Kentucky Derby 2019: Top Contenders and Unheralded Horses in Lineup Field

Omaha Beach or Roadster? It's the question most pre-race observers are asking ahead of the 2019 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4.

Both are considered the best of the top contenders for the meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It's true there isn't much to choose between either, in terms of form and preparation.

Looking past the big two, there are unheralded horses worthy of a little more attention. Among them, War of Will and Cutting Humor have the ability to deny the favourites.

Omaha Beach and Roadster Justify the Buzz

Recent form on dirt is one reason Omaha Beach is so highly thought of. The Colt has won his last three races on the surface, including finishing first in both the Arkansas Derby and the Rebel Stakes.

Performances like these don't look like a false dawn ahead of the 145th Run for the Roses. Instead, Omaha Beach has continued to catch the eye in Louisville.

The horse impressed during the final pre-derby workout, according to Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier-Journal: 

"Omaha Beach left little for Mandella to worry about Saturday, breezing five furlongs in 59 seconds on a sunny morning at Churchill Downs. Of the 43 five-furlong workouts at Churchill on Saturday, Omaha Beach was the second-fastest. McKinzie, the 4-year-old trained by Bob Baffert, was No. 1 at 58.60 seconds."

If Omaha Beach is giving onlookers cause for optimism, Roadster is doing the same. Hall of Fame trainer Baffert liked how the colt handled the "deep track" during training runs, per Ed Golden of Horse Racing Nation.

Baffert saw Roadster prove his talent when winning the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month. Finishing comfortably ahead of Game Winner, another of Baffert's leading contenders at Churchill Downs, showcased the speed Roadster is capable of.

Getting off to a fast start and building an early lead with Florent Geroux in the saddle will be Roadster's best chance of finishing ahead of Omaha Beach.

War of Will Best Outsider to Watch

War of Will has enough going for him to be an outsider the main contenders should fear. Trainer Mark E. Casse described how well the three-year-old has been training this week, per the Louisville Courier-Journal's Jon Hale.

Casse was especially pleased with how well his horse has recovered from a possible patella issue that led to a ninth-place finish at the Louisville Derby: "I think it probably just cost him a lot of momentum. He broke like a shot. For a big horse, he’s one of the best breaking horses I’ve ever trained."

Like Omaha Beach, War of Will has delivered his best since switching to racing on dirt. The son of War Front has won three of his last four races, including recording two victories this year.

There isn't much experience in the saddle, though, with Tyler Gaffalione taking the reins. The 24-year-old has only ridden in one previous Kentucky Derby, finishing 14th two years ago.

Things should be better this time, with Gaffalione on a Bay Colt with tremendous pedigree and excellent training.

War of Will is a better outside candidate than Cutting Humor, a talented horse trained by Todd Pletcher, but inexperienced at this level. If the Sunland Derby winner has a chance, it will come from the ability to break late and finish strong—that's a useful ploy, but one likely to be rendered moot by the quality of the more heralded names in the field.