Kentucky Derby Entries 2016: Horse Names, Post Positions, Vegas Odds and More
Part of what makes the Kentucky Derby so unique is its depth. The favorites get the majority of the headlines, but there are 20 horses in the field that have earned their way to this event.
Even with a group of this size, there aren't any "fillers" just there for show. With the way the Derby prep is set up, even the biggest long shots have a quality resume. Trojan Nation finished second in the Wood Memorial Stakes, while Oscar Nominated is coming off a win at the graded Cincinnati Spiral Stakes.
This means while Nyquist, Exaggerated and a few others remain the favorites heading into Saturday, don't overlook the underdogs in this field.
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Here is a full look at the entries and post positions as well as a breakdown of some of the sleepers to watch out for at the upcoming Run for the Roses.
| 1 | Trojan Nation | Aaron Gryder | 50-1 | 66-1 |
| 2 | Suddenbreakingnews | Luis Quinonez | 20-1 | 20-1 |
| 3 | Creator | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 10-1 | 12-1 |
| 4 | Mo Tom | Corey Lanerie | 20-1 | 22-1 |
| 5 | Gun Runner | Florent Geroux | 10-1 | 9-1 |
| 6 | My Man Sam | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 20-1 | 20-1 |
| 7 | Oscar Nominated | Julien Leparoux | 50-1 | 66-1 |
| 8 | Lani | Yutaka Take | 30-1 | 28-1 |
| 9 | Destin | Javier Castellano | 15-1 | 14-1 |
| 10 | Whitmore | Victor Espinoza | 20-1 | 18-1 |
| 11 | Exaggerator | Kent Desormeaux | 8-1 | 15-2 |
| 12 | Tom's Ready | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 30-1 | 40-1 |
| 13 | Nyquist | Mario Gutierrez | 3-1 | 3-1 |
| 14 | Mohaymen | Junior Alvarado | 10-1 | 8-1 |
| 15 | Outwork | John Velazquez | 15-1 | 16-1 |
| 16 | Shagaf | Joel Rosario | 20-1 | 28-1 |
| 17 | Mor Spirit | Gary Stevens | 12-1 | 14-1 |
| 18 | Majesto | Emisael Jaramillo | 30-1 | 33-1 |
| 19 | Brody's Cause | Luis Saez | 12-1 | 14-1 |
| 20 | Danzing Candy | Mike E. Smith | 15-1 | 20-1 |
Sleepers to Watch
Mo Tom
The sire of Uncle Mo, Mo Tom has had an up-and-down career to this point. He has three wins in seven starts, but only once has he finished out of the money—a fourth-place showing at the Louisiana Derby.
What Uncle Mo does have is a lot of experience against some of the best competition in the field, as well as a lot of time spent training on longer distances. While other horses might falter down the stretch, this one will still be going strong.
Trainer Thomas Amoss is also happy with getting the No. 4 post, per KentuckyDerby.com:
"I think the two most significant things about the draw are we drew toward the rail but not so close that it's a problem, and that there's a lot of speed way on the outside in this post-position draw. Those horses are going to have to be used out of the starting gate, and that I think will ensure a good pace, which is what we need.
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If jockey Corey Lanerie can hold back from pushing the horse too much early on, Mo Tom will have a decent chance of closing on the competition late.
A lot of competition could prevent this challenger from crossing the finish line first, but he could easily threaten for a spot in the top three.
Danzing Candy
Danzing Candy will be one of the biggest X-factors of the race, as he has as much pure speed as anyone in the field.
The question is how will he react to being on the outside post at No. 20. Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports presents the problem with the position:
On the plus side, Danzing Candy has enough speed to beat everyone to the best position early on. This is what he did at the Santa Anita Derby before the wet course wore him down and allowed others to pass him down the stretch. In the three previous races, he was able to hold on and win, including the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.
He should be able to get a boost from Hall of Fame jockey Mike E. Smith, who has won four Triple Crown races in his career including the 2005 Kentucky Derby. He has been a dominant force in the sport since the mid-1980s and knows what it takes to get the most out of his mount.
There is a good chance Danzing Candy can get an early lead and set the pace, even with a tough post position. The test will be maintaining the pace all the way to the end and earning a wire-to-wire victory.
Outwork
With just four starts in his career, Outwork definitely lacks the experience of some of the other competitors. However, he has shown quite a bit in his limited time in the spotlight, winning three races and finishing second in the other.
His most recent win came at the Wood Memorial Stakes, beating a couple of other members of the 2016 Kentucky Derby field in the process.
Dan Wolken of USA Today also liked what he has seen from Outwork during workouts at Churchill Downs:
It's clear there is a lot of talent, it just needs to be crafted to make this a legitimate contender on Saturday.
The team around him will certainly help out with trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez. Velazquez not only has had success at major events throughout his career, but he has been one of the most consistent jockeys in the world. He's currently fourth in total earnings in 2016 and has finished in the top six in this category in each of the last 15 years, according to Equibase.
With this group leading a horse with plenty of ability, Outwork can challenge for a title.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.
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