Kentucky Derby Entries 2020: Horses in the Field Best Suited for Churchill Downs

The 2020 Kentucky Derby's role in the Triple Crown will be unlike any other Run for the Roses in history. 

In a typical year, the Derby is the first jewel of the Triple Crown run on the first Saturday in May. Because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was moved to September. It will be the second leg of the epic trilogy of horse races and will be the longest race of the year. 

That's because the usual 1½ mile of the Belmont Stakes was shortened to just 1⅛ miles. That makes the 1¼-mile Derby just barely the longest race in the series, as the Preakness will feature a 1 3/16 mile jaunt around the track in Pimlico. 

For Tiz the Law to come through as the odds-on favorite, he will have to show the speed to break out of the 18-horse skirmish at the start line and the endurance to pull away at the end. It takes more than pure speed to find the finish line in Louisville. 

The victor will be a big, strong colt who can handle the pressure of an 18-horse field while maintaining the stride it takes to outpace the rest of the field.

Here's a look at the entire field and a focus on some of the horses who have the build and resume to do just that. 

2020 Kentucky Derby Lineup, Post Positions and Odds

No. 1. Finnick the Fierce 50/1

No. 2. Max Player 30/1

No. 3. Enforceable 30/1

No. 4. Storm the Court 50/1

No. 5. Major Fed 50/1

No. 6. King Guillermo 20/1

No. 7. Money Moves 30/1

No. 8. South Bend 50/1

No. 9. Mr. Big News 50/1

No. 10. Thousand Words 15/1

No. 11. Necker Island 50/1

No. 12. Sole Volante 30/1

No. 13. Attachment Rate 50/1

No. 14. Winning Impression 50/1

No. 15. Ny Traffic 20/1

No. 16. Honor A. P. 5/1

No. 17. Tiz the Law 3/5

No. 18. Authentic 8/1

Odds via Vegas Insider

Tiz the Law

Obviously, this list has to start with Derby favorite Tiz the Law. He's one of the few horses who has already run a 1¼-mile race, and the distance didn't seem to bother him at all, as he easily blew by the pack in the latter half. 

Tiz the Law has won all four of his starts as a three-year-old, including the Belmont, but he was dealt a small blow when he drew the No. 17 post position. No horse has won the derby breaking from that specific gate, but trainer Barclay Tagg believes his horse could be the one to make history. 

"I like it being on the outside," Tagg said, per Evan Hammonds of Blood Horse. "I didn't particularly want to be out that far but we have. He seems to handle everything that gets thrown at him. It gives you a chance if you have any speed at all. It gives you a chance."

Tiz the Law seems to be the complete package. As shown in the Travers Stakes, he can handle the distance, and he's the fastest horse in the field based on speed figures. He has consistently posted figures above 112, according to Equibase. 

The Kentucky Derby has been a struggle for odds-on favorites before, but Tiz the Law has all the makings of a Derby winner. Any other result would be a huge upset at this point. 

Honor A. P.

Joining Tiz the Law along the outside is his best competitor, according to the odds, Honor A. P. The colt racked up the third most qualifying points with his three-year-old campaign. While there are questions about whether second-highest point earner Authentic will want to run more than nine furlongs is valid, the same can't be said for Honor A. P. 

John Shirreff's horse has been at his best when the races are longer. While he was upset at the Shared Belief Stakes in the 1 1/16-mile race, his best performance came in the Santa Anita Derby, where he was able to finish strong down the stretch in a 1⅛-mile race. 

The additional eighth of a mile can only help him when the gets a chance at beating Tiz the Law on Saturday. 

Honor A. P. shares a sire (Honor Code) with another horse in the field, Max Player, who has shown promising endurance to take on this year's longest Triple Crown race. More on him later, but it's a good sign that Honor A. P. is bred to handle the track at Churchill Downs. 

Max Player

Max Player isn't getting much respect as a dark-horse candidate to do well in the Derby, but bettors may want to rethink that. 

The major drawback to Max Player is that his speed figures don't impress. His top number in 2020 was 105, which is a far cry from Tiz the Law in any of his races. However, the results speak for themselves, and he's mostly been started in longer races this year. 

His first start of the year came in the G3 Withers Stakes, where he ran 1⅛ miles to pick up his first and only win of the year. His other two starts have come in the Belmont and the 1¼-mile Travers Stakes. While he wasn't able to catch up to Tiz the Law, he did finish the race strong. 

Max Player's starting gate isn't ideal. His lack of speed may hurt him as he tries not to get pushed too far down the pack early on, but with a new starting gate that essentially eliminates the first and last post positions, that could be less of a concern. 

If jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. can navigate the early going and get him in a good position, Max Player could make a strong push to finish top three.