From top to bottom are the favorites in this year's Kentucky Derby: Florida Derby runner-up Dunkirk, (photo courtesy of ESPN) Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire, (photo courtesy of ESPN) and Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge, the 3-1 morning line favorite. (Photo courtesy of NBC)
The 135th Kentucky Derby goes to the post tomorrow evening, and just like in recent years, any of the twenty horses that enters the starting gate has a chance to win it.
Even though favorites have won three of the last five Runs for the Roses after chalk had only won twice between 1979 and 2003, this is the most wide-open Derby since 2006, when Barbaro dominated at Churchill Downs at 6-1 odds. This year's prohibitive choice is I Want Revenge, who broke last in the Wood Memorial three weeks ago, only to win the race impressively for trainer Jeff Mullins and 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo, who will be making his Derby debut.
Not to be outdone is Friesan Fire, who looks to be the first horse since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to win the Derby after a seven-week layoff. Friesan Fire's last start came in the Louisiana Derby over a sloppy track, which is the condition expected at post time tomorrow in Louisville. Friesan Fire won that race by 7 1/4 lengths for trainer Larry Jones, who has finished second in the Derby in each of the last two years with Hard Spun and Eight Belles.
Todd Pletcher, who is still looking for his first Derby winner, will saddle three horses, his best being Dunkirk, who is 2-for-3 lifetime with his lone defeat coming in the Florida Derby last month against Quality Road, who will miss the Derby due to a quarter crack.
The complete Derby field from the rail out is West Side Bernie, (ridden by Stewart Elliott) Musket Man, (Eibar Coa) Mr. Hot Stuff, (John Velazquez) Advice, (Rene Douglas) Hold Me Back, (Kent Desormeaux) Friesan Fire, (Gabriel Saez) Papa Clem, (Rafael Bejarano) Mine That Bird, (Calvin Borel) Join In The Dance, (Chris DeCarlo) Regal Ransom, (Alan Garcia) Chocolate Candy, (Mike Smith) General Quarters, (Julien Leparoux) I Want Revenge, (Joe Talamo) Atomic Rain, (Joe Bravo) Dunkirk, (Edgar Prado) Pioneerof The Nile, (Garrett Gomez) Summer Bird, (Chris Rosier) Nowhere To Hide, (Shaun Bridgmohan) Desert Party, (Ramon Dominguez) and Flying Private. (Robby Albarado)
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:24 p.m. Eastern time, and the race will be televised on NBC. Legendary track announcer Tom Durkin will call the Run for the Roses for a ninth consecutive year, as he is the voice of the Triple Crown.
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