Official Derby Field

Preps have been run, horses trained, post positions drawn. Three years have come down to this. Only one horse will emerge victorious.

It's the greatest two minutes in sports. THE KENTUCKY DERBY!!!

So who's going to the gate?

First let's go over which Top Twenty horses have been lost in the last few days.

On Monday, it was Eskendereya, the early Derby favorite, scratched because of swelling in his foreleg.

On Tuesday, it was Rule, pulled because his trainers felt he wasn't working well enough to warrant a trip to the post.

On Wednesday, it was Endorsement, who suffered a condylar fracture.

(Hopefully this isn't some kind of trend.)

So who IS going to the post on Saturday?

[Note: All odds are as of Wednesday night and according to bloodhorse.com]

1 --Lookin' at Lucky -- 3-1
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Garret Gomez. By Smart Strike out of Private Feeling (Belong to Me). Never been out of the money with a record of 6-1-1 out of 8 starts. Seven of those starts were over synthetic, though he did win his one start on dirt. Last year, Lucky broke his maiden in July before going on to win the G2 Best Pal Stakes, G1 Del Mar Futurity, and G1 Norfolk. He finished out his two-year-old season with his first loss, a second to Vale of York in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile by a head, and a win in the G1 CashCall Futurity. Lookin' at Lucky has raced only twice this year. He won the G2 Rebel by a head before finishing third to Sidney's Candy and Setsuko in the Santa Anita Derby. He has never won a race over a mile and a sixteenth. The Santa Anita Derby was his longest race at a mile and an eighth.

2 -- Ice Box -- 10-1
Trained by Nick Zito and ridden by Jose Lezcano. By Pulpit out of Spice Island (Tabasco Cat). Has a record of 3-0-0 out of 7 starts. All of those were over dirt. All four of Ice Box's starts last year were maidens. He finished 7th going 6 furlongs, fifth going 7, fourth going a mile, and then finally won by a half length going a mile and 70 yards. He kicked off his three-year-old season with an allowance win, finished fifth in the G2 Fountain of Youth, and then pulled off a major upset in the G1 Florida Derby, winning by a nose over Pleasant Prince and Rule.

3 -- Noble's Promise -- 12-1
Trained by Ken McPeek and ridden by Willie Martinez. By Cuvee out of The Devil's Trick (Clever Trick). Record is 3-3-1 out of 8 starts. He has never won over conventional dirt. Two of his wins came over synthetic and the third was over turf. Noble's Promise kicked off his racing career with a second in a maiden over Keeneland's synthetic track. He switched to turf to break his maiden and then switched back to win the FDJ Memorial Juvenile and G1 Breeders' Futurity. His two-year-old season ended with a second to Lookin' at Lucky in the G1 CashCall Futurity. Promise has only raced twice this year, both starts on dirt. He finished second by a head to Lucky in the G2 Rebel Stakes and fifth in the G1 Arkansas Derby.

4 -- Super Saver -- 15-1
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Calvin Borel. By Maria's Mon out of Supercharger (A.P. Indy). Record is 2-2-1 out of 6 starts, all over dirt. Super Saver was second to Discreetly Mine his first time out before coming back to break his maiden by 7 lengths. He finished fourth in the G1 Champagne after setting the pace. The colt does have a Churchill Downs win to his credit, having won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Cup as his last start of his two-year-old season. As a three-year-old, he finished third in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby to Odysseus and Schoolyard Dreams, and second to Line of David by a neck in the G1 Arkansas Derby.

5 -- Line of David -- 30-1
Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Rafael Bejarano. By Lion Heart out of Emma's Dilemma (Capote). Record is 3-0-1 out of 6 starts. He won his only start over dirt. Line of David finished ninth and third in his only two starts at two, both maidens over synthetic. At three, he finished seventh in another maiden over synthetic before switching to turf. He broke his maiden on the turf before going on to win an allowance over turf. He switched to dirt for the G1 Arkansas Derby and pulled an upset with his win by a neck.

6 -- Stately Victor -- 30-1
Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Alan Garcia. By Ghostzapper out of Collect the Cash (Dynaformer). Record is 2-1-0 out of 8 starts. At two, Stately Victor finished second in his maiden race, broke his maiden over turf, finished sixth in the G1 Breeders' Futurity, and closed out the year with a seventh-place finish at Churchill Downs in an allowance. At three, Victor finished fifth, eighth, and fifth in three allowance races before going on to a four-length upset in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes over synthetic. The Blue Grass was the first time Garcia was up on the colt.

