Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders: Lineup and Pedigree for All Entries in the Field

The 2017 Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, the famous horse race that every year, no matter the winner, produces a Triple Crown hopeful. 

Few horses follow through on the initial promise after winning the The Run for the Roses, with the most recent two being American Pharoah (2015) and Affirmed (1978). The unlikelihood of a horse going on to win both the Belmont and Preakness Stakes in no way puts a damper on the Derby, as the race is one of the biggest events in sports and often provides plenty of drama. 

The final draw for the Kentucky Derby field is on Wednesday, but the points leaderboard on the Derby's official site gives an idea of which thoroughbreds will get a post at Churchill Downs in Louisville. 

Here's a look at the top-ranked horses and their pedigree info in the buildup to the big race. 

Standing	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Pedigree
1	Girvin	Joe Sharp	Mike E. Smith	Catch the Moon by Tale of Ekati
2	Classic Empire	Mark E. Casse	Julien. R Leparoux	Sambuca Classica by Pioneer of the Nile
3	Gormley	John A. Shirreffs	N/A	Race to Urga by Malibu Moon
4	Irap	Doug F. O'Neil	Mario Gutierrez	Silken Cat by Tiznow
5	Irish War Cry	H. Graham Motion	Rajiv Maragh	Irish Sovereign by Curlin
6	Thunder Snow (IRE)	Saeed bin Suroor	Christophe Soumillon	Eastern Joy by Helmet
7	Always Dreaming	Todd A. Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	Above Perfection by Bodemeister
8	Gunnevera	Antonio Sano	Javier Castellano	Unbridled Rage by Dialed In
9	Practical Joke	Chad C. Brown	Joel Rosario	Halo Humor by Into Mischief
10	J Boys Echo	Dale L. Romans	Robby Albarado	Letgomyecho by Mineshaft
11	State of Honor	Mark E. Casse	Jose Lezcano	State Cup by To Honor and Serve
12	Tapwrit	Todd A. Pletcher	Jose L. Ortiz	Appealing Zophie by Tapit
13	Hence	Steven M. Asmussen	N/A	Consequential by Mr. Prospector
14	Fast and Accurate	Michael J. Maker	N/A	It's Heidi's Dance by Hansen
15	McCraken	Ian R. Wilkes	Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr.	Change Water by Pretense
16	Battle of Midway	Jerry Hollendorfer	Flavien Prat	Polly Lee by Midway Circle
17	Patch	Todd A. Pletcher	N/A	Windyindy by Union Rags
18	Untrapped	Steven M. Asmussen	N/A	Exit Three by Trappe Shot
19	Lookin at Lee	Steven M. Asmussen	N/A	Langara Lass by Lookin at Lucky
20	Sonneteer	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	Gay Sonnet by Soy Numero Uno
21	Royal Mo	John A Shirreffs	Gary L. Stevens	Royal Irish Lass by Uncle Mo
22	Local Hero	Steven M. Asmussen	N/A	Liam's Dream by Hard Spun
23	Master Plan	Todd A. Pletcher	N/A	Princess Polly by Jet Master
24	Petrov	Ron Moquett	N/A	Saracina by Flatter

The early favorites for the Kentucky Derby are Classic Empire and Always Dreaming, per OddsShark's Mike Dempsey.

Classic Empire has five wins in seven career races, including a victory at the Arkansas Derby on Apr. 15 and at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile race in November of last year. The colt is second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, with 132 points, and has strong bloodlines in Pioneerof the Nile, which finished second at the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming has won his past two races, the most recent a breezy victory at the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1, a race that saw fellow Kentucky Derby hopeful Gunnevera finish third. Always Dreaming has little in the way of high-stakes racing experience, which apparently hasn't dampened bettors spirits, but HorseRacingNation.com's Brian Zipse warned against the horse's lack of experience.

"In the Florida Derby, his first attempt against good horses, he had a perfect trip and never faced adversity," Zipse said. "Unless he is even better than I think, he is sure to face serious adversity on Saturday. A little headstrong since arriving to Louisville, I wonder if he will be up to the test."

While those two are the early betting favorites, there is no major consensus like there has been for recent winners like American Pharoah in 2015 or Nyquist in 2016.

"I think it's as wide open as we've seen in a long time," trainer Dale Romans said, per the Los Angeles Times' John Cherwa.

Girvin may be the points leader, but his most recent wins have come in Grade 2 stakes. Gunnevera is more of a mixed bag, though he hasn't finished worse than fifth in a race and has a couple of runnings in Grade 1 events.

One of the less notable contenders from the expected 20-horse field could also have a breakthrough moment and surprise everyone. The large field and the race's status as a table-setter for the Triple Crown is a big reason why it's considered one of the most exciting, adrenaline-packed events in sports.

Race info courtesy of HorseRacingNation.com unless otherwise noted.