Wednesday's post-position release, let's take a look at the Kentucky Derby's projected field before highlighting a couple of top contenders and sneaky underdogs:

Standing	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Points
1	Gun Runner	Steven M. Asmussen	Florent Geroux	151
2	Nyquist	Doug F. O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	130
3	Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	126
4	Outwork	Todd A. Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	120
5	Brody's Cause	Dale L. Romans	Luis Saez	114
6	Creator	Steven M. Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	110
7	Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	N/A	100
8	Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	84
9	Mohaymen	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Junior Alvarado	80
10	Danzing Candy	Clifford W. Sise Jr.	Mike E. Smith	60
11	Destin	Todd A. Pletcher	Javier Castellano	51
12	Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie K. Von Hemel	Luis Quinonez	50
13	Oscar Nominated	Michael J. Maker	Robby Albarado	50
14	Shagaf	Chad C. Brown	Irad Ortiz Jr.	50
15	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	Victor Espinoza	44
16	Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	Brian Hernandez Jr.	44
17	My Man Sam	Chad C. Brown	Julien R. Leparoux	40
18	Majesto	Gustavo Delgado	Javier Castellano	40
19	Trojan Nation	Patrick Gallagher	Aaron T. Gryder	40
20	Mo Tom	Thomas M. Amoss	Corey J. Lanerie	32

Top Contenders

Nyquist

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Nyquist has never experienced anything other than victory, capturing first place in all seven races. Trainer Doug O'Neill, owner John Paul Reddam and jockey Mario Gutierrez collaborated to seize the 2012 Kentucky Derby with I'll Have Another, whose Triple Crown pursuit ended with an injury.

The son of Uncle Mo last competed April 2, seizing the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby. Like most of the field, he has not encountered a course like Churchill Downs' 1 1/4-mile track. Yet he has exhibited swift starting speed and endurance from various posts, making him a candidate to benefit from the added challenge. 

Trainer Bob Baffert, who oversaw American Pharoah's Triple Crown sweep, praised Nyquist as the most likely participant to replicate the feat.

"People are really following it now to see if they can watch another horse," Baffert told the Associated Press' Beth Harris. "Nyquist, he's been perfect. Everybody's thinking maybe we're going to get another horse like that."

Rested and boasting a flawless track record, Nyquist is the horse to beat Saturday.

Exaggerator

Exaggerator doesn't brandish a spotless ledger, but former Horse of the Year Curlin's son has claimed four wins and two second-place finishes.

The last triumph undoubtedly turned some heads. At the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, trainer Keith Desormeaux's horse rallied from the outside to earn a 6 1/4-length victory on a muddy track. 

A blur down the stretch, Exaggerator quelled any concerns of needing a short track to succeed. With another burst like that, he could finally upend Nyquist after having fallen short three times.

Not everyone is sold, though. After watching a Saturday workout, the Daily Racing Form's Marcus Hersh left more impressed with Brody's Cause, who ranks No. 5 on the leaderboard with 114 points:

Creating late separation will prove to be tougher amid 20 competitors than it was in Santa Anita's eight-horse field. Exaggerator's outlook could also take a hit with an unfavorable post position on the rail, which would make a slow start harder to overcome.

Unheralded Horses

Mor Spirit

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Baffert doesn't oversee the favorite anymore, but Mor Spirit could make some noise. The consistent colt has placed no lower than second, most recently finishing as the runner-up to Exaggerator at Santa Anita. 

Hall of Fame jockey Gary L. Stevens will take the reins in the quest for his 10th Triple Crown victory. Last year, he guided Firing Line ahead of more popular favorites to second place.

The veteran tried to keep expectations in check while not capping Mor Spirit's ceiling, per the Courier-Journal's Derby News:

Given the legendary trainer-jockey pairing and Mor Spirit's steady success, he's at least a solid bet to place among the top finishers.

Suddenbreakingnews

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

For a purveyor of news, Suddenbreakingnews shows no appreciation for grammar. Nevertheless, the explosive horse is capable of wreaking havoc at Churchill Downs.

Although whoever named him hates spaces, the horse finds a way to create them down the stretch. He has found an extra gear in three victories and most recently posted a second-place tally behind fellow Kentucky Derby participant Creator at the Arkansas Derby.

Trainer Donnie Von Hemel might not ring a bell to horse racing aficionados. He hasn't had a Kentucky Derby starter since 1989, when Clever Trevor finished 13th in a field of 15. The ultimate underdog will return to the Run for the Roses nearly three decades later with one of the field's quickest horses.

If everything breaks right, Suddenbreakingnews could give everyone a hot scoop to report.