This year's field features another high-profile favorite in Nyquist, who's emerged victorious in all seven of his career starts. He's going up against a group of opponents that's far deeper than the three-year-old class that was on display against American Pharoah in 2015, though.
With that in mind, let's check out all of the important information for the 142nd running of the "Run for the Roses." That's followed by a look at the field and a race preview.
2016 Kentucky Derby Details
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
Date: Saturday, May 7
Post Time: 6:34 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
2016 Kentucky Derby Details
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
Date: Saturday, May 7
Post Time: 6:34 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Race Preview
It's hard to find any reason to believe Nyquist is going to run anything but a terrific race Saturday. As mentioned, he's started his career with seven consecutive victories. He's rarely been seriously challenged during that stretch despite winning four Grade I and two Grade II races.
If he's going to get beat, there's a much better chance it's because the 20-horse field posed an unexpected problem or another contender simply ran the race of their life. The latter issue is buoyed by the fact that it's such a strong field, leaving a multitude of horses capable of pulling off the upset.
The favorite's trainer, Doug O'Neill, remains confident, though. He told Ed Gray of the Boston Herald that everything he's seen from the ultra-talented colt leads him to believe something special could be on the horizon.
The beauty of a horse like Nyquist is that he’s run on multiple different tracks and he handles them all well, and he's getting along with this one real good," O'Neill said. "His appetite is good, his legs look super, his energy level is high, so that gives us a lot of optimism.
The recent trends also suggest Nyquist has a great chance to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown. Odds Shark noted the betting favorite is on a three-year winning streak in the Derby.
Creator didn't break his maiden until his sixth career start. That doesn't tell the whole story, however, as he finished second in four of his first five races. So it was a situation where the talent was obvious, but the horse needed to learn how to win.
He finished a competitive third in the Rebel Stakes after that initial victory. Then his triumph in the Arkansas Derby last month against a field of Triple Crown hopefuls, led by Suddenbreakingnews and Whitmore, really started to bolster his Derby hopes.
Destin is another intriguing horse from the sleeper brigade. He's won three of his five career starts, including his two most recent outings in the Sam F. Davis Stakes and the Tampa Bay Derby. Those were exactly the type of performances he needed after a poor outing to open 2016 in the Lecomte Stakes.
The biggest question he's facing is how he'll respond after an extended layoff. His last start was the Tampa Bay Derby nearly two months ago. Going from that type of break into the chaos of the Kentucky Derby is a tough ask.
Andy Serling of Fox Sports 1 thinks Todd Pletcher is the right trainer to get the horse prepared, though.
This is a race where it wouldn't be surprising if there are still seven or eight horses firmly in the mix as they turn for home. The question at that point will be whether Nyquist