Kentucky Derby 2018 Horses: Contenders and Race-Day Overview for Entire Field

The top contenders for the 144th Kentucky Derby have established themselves over the last few months with marquee wins in the buildup to Saturday's race at Churchill Downs.

Justify, Audible and Mendelssohn looked like the most impressive horses at the start of 2018, but there are a few other challengers that could make noise Saturday.

Although the contenders dominated the attention in the days leading up to the first leg of the Triple Crown, they won't be at the front for the entire race.

When it comes to winning the Kentucky Derby, the victorious horse must navigate through a field of slower horses, pacemakers and late-surging hopefuls over 1 1/4 miles. 

Contenders

Justify

No matter where you go at Churchill Downs, Justify's name will be mentioned.

The favorite to win the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby comes into Saturday as the most-hyped horse since American Pharoah in 2015.

While it may be unfair to compare Justify to the last Triple Crown champion, there are a few similarities between the two, including the same trainer in Bob Baffert.

Baffert is one of the most successful Kentucky Derby trainers ever, as he has four victories to his name in over 20 years.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Silver Charm, Real Quiet, War Emblem and American Pharoah brought Baffert to the winner's circle, and he hopes to experience the same sensation by the end of Saturday's race.

If Justify takes first place in the Kentucky Derby, he faces an even higher standard going into the Preakness Stakes, as each of Baffert's four derby winners went on to win the Preakness Stakes.

Bolt d'Oro

Although he isn't at the forefront of the discussion, Bolt d'Oro comes into the Kentucky Derby in good form, just like Justify and some of the other favored horses. 

The horse starting from post No. 11 is one of the few in the field with experience racing against Justify, as he came in second to Baffert's top Kentucky Derby entry at the Santa Anita Derby. 

Bolt d'Oro also contains recent experience in tight races, as he went head-to-head at the line with McKinzie at the San Felipe Stakes.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

With Justify, Audible and Good Magic clumped together in inside starting positions, Bolt d'Oro has the opportunity to create momentum from gate No. 11 before reaching the front of the pack.

The Mick Ruis-trained horse comes from impressive bloodlines, as his sire Medaglia d'Oro won a handful of major races and took fourth in the 2002 Kentucky Derby.

Medaglia d'Oro's most recognizable offspring is Rachel Alexandra, who was the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 2009.

Although it's going to be a difficult race to win, Bolt d'Oro has plenty going in his favor to come out on top.

Race Overview

Justify, Mendelssohn and Audible will have the most attention on them entering Saturday's race, with Bolt d'Oro, Good Magic and Magnum Moon also mentioned in the discussion of potential winners.

Don't expect any of the favorites to break into the lead out of the gate, as they wait patiently to feel each other out.

One of the horses starting on the inside like Firenze Fire or Promises Fulfilled should burst into the lead at the start and set the pace.

The pack coming from the outside starting positions led by Mendelssohn will make the fight for positions a real battle once they settle into the group.

Magnum Moon could be helped out by Vino Rosso and Noble Indy, as all three are part of the group of four horses in the field trained by Todd Pletcher.

As the race moves on, the favorites should work their way to the front, while some of the horses in the back of the field make late surges in order to secure spots in the top three.

Look for Justify to go head-to-head with at least two of his closest competitors, but none of them are going to be able to keep up by the end of the race.

With Audible and Mendelssohn dropping off a bit as Justify hurdles toward the finish line, a few surprise horses like My Boy Jack could slide into better spots to help bettors cash in on trifecta or superfecta wagers.

It would be wise to choose a few of the horses with low odds if you're trying to correctly pick the top three or four racers, but also consider some underdogs to expand your payout.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from KentuckyDerby.com.