Meet the 20 Horses Ready for the 151st Kentucky Derby

The 151st Kentucky Derby, 20 horses, is ready for this Saturday’s event in Louisville, Kentucky, at Churchill Downs! Known as ‘the most exciting two minutes in sports,’ 20 thoroughbreds compete for glory. The first event in the Triple Crown series, the next two races in that series are the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. The race begins at 6:57 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on NBC-TV and streaming on Peacock from noon.

The big day is coming up soon, and we will take a look at the 20 horses that will be running in the 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses. The 20 horses, their trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds made up a diverse field that makes for an exciting race.

Sandman is getting buzz prior to the Derby, and has shaped himself to become one of the more widely talked about contenders in the field of 20 horses. Doug O’Neill trains Sandman, who has shown steady improvement with each race, building a better and better track record. It is this improvement that could very well make him the sharpest contender of the 20 horses entered in the race, especially for those who follow the betting boards. With morning-line odds set at 10-1, Sandman isn’t being ignored-and a lot of people might be surprised when it comes down to the field of 20 horses at the gate on race day.

Zandon has quickly become a Kentucky Derby horse to watch, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Flavien Prat. His consistent performance leading up to the race placed him as the second choice at morning-line odds of 3-1. With that track record, Zandon stands out among Kentucky Derby horses this year. Given his ability to handle pressure and maintain form, he’s shaping up to be a strong Kentucky Derby horse contender for the title.

Each Kentucky Derby horse brings its own strengths and style, adding layers of interest to this year’s lineup. Whether it’s Zandon’s consistency, Epicenter’s pace, or Sandman’s recent gains, this year’s field is rich with potential outcomes. With 20 horses each bringing different profiles to Churchill Downs, every entry, including Sandman, Zandon, and Epicenter, has a part to play on race day

Messier stands one of the favorites in this race, having been trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by John Velazquez. Messier is the early line choice at 5-2 and has the breeding and racing experience to mount a serious challenge for the roses. He has shaped to be quite the contender by virtue of his performances thus far in the year.

Smile Happy, an entry for the Kentucky Derby trained under Kenny McPeek and ridden by Corey Lanerie, holds enough promise to possibly be a shocking entry. Currently, the horse, which opened morning-line odds of 15-1, has already shown heart in its previous races, and it has the hand of McPeek’s training on it. Therefore, Smile Happy is a strong candidate for this year’s Derby.

Charge It, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Luis Saez, has been a consistent performer this season. Charge It will have to stay in its very best form if it is going to be competitive in a field of 20 horses with morning-line odds of 12-1. The experience of Pletcher and the riding skills of Saez put this horse in good shape to be in the most competitive level.

Crown Pride, a horse trained by Koichi Shintani and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, comes from Japan and brings a unique element to the Derby. Well, if that’s a nice way to say it, Crown Pride is a bit of an unknown at the morning-line odds of 30-1 but has the potential to surprise many hopefuls with Lemaire steadily riding big stages.

Coming into the race with a cracking pedigree, Taiba is the other horse under trainer Bob Baffert. Taiba has a morning line of 8-1 and, having shown speed in previous races, will be leading towards the end of the Derby. Exciting many with his performance leading to the event is just icing on the cake.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., with Tyler Gaffalione aboard, White Abarrio is an intriguing contender. Should White Abarrio’s morning-line odds of 10-1 hold, he has run well enough in recent races to be considered a possible strong finisher if he can find early rhythm.

Zozos, who is under the tutelage of Cox and ridden with fine skill by Geroux, may throw a surprise or two. At a morning line of 20-1 Zozos is capable of earning his place in the prestigious race-the Cox factor should definitely play a significant role in his performance.

Barber Road, trained by John Ortiz and ridden by Reylu Gutierrez, enters the Derby as a consistent competitor. Mornings line 301 Barber Road’s got that in him to hold his own in a big field and could surprise with a powerful late run.

Pioneer of Medina, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Joe Bravo, meets stiff competition but pedigree may suggest he’s a player. At morning-line odds of 20-1, Pioneer of Medina must receive a picture-perfect trip to be considered against the more seasoned ones in this race.

Happy Jack, another Doug O’Neill-trainee ridden by Tyler Baze, charges at the Derby as a long shot at morning-line odds of 50-1. Despite the odds, O’Neill has a history of getting 20 horses to win at Churchill Downs, so Happy Jack could be one to watch as a dark horse.

The Ben Colebrook-trained Moe Candy, ridden by John Velazquez, is yet another contender with possibilities but will have to prevail against stiff competition. The morning-line odds of 30-1 dictate that Moe Candy will have to run the race of his life to be seen at the finish line.

Royal Spirit will run in the Derby as the long-odds entry with morning-line odds of 50-1, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Jose Ortiz. His chances of coming up with a result may be tiny but Royal Spirit’s resilience could lead up to an unexpected result if things go his way.

Knoxville, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., will enter the Derby with an impressive pedigree but a tough field. With morning-line odds of 30-1, he figures to be a bit of a sleeper if he can stand the Derby race.

Pappy Boyington, trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Gabriel Saez, is another long shot with morning-line odds of 50-1. While he may not be considered a top contender, McPeek’s experience at the Derby gives Pappy Boyington a chance to perform well.

Blackadder, another longshot, is a 50-1 morning-line shot, trained by Rodolphe Brisset and ridden by Julian Leparoux. Certainly not a favorite choice, with all of the training and care, there is a possible that Blackadder could gain some edge in such a competitive field.

One of the most highly edifying Derbies that are around, the 151st Kentucky Derby is loaded with some experienced runners and newbies. The action is really thick, whether one would be an experienced follower or even new at it, this year is going to be action-packed. These 20 horses go head-to-head for the ultimate title in horse racing.