The 2017 Kentucky Derby is coming right at us. Some of the finest and fastest three-year-old horses are set to gallop at Churchill Downs, all vying to win the first leg of the Triple Crown. It’s going to be nuts down there in Louisville as the race nears. Now’s a high time to check on a few horses joining this prestigious race. See them below.
Todd Pletcher must be feeling excited at his chances of taking home his second Derby win with the trainer parading Always Dreaming at Churchill Downs. Always Dreaming, whose sire is Bodemeister—finished second in the 2012 Kentucky Derby— has four races so far under his belt and has showed in all of them. The horse is on a two-win streak, having finished first at the Allowance Claimer at Gulfstream and in its Graded Stakes debut at the same track earlier this month. Always Dreaming has odds of +300 to win the Derby.
Sharing the same odds with Always Dreaming is Classic Empire. The three-year-old colt has competed in a lot of races and is looking very ripe for a huge Triple Crown event victory. For starters, Classic Empire has showed in six of the seven races, which includes three Graded Stakes wins. In its last preparation race for the Derby, Classic Empire fed the competition with dust during a first-place finish on Apr. 15 in the Graded 1 Arkansas Derby.
High-Value Sleeper: Gormley
A familiar face will be whipping Gormley (+1,000) at Churchill Downs. That’s Victor Espinoza, one of the greatest jockeys of all time, who’ll be on top of Gormley as he aims for his fourth Kentucky Derby crown. Espinoza guided War Emblem (2002), California Chrome (2014), and American Pharoah (2015) to wins at Churchill Downs. Jockey aside, Gormley has some serious accomplishments that are sure to turn heads of casual bettors. For one, the John Shirreffs-trained colt has finished first in four of its six races, including a win at San Anita on Apr. 8.
Long Shot: Royal Mo
At odds of +4,000 to win the Derby, Royal Mo isn’t generating as much interest from bettors as most of the other horses. But you know what, that’s just making Royal Mo a tasty long shot pick. Much of the doubt on Royal Mo concerns his inexperience. The Kentucky-bred colt has three starts so far, though has flashed some serious speed in those races. Take for example his participation at the Robert B. Lewis Grade 3 Stakes race, in which Royal Mo won by besting fellow Derby entry, Irap, who is priced even better at +800 to win at Churchill Downs.
