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The Kentucky Derby is right around the corner and the favorites are starting to develop as fans get ready for the biggest day in horse racing.
Some of the greatest horses in the world will be at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 5th, and that will lead to one of the most exciting races of the year.
Here are the top horses to keep an eye on this Saturday.
Bodemeister: 9/2 odds
Bodemeister is a great horse, and his experienced handlers will give him a competitive edge as well.
Bob Baffert will be Bodemeister's trainer and his resume speaks for itself. Baffert has won the Derby three times and has won the Preakness as well in each of those years. Baffert accomplished that feat in 1997, 1998 and 2005.
Jockey Mike Smith will be riding Bodemeister. Smith has won each of the three Triple Crown races in his career. He won the Preakness in 1993, the Kentucky Derby in 2005 and the Belmont in 2010.
With all the great people handling him, Bodemeister takes the cake for me. He's easily the safest bet in this race and moving forward in the dash for the Triple Crown.
Union Rags: 9/2 odds
Union Rags is the second favorite at the same odds as Bodemeister. Unfortunately for this animal, the people handling him aren't as experienced as Bodemeister's people. That puts Union Rags at a slight, but not overwhelming disadvantage.
Michael Matz is the trainer for this horse and has had some success in the past. In 2006, Matz trained Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro. Sadly, Barbaro suffered a broken leg in the second race of the Triple Crown, an injury that led to his death.
Jockey Julien Leparoux, who will be riding Union Rags, has yet to win a Triple Crown race. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have a winning pedigree. Leparoux won two of three Breeder's Cup races in 2009.
His winless streak in Triple Crown races could come to an end this year. Union Rags will be one of the best, if not the best, horses Leparoux has had the privilege to ride.
Gemologist: 12/1 odds
Of all the horses in the Kentucky Derby field, Gemologist might have the best chance of winning a Triple Crown. Not only is Gemologist fast, but he can maintain that speed over long distances, something that will help in the Belmont.
Gemologist is also no stranger to Churchill Downs, having won two races there.
His trainer Todd Pletcher has won big races before. Pletcher was the trainer for Rags to Riches, the winner of 2007 Belmont Stakes. In 2010, Pletcher got over the hump in the Derby, training the winner, Super Saver.
As for the jockey, Javier Castellano has won several big races, but none bigger than the Preakness Stakes he won in 2006. That was his first and only Triple Crown race victory.
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