Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY. 160,000 attendance

Post time: 6:40 PM ET/5:40 PM CT

NBC

2015 Champion: American Pharoah. What a horse. First triple crown winner in 37 years. Affirmed was the prior three year old to do it in 1978 after Seattle Slew won it in 1977.

Distance: 1 1/4 miles

Field: 20 horses

Prediction

I’m going with the 3:1 favorite here at the No.13 post position. The three year old colt is 7 for 7 this season. 7-0 is pretty stout. Like this colt, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, trained by Doug O’Neill, and owned by Paul Roddam, to capture the 142nd Run for the Roses. Perfect weather today, so the track should be fast. Gutierrez, O’Neill and Roddam teamed up to win the 2012 Derby with I’ll Have Another. Like them and their stellar horse to get it done again. If this horse wins, thank you, may I have another Make it a double. With respect to the Bluegrass State, Kentucky Tavern will suffice. 

Nyquist

Biggest threats:

Exaggerator: 8:1

Jockey Kent Desormaux has three Derby victories on his resume. Good post position at No, 11

Mor Spirit: 12:1

Bob Baffert is gunning for his fifth Derby and won the triple crown with Pharoah last year. 12:1 odds at No.17 post position, so tough place to start, but with Hall of Famers Baffert and jockey Gary Stevens, who has won  the Derby three times (1988, 1995 and 1997), the Preakness three times (1997, 2001 and 2013) and the Belmont three times (1995, 1998 and 2001) , this horse, despite it’s poll position, could pull off the upset with that brain trust running the show. 

***Update on Odds: ***

Nyquist now at 2:1,

Exagerrator at 5:1,

Mor Spirit at 11:1