Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders: Odds, Jockey and Pedigree Info for Top Favorites

Whether you're a casual observer who loves mint juleps and big hats or a hardcore bettor looking to win big, the Kentucky Derby has something for everyone.

This year, the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" features an even field of horses, which should make for even more excitement...and possibly even more heartbreak if you don't place your bets properly.

Luckily, we have all the information you need on the favorites heading into Saturday's race, including odds, jockey info and the horses' pedigrees.

Moreover, we'll take a look at some trends that should also help you place your bets, big or small, courtesy of OddsShark.

First, let's take a look at all the horses in this year's field following the results of Wednesday's post position draw: 

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey
1	Lookin at Lee	Steve Asmussen	Corey Lanerie
2	Thunder Snow	Saeed bin Suroor	Christophe Soumillon
3	Fast and Accurate	Mike Maker	Channing Hill
4	Untrapped	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.
5	Always Dreaming	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez
6	State of Honor	Mark Casse	Jose Lezcano
7	Girvin	Joe Sharp	Mike Smith
8	Hence	Steve Asmussen	Florent Geroux
9	Irap	Doug O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez
10	Gunnevera	Antonio Sano	Javier Castellano
11	Battle of Midway	Jerry Hollendorfer	Flavien Prat
12	Sonneteer	Keith Desormeaux	Kent Desormeaux
13	J Boys Echo	Dale Romans	Luis Saez
14	Classic Empire	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux
15	McCraken	Ian Wilkes	Brian Hernandez
16	Tapwrit	Todd Pletcher	Jose Ortiz
17	Irish War Cry	Graham Motion	Rajiv Maragh
18	Gormley	John Shirreffs	Victor Espinoza
19	Practical Joke	Chad Brown	Joel Rosario
20	Patch	Todd Pletcher	Tyler Gaffalione

Top Favorites

Classic Empire

Odds: 4-1

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Pedigree: Sambuca Classica by Pioneer of the Nile

Classic Empire faced some adversity heading into the Kentucky Derby, but now he finds himself at 4-1 odds and an early favorite to win the rose garland on Saturday.

Things were looking good for the colt at the end of 2016, when he won both the Breeders’ Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. 

However, after he placed third in the Holy Bull Stakes on February 4, it was discovered that he had a foot abcess. According to the Derby website, "coupled with back issues and disrupted training sessions, Classic Empire’s recovery took longer than expected."

However, Classic Empire surged back to take first place in the Arkansas Derby, and he's looking hot heading into the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Always Dreaming

Odds: 5-1

Jockey: John Velazquez

Pedigree: Above Perfection by Bodemeister

Always Dreaming is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is no stranger to the Run for the Roses. This year alone, Pletcher has three horses in the field of 20 in Always Dreaming, Tapwrit and Patch.

Always Dreaming is by far Pletcher's best chance of winning this year and improving his record in the race, which is only 1-for-45, according to Mike Dempsey of OddsShark.

One reason Always Dreaming is such a big favorite this year is his success in his preps. He comes into Churchill Downs having won his last three races, including the Florida Derby.

And, according to Dempsey, "over the past 15 years the Florida Derby has been the most productive with four Derby winners, followed by the Santa Anita Derby and Arkansas Derby with three each."

The Kentucky-bred colt is from the first crop of Bodemeister, whom Derby buffs will remember was the runner-up to I'll Have Another in the 2012 running of the race. His dam is Above Perfection. 

McCraken

Odds: 5-1

Jockey: Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr.

Pedigree: Change Water by Pretense

McCraken had won four races in a row before finishing in a disappointing third place in his final race before the Kentucky Derby, the Blue Grass Stakes.

The colt's dip in performance was the result of an ankle injury he suffered in training on February 28, and which his trainer, Ian Wilkes, described as "very minor," per KentuckyDerby.com.

The loss doesn't bode well for McCraken as far as trends go; according to Dempsey, "the last six Derby winners all won their final prep." The last time a horse did not win his final prep and went on to win the Kentucky Derby was Super Saver in 2010.

So the trend is certainly not prohibitive, and indeed, the oddsmakers still seem to like McCraken's chances despite his slip in the Blue Grass Stakes.