The stage is now set for the 141st Kentucky Derby.
American Pharoah is the favorite at 5-2 and Dortmund is the second choice at 3-1 to win the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
Both horses are trained by renowned horse trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert recognizes that American Pharoah will start from a tough spot. On Wednesday evening, the thoroughbred drew the No. 18 post, near the far outside rail.
“It’s not a bad spot for him. He’s big, he’s quick, he’s fast, he can maneuver,” he said.
“It could have been worse.”
Baffert said he expects the race to be “aggressively run” and is happy the spots his horses drew won’t require his jockeys to fight too hard for a contending position.
“My jockeys are going to have to ride their own race, I can’t tell them what to do. They’re on fast horses,” he said.
Victor Espinoza, who rode California Chrome to victory in the Derby last year, is the jockey for American Pharoah.
He said the 18 spot is an “excellent post.”
“Lucky number 18 for 2015,” he said. “I feel lucky with the 18.”
The third betting choice is Carpe Diem. That horse is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Here is the horse-by-horse breakdown.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocho Ocho Ocho | Elvis Trujillo | Jim Cassidy | 50-1 |
| 2 | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 8-1 |
| 3 | Materiality | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 |
| 4 | Tencendur | Manny Franco | George Weaver | 30-1 |
| 5 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 30-1 |
| 6 | Mub Taaqhij | Christophe Soumillion | Mike de Kock | 20-1 |
| 7 | El Kabeir | Calvin Borel | John Terranova II | 30-1 |
| 8 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 3-1 |
| 9 | Bolo | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | 30-1 |
| 10 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 12-1 |
| 11 | Stanford Florent | Geroux | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 12 | International Star | Miguel Mena | Mike Maker | 20-1 |
| 13 | Itsaknockout | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 14 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 50-1 |
| 15 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 15-1 |
| 16 | War Story | Joe Talamo | Tom Amoss | 50-1 |
| 17 | Mr. Z | Roman Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 50-1 |
| 18 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 5-2 |
| 19 | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette Jr. | 15-1 |
| 20 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | 30-1 |
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