Kentucky Derby 2016: Latest Odds, Lineup Info and Top Horses for Churchill Downs
Let Las Vegas tell it, and the 142nd Run for the Roses offers plenty of parity with a deep field touting numerous potential winners.
It's a far cry from last year's Kentucky Derby, where most everyone knew going into the event American Pharoah—the eventual Triple Crown champion—stood as the horse to beat.
One horse stands out from an odds perspective this year, but the field isn't as lopsided as it seems, especially with big-name trainers and jockeys spread throughout the potential entry list.
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Below, let's take a look at the possible field before breaking down some of the notables.
2016 Kentucky Derby Probables
| 1 | Gun Runner | Steven M. Asmussen | Florent Geroux | 151 | +1000 |
| 2 | Nyquist | Doug F. O'Neill | Mario Gutierrez | 130 | +333 |
| 3 | Exaggerator | J. Keith Desormeaux | Kent J. Desormeaux | 126 | +800 |
| 4 | Outwork | Todd A. Pletcher | John R. Velazquez | 120 | +2000 |
| 5 | Brody's Cause | Dale L. Romans | Luis Saez | 114 | +1200 |
| 6 | Creator | Steven M. Asmussen | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 110 | +2000 |
| 7 | Lani | Mikio Matsunaga | N/A | 100 | +3000 |
| 8 | Mor Spirit | Bob Baffert | Gary L. Stevens | 84 | +1800 |
| 9 | Mohaymen | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Junior Alvarado | 80 | +800 |
| 10 | Danzing Candy | Clifford W. Sise Jr. | Mike E. Smith | 60 | +2500 |
| 11 | Destin | Todd A. Pletcher | Javier Castellano | 51 | +1400 |
| 12 | Suddenbreakingnews | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Luis Quinonez | 50 | +1600 |
| 13 | Oscar Nominated | Michael J. Maker | Robby Albarado | 50 | N/A |
| 14 | Shagaf | Chad C. Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 50 | +2500 |
| 15 | Whitmore | Ron Moquett | Victor Espinoza | 44 | +5000 |
| 16 | Tom's Ready | Dallas Stewart | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 44 | +5000 |
| 17 | My Man Sam | Chad C. Brown | Julien R. Leparoux | 40 | +2500 |
| 18 | Majesto | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | 40 | N/A |
| 19 | Trojan Nation | Patrick Gallagher | Aaron T. Gryder | 40 | N/A |
| 20 | Mo Tom | Thomas M. Amoss | Corey J. Lanerie | 32 | +1600 |
Top Horses to Know
Mor Spirit (+1800)
Any Bob Baffert-trained horse is one to know going into a major event.
This year it's Mor Spirit led by legendary jockey Gary Stevens, a dynamic duo that looks ready to start improving the team's odds during the approach to the big day.
Mor Spirit won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity event last December and has finished in second place in two consecutive events, the latest at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
Folks even halfway familiar with the sport don't need a resume summary for Baffert or Stevens. It should say a lot, too, that both already seem confident about Mor Spirit's chances, as captured by Alicia Wincze Hughes of the Lexington Herald-Leader:
Already armed with the experience against top contenders and led by two of the best possible names in the sport, Mor Spirit isn't one to sleep on as the race nears.
In fact, it wouldn't be a shock to see these odds change in dramatic fashion soon.
Exaggerator (+800)
The only horse to best Mor Spirit at the Santa Anita Derby?
The J. Keith Desormeaux-trained Exaggerator.
Exaggerator won that Grade 1 event and also took home a Grade 1 win at the Breeders Futurity last October, though over two events dating back to October, the team has lost to Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist.
Alas, this is a journey, and Exaggerator continues to work on improvement. There's a building sense of hype around Exaggerator after the win and subsequent strong practices, as captured by Pat Doney of NBC5:
Momentum is a key factor going into an event like the Kentucky Derby, and a slot on the leaderboard such as Exaggerator's doesn't hurt, either.
Las Vegas seems to concur.
Gun Runner (+1000)
Gun Runner is another name consistently thrown around as a contender and again—momentum is a critical factor.
Given the two items above, Gun Runner's odds aren't hard to figure out. The Steven M. Asmussen-trained horse is a winner of two races in a row, and while they were Grade 2 events, the victory came with Kentucky Derby hopefuls such as Tom's Ready and Mo Tom in the field.
It's important to provide a look at both sides of the coin if it presents itself, though, so potential bettors will want to be careful with Gun Runner based on some historical digging by KY Derby Contenders:
Still, this isn't a death knell for jockey Florent Geroux and Gun Runner.
Gun Runner sits in first place for good reason, and the odds aren't the worst around by a long shot. And if there's one thing the sport could use to help compete with last year's Triple Crown, it's a monster first for an underdog.
Nyquist (+333)
Simple logistics have Nyquist as the major favorite.
Led by trainer Doug F. O'Neill, Nyquist has won four Grade 1 events, including a three-race streak that started last September.
In fact, Nyquist has won six races in a row, even taking the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes while fending off Exaggerator. Most recently, Nyquist handled the field well while taking the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
It's not that Nyquist has won so many critical races that has O'Neill confident, though; it's more about how the victories have happened, as captured by Beth Harris of the Associated Press:
"You have to have a clean trip and then even if you get a clean trip you've got to have a horse that can go a mile-and-a-quarter no matter what time it is. What I love about Nyquist's chances is he's won from the rail, he's won from the 12-hole, he's won wire-to-wire, he's won from just off the pace. Mario can call audibles as the race unfolds if it doesn't unfold perfectly, and that really is a big benefit.
"
It's a convincing argument and yet another reason Las Vegas has Nyquist sitting on top.
While not receiving an American Pharoah level of headlines yet, one can envision Nyquist assuming the top spot when it comes to hype. All the team has to do is put the experience to use and take home yet another big win.
Stats and information via KentuckyDerby.com unless otherwise specified. Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
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