Kentucky Derby 2016: Post Time, Post Positions and Full TV Coverage Info
The looming specter of American Pharoah last year will hover over the 2016 Triple Crown, starting with Saturday's Kentucky Derby, though there is an appeal to this year's Run For the Roses because it is wide open.
Nyquist enters Churchill Downs as the favorite to win the "most exciting two minutes in sports," but he's not the kind of dominating and imposing specimen that American Pharoah was.
Because the Triple Crown drought was finally broken last year, there won't be the same kind of pressure on any horse to pull it off in 2016. The field of 20 horses will give it their all to start their quest for history on a good note.
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Television Information
| Saturday, May 7 | NBC | 4 p.m. | 6:34 p.m. |
Post Draw
| 1 | Trojan Nation | 66-1 |
| 2 | Suddenbreakingnews | 20-1 |
| 3 | Creator | 12-1 |
| 4 | Mo Tom | 22-1 |
| 5 | Gun Runner | 9-1 |
| 6 | My Man Sam | 20-1 |
| 7 | Oscar Nominated | 66-1 |
| 8 | Lani | 28-1 |
| 9 | Destin | 14-1 |
| 10 | Whitmore | 18-1 |
| 11 | Exaggerator | 7.5-1 |
| 12 | Tom's Ready | 40-1 |
| 13 | Nyquist | 3-1 |
| 14 | Mohaymen | 8-1 |
| 15 | Outwork | 16-1 |
| 16 | Shagaf | 28-1 |
| 17 | Mor Spirit | 14-1 |
| 18 | Majesto | 33-1 |
| 19 | Brody's Cause | 14-1 |
| 20 | Danzing Candy | 20-1 |
Prediction
In a year without one dominant horse, there are any number of directions this year's Kentucky Derby can go.
Nyquist is getting most of the pre-race love because he's got a 7-0 record and won the Florida Derby on April 2. It was a notable win for Nyquist, not just because of the prestige, but it also gave him a head-to-head win over previously unbeaten Mohaymen.
The draw did not exactly help Nyquist, who will start from the 13th gate. Superstitious betters will be hesitant to put any money on that particular number anyway, but Nyquist's trainer Doug O'Neill admitted to Paul Rolfes of the Courier-Journal there was a certain way he wanted things to play out.
“It’s a big factor for all of us," O'Neill said. "I think everyone would like to be outside of speed horses. It would be nice to be drawn outside of some of these horses that might show gate speed.”
Two other notable speed horses are Danzing Candy, who will start from the 20th gate, and Outwork, who will start at the 15th gate.
Mohaymen is a difficult horse to handicap heading into the Kentucky Derby. He was supposed to enter Churchill Downs as the favorite, but his disappointing fourth-place finish at the Florida Derby has left him as a wild card.
Not to make an excuse for Mohaymen, but he was running on the track in Florida in less-than-ideal conditions due to rain earlier in the day.
The poor weather didn't hurt Nyquist, which only helps his case as the Kentucky Derby favorite. But Mohaymen, as Joe Sullivan of the Boston Globe noted, has "been quick" in workouts this week and his behavior "has been erratic."
It's hard to describe an animal as being a diva, but Mohaymen could be the kind of race horse that needs perfect conditions to be successful. He was 5-0 before the Florida Derby for a reason.
Mohaymen is also starting in that outside cluster with Nyquist and Outwork, so whichever horse gets out of the gate clean is going to have an excellent run.
As good as Nyquist is and as quick as Outwork is, Mohaymen is the horse to keep an eye on. He's floating just under the radar to be a solid bet and has the resume to make noise on a clean track at Churchill Downs.
Prediction: Mohaymen wins 2016 Kentucky Derby
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