7 -- American Lion -- 30-1
Trained by Eoin Harty and ridden by David Flores. By Tiznow out of Storm Tide (Storm Cat). Record 3-1-1 out of 6 starts. Five of those starts were over synthetic, though he did win his one start over dirt. Lion finished second his first time out before leaving Richard Budge as his trainer and joining Eoin Harty's barn. Under his new trainer, he won his last two starts of last year: a maiden at Keeneland, and the G3 Hollywood Prevue. At three, Lion finished third in the G2 Robert B. Lewis, fourth in the G2 San Felipe, and won the G3 Illinois Derby. The last was his only start over dirt.

8 -- Dean's Kitten -- 50-1
Trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Robby Albarado. By Kitten's Joy out of Summer Theatre (Ide). Record is 3-1-2 out of 11 starts. He has never won over dirt. As a two-year-old, Dean's Kitten won only two starts. He finished third his first time out over turf before breaking his maiden. He went on to finish fourth in the G3 With Anticipation Stakes. He then tried dirt for the first -- and only -- time in the Pilgrim Stakes where he finished a well-beaten fifth. He switched back to the turf for his last three starts of the year: winning the Vision Stakes before finishing sixth in the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and Grand Canyon Handicap. Dean's Kitten returned at three on the turf once again to finish fourth in the Hallandale Beach Stakes and second in the Palm Beach Stakes. He then switched to synthetic for the first time and won the G2 Lane's End Stakes.

9 -- Make Music for Me -- 50-1
Trained by Alexis Barba and ridden by Joel Rosario. By Bernstein out of Miss Cheers (Carson City). Record is 1-2-1 out of 8 starts. He's never raced on dirt. Music started six times as a two-year-old and never won. He finished fourth in his maiden, second in the G2 Best Pal, second in the G1 Del Mar Futurity, fourth in the G1 Breeders' Futurity, sixth in a maiden, and third in the G1 CashCall Futurity. Make Music for Me returned at three and switched to the turf to win his first race: the Pasadena. He went on to finish sixth in the Blue Grass Stakes.

10 -- Paddy O'Prado -- 20-1
Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Kent Desormeaux. By El Prado out of Fun House (Prized). Record is 1-2-2 out of 6 starts. He finished seventh in his only start on dirt, his first race. He then moved to turf where he finished second in a maiden and third in the With Anticipation. Paddy returned for his three-year-old season with a third in a maiden, first in the G3 Palm Beach, and second in the G1 Blue Grass, his first start on synthetic. He has raced once at Churchill Downs where he finished seventh in his maiden.

11 -- Devil May Care -- 10-1
This year's resident filly trying to make history! Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Valazquez. By Malibu Moon out of Kelli's Ransom (Red Ransom). Record is 3-0-0 out of 5 starts. Only one of those starts was not on dirt. She's never raced against colts before. She broke her maiden at two by nearly five lengths, won the G1 Frizette by a head, and finished eleventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies over synthetic for the first time. She returned the next year to finish fifth in the Silverbulletday before winning the G2 Bonnie Miss.

12 -- Conveyance -- 12-1
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia. By Indian Charlie out of Emptythetill (Holy Bull). Record is 4-1-0 out of 5 starts. His last two starts were over dirt. Conveyance raced twice at two: breaking her maiden at Santa Anita, and destroying an allowance field by seven lengths. At three, Conveyance returned to win the G3 San Rafael, G3 Southwest, and finish second in the Sunland Derby to Endorsement. The Sunland Derby was his longest race at a mile and an eighth.

13 -- Jackson Bend -- 15-1
Trained by Nick Zito and ridden by Mike Smith. By Hear No Evil out of Sexy Stockings (Tabasco Cat). Record is 5-4-0 out of 9 starts. Jackson Bend kicked off his racing career with a second place in his maiden before going on to win five straight races: a maiden, the F Gomez Memorial, Dr Fager, Affirmed, and Reality Stakes. He switched from Stanley Gold's barn to Nick Zito's in October. At three, Jackson Bend returned for three straight places in the the G3 Holy Bull, G2 Fountain of Youth, and G1 Wood Memorial, the last two won by Eskendereya, and the first to Winslow Homer. All of his starts were on dirt.

14 -- Mission Impazible -- 20-1
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Rajiv Maragh. By Unbridled's Song out of La Paz (Hold Your Peace). Record is 2-1-2 out of 5 starts. Only one of his wins came on dirt. He raced and finished third at Churchill Downs. Mission broke his maiden at two in his first race at Keeneland. He moved to Churchill where he finished third in the G3 Kentucky Juvenile. At three, Mission finished second by a head in an allowance. He went on to finish fourth in the G3 Southwest, but was awarded third place money when Cardiff Giant was disqualified, and came back to win the G2 Louisiana Derby.

