Kentucky Derby 2018 Contenders: Horses, Jockeys with Best Chance at Triple Crown
After American Pharoah captured the Triple Crown in 2015, there was a sense of relief that the achievement was still in reach after a 37-year drought.
While it still remains one of the most difficult tasks in sports, there are horses in the 2018 Kentucky Derby field that are capable of winning three straight races over the next six weeks.
In order to even have a chance of earning a spot among horse racing's greatest horses, the Triple Crown contenders have to take care of business in Saturday's race.
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Once that occurs, the chatter surrounding the Triple Crown chances of the Kentucky Derby winner will escalate in the two weeks leading up to the Preakness Stakes.
Horses with Best Chances at Triple Crown
Justify
The horse of the moment is Justify, who comes into the Kentucky Derby with the most hype since American Pharoah.
Trainer Bob Baffert, who guided American Pharoah to the Triple Crown, is in charge of Justify, who didn't race as a two-year-old.
Justify took a major step in solidifying his Triple Crown credentials when he took first place at the Santa Anita Derby at the start of April.
The victory at Santa Anita Park brought a whirlwind of attention to the horse starting from post No. 7 in Saturday's race.
Justify's jockey, Mike Smith, is one of the most accomplished riders in his profession, and he has four wins in Triple Crown races, with his lone Kentucky Derby triumph coming in 2005 with Giacomo.
Smith also achieved success at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Oaks, as he is a two-time winner of that event, including the 2017 edition aboard Abel Tasman.
It seems like Justify has all the pieces in place to replicate American Pharoah's success, but that can only happen if he wins the Kentucky Derby.
Audible
Outside of Justify, there are only a few candidates worthy of the Triple Crown talk.
Audible, who is one of four horses trained by Todd Pletcher in the Kentucky Derby field, is capable of winning three races in a row over the next six weeks.
The horse starting from post No. 5 comes into Saturday with two consecutive victories in the Holy Bull Stakes and Florida Derby.
In the Florida Derby, Audible beat two Kentucky Derby competitors, as Hofburg took second and Promises Fulfilled placed ninth.
Jockey Javier Castellano has never won the main event at Churchill Downs, but he holds a wide array of Breeders Cup titles and guided Cloud Computing to the winner's circle at the Preakness Stakes a year ago.
Audible starts in a favorable position, which could help him get out in front of the field, while the contenders in more outside starting spots mesh into the group at the start.
If he wins Saturday, Audible would give Pletcher back-to-back Kentucky Derby winners after Always Dreaming won a year ago.
With previous experience of going after the Triple Crown, Pletcher should know how to handle the preparation for the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
Mendelssohn
One of the most successful European-trained horses is looking to make a splash in the United States and take the Kentucky Derby crown.
Mendelssohn, who is trained by Irishman Aidan O'Brien, produced a pair of first-place finishes overseas at the Patton Stakes and UAE Derby in March.
While there may be concerns surrounding Mendelssohn's performance on American tracks, that is washed away by his victory at the 2017 Breeders Cup juvenile turf.
Ryan Moore is one of the most accomplished jockeys in Great Britain and is the perfect complement to Mendelssohn, as he brings a familiar face to the horse.
The biggest challenge facing Mendelssohn and his team is his starting position, as the horse comes out of post No. 14.
In order to challenge Saturday, Mendelssohn must get off to a fast start in order to make up some ground from a rough draw.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from KentuckyDerby.com.
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