2015 Kentucky Derby Odds: Know Your Hottest Favorites and Worthy Underdogs

So here we are, after months of preparation and fever-pitch anticipation, the 2015 Kentucky Derby is just four days ahead of us. Pretty exciting, right? Well, as a way of wetting your appetite for the event and preparing the sportsbetting enthusiasts keen on wagering their money on this once-in-a-year horse racing occasion, we give you a brief highlight of the best contenders in the 2015 Kentucky Derby odds and glimpse what you can expect on Saturday, May 2nd. Out of the finalized field of 20 horses that will participate in the 141st edition of the Kentucky Derby, here are the horses to pay extra attention to:

BEST FAVORITES

American Pharoah, 9-4 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby

Since finishing at No. 5 in his first race, the American Pharoah has been a model of winning consistency, reeling off four straight victories by a combined 22.25 lengths, while dazzling viewers in every race he’s participated in this year. Besides his unique ability to escape from the field, American Pharoah comes with a lot of strength that makes him nearly unbeatable on a straight way. As a 9-4 odds-on favorite to win the derby, American Pharoah is certainly a horse worthy of its most favored betting price.

Dortmund, 9-2 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby

Apart from his dominance in the earlier parts of his career and his perfect 6-for-6 win record, Dortmund is big horse with an intimidating size, making him a perfect pick for horse betting enthusiasts looking for a colt with brute strength and a record to back it up. Dortmund has won all the three races he’s participated in throughout 2015 (all of them taking place at the Santa Anita Park), culminating in his dominant display in last race in April, where the rest of the field barely had a chance of catching up with him. Worthy Note: Both American Pharoah and Dortmund are trained by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert

Carpe Diem, 7-1 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby

This colt comes with a good record of winning both his outings in 2015 and a 4-of-5 overall record. Carpe Diem capped his preparation for this year’s derby with an impressive three-length win in the Grade I Blue Grass at Keenland on April 4th, not long after he had taken the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby on March 7th. A strong showing, if not another win, can thus be expected from this battle-tested horse that also won the Grade I Breeder’s Cup Futurity on October 4th, 2014. Other Favorites to Keep an Eye on: Materiality (12-1), Mubtaahij (12-1) Firing Line (18-1), and International Star (18-1)

BEST UNDERDOGS

El Kabeir, 33-1 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby

If you are looking for a horse that doesn’t have much of a winning streak, but comes into Saturday’s race with a lot of potential to surprise us with a win, none of the horses in the field offers sufficient competition to El Kabeir. Besides being well campaigned with 4 wins in 9 races, including the victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, El Kabeir turned in the fastest 4-furlong workout at 46.81 seconds since all the contestants arrived at the Churchill Downs. Being ridden by three-time Derby Jockey Calvin Borel should also work in this horse’s advantage on Saturday

Far Right, 33-1 odds to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby

In his remarkable nine-year career, Far Right has 3 firsts, 3 seconds, 2 thirds and a fourth. Most recently, despite facing a strong field, Far Right came second to American Pharoah’s eight-length win during the Arkansas Derby on April 11. With a decorated trainer in Ron Moquett and a great jockey in Mike Smith, I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the year for the Smarty Jones and Southwest winner to do big things. Other Underdogs to Keep an Eye on: Itsaknockout (33-1), Mr. Z (40-1), Bolo (40-1) and Danzig Moon (40-1) Sources SI.com (http://www.si.com/horse-racing/2015/04/27/kentucky-derby-betting-odds-american-pharoah-favorite) KentuckyDerby.com (http://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses/carpe-diem)