15 -- Discreetly Mine -- 30-1
Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Javier Castellano. By Mineshaft out of Pretty Discreet (Private Account). Record is 2-3-0 out of 8 starts. All of his starts were on dirt. At two, Discreetly Mine only won one race. He finished second, fourth, and first in his first three races, all maidens. He then went on to finish second to D'Funnybone in the G2 Futurity and second to Homeboykris in the G1 Champagne. After the Champagne, he left Stanley Hough's stable for Pletcher's. Discreetly Mine returned at three to finish fourth in the Spectacular Bid, first in the G2 Risen Star, and fourth in the G2 Louisiana Derby.

16 -- Awesome Act -- 10-1
Trained by Jeremy Noseda and ridden by Julien Leparoux. By Awesome Again out of Houdini's Honey (Mr. Prospector). Record is 2-2-2 out of 8 starts. Five of those starts were on turf, one on synthetic, and two on dirt. Despite being bred in Kentucky, Awesome Act's first five starts were in Great Britain. He finished second in his first two starts, both maiden stakes on the turf. He finished third after switching to the polytrack. He switched back to turf for his next start and broke his maiden in a maiden stakes. He went on to finish ninth in the G1 Dewhurst Stakes. In November, Awesome Act came to the U.S. where he finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. At three, Awesome Act switched to dirt. He won the G3 Gotham and finished third in the Wood Memorial.

17 -- Dublin -- 12-1
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Terry Thompson. By Afleet Alex out of Classy Mirage (Storm Bird). Record is 2-1-2 out of 8 starts. All of those starts have been on dirt. Dublin debuted in June of last year at Churchill Downs where he finished fourth. He went on to break his maiden by three lengths at Saratoga, take the G1 Hopeful, finish fifth in the G1 Champagne, and return to Churchill for the G3 Iroquis where he finished a beaten seventh. At three, Dublin returned to finish second in the G3 Southwest, third in the G2 Rebel, and third in the G1 Arkansas Derby.

18 -- Backtalk -- 50-1
Trained by Tom Amoss and ridden by Miguel Mena. By Smarty Jones out of Apasionata Sonata (Affirmed). Record is 4-0-1 out of 7 starts. Only once has he raced off of dirt. Backtalk is two for two at Churchill Downs. Backtalk kicked off his career with a almost three-length victory in a Churchill Downs maiden before going on to win the Bashford Manor there by a length. He the moved to Saratoga where he took the G2 Sanford by a neck. While stretching out to seven furlongs, he finished fourth in the G1 Hopeful Stakes. In his only start on synthetic, he finished eighth in the G1 Breeders' Futurity. Backtalk returned for his three-year-old season with a win in the Sportmans Paradise and well-beaten third in G3 Illinois Derby.

19 -- Homeboykris -- 50-1
Trained by Richard Dutrow and ridden by Ramon Dominguez. By Roman Ruler out of One Last Salute (Salutely). Record is 2-1-0 out of 6 starts. All of his starts are on dirt. Homeboykris broke his maiden on the second try at Calder before switching out of Pablo Andrade's barn in July. He then went on to win the G1 Champagne Stakes before leaving Richard Dutrow's barn. Under his new trainer he finished a well-beaten fifth in the G2 Remsen. He switched trainers one last time, moving back to Richard Dutrow's barn from Juan Rodriguez. At three, he finished fifth in the G3 Holy Bull and second by three lengths in an allowance at Gulfstream.

20 -- Sidney's Candy -- 5-1
Trained by John Sadler and ridden by Joe Talamo. By Candy Ride out of Fair Exchange (Storm Cat). Record is 4-1-0 out of 6 starts. He's never been off of synthetic surface. Sidney's Candy broke his maiden by four lengths on the second try. He then went on to finish fourth in an allowance by seven lengths after stalking the pace throughout the race. At three, the colt dominated the G2 San Vicente by four and a quarter lengths, the G2 San Felipe, and the G1 Santa Anita Derby, all of which he led wire to wire.

And that's the field!!! I'm off to watch past performances and get an idea of who are going to be the horses to watch. I need to catch up. =D Don't worry, I'll be back to my normal mostly-non-horse-racing-related blog on Monday. In the meantime, it's all horse racing, all the time.