Kentucky Derby 2019 Contenders: Lineup and Pedigree for All Entries in the Field

Tuesday's post draw for the 2019 Kentucky Derby is almost upon us, and fans and punters alike will have a clearer view of the contenders once the field is set.

With several standout horses but seemingly no clear favourite in this year's field, the first leg of the Triple Crown could be one of the most thrilling we've seen in a long time. Roadster, Improbable, Game Winner, Tacitus and Omaha Beach lead a strong and deep group.

For a full look at the lineup, visit the Derby's official website.

Here are the pedigrees for the runners (field subject to change):

Roadster

Quality Road — Ghost Dancing, by Silver Ghost

Gray Magician

Graydar — Burg Berg, by Johannesburg

Spinoff

Hard Spun — Zaftig, by Gone West

Win Win Win

Hat Trick (JPN) — Miss Smarty Pants, by Smarty Jones

Maximum Security

New Year's Day — Lil Indy, by Anasheed

By My Standards

Goldencents — A Jealous Woman, by Muqtarib

Omaha Beach

War Front — Charming, by Seeking the Gold

Cutting Humor

First Samurai — Pun, by Pulpit

Tacitus

Tapit — Close Hatches, by First Defence

Haikal 

Daaher — Sablah, by Distorted Humor

War of Will

War Front  —  Visions Of Clarity, by Sadler's Wells

Country House

Lookin At Lucky  —  Quake Lake, by War Chant

Vekoma

Candy Ride  -  Mona De Momma, by Speightstown

Tax

Arch  —  Toll, by Giant's Causeway

Master Fencer

Just a Way  —  Sexy Samurai, by Deputy Minister

Improbable

City Zip  —  Rare Event, by A.P. Indy

Plus Que Parfait

Point of Entry  —  Belvedera, by Awesome Again

Game Winner

Candy Ride  —  Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy

Code of Honor

Noble Mission  —  Reunited, by Dixie Union

Long Range Toddy

Take Charge Indy  —  Pleasant Song, by Unbridled's Song

All information courtesy of Horse Racing Nation

A quick look at Oddschecker―who collect data on a number of betting companies―reveals most have Omaha Beach as a slight favourite ahead of the post draw, but only by a slim margin. A multitude of oddsmakers have no less than five horses with odds better than 10-1 as of Sunday, April 28.

Omaha Beach has won his last three starts, besting Improbable and Game Winner along the way. He has also impressed in his drills, per Byron King of Daily Racing Form:

Game Winner has finished in second place in consecutive races, the Rebel Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. Improbable has a similar resume in 2019, giving Churchill Downs legend Bob Baffert a pair of consistent runners, and they're not his only contenders.

Roadster has won both his starts in 2019, including the highly rated Santa Anita Derby. He too has impressed in his work:

Jockey Mike Smith has opted to work with Omaha Beach, rather than Roadster, however, which could be a telling sign ahead of the race.

The unbeaten Maximum Security has been picking up hype of late, but he remains something of a risky pick. Just one of his four wins came in a race longer than seven furlongs, and that came in the Florida Derby, at 1 1/8-mile. The Derby is longer, at 1 1/4 miles, which is a distance he has never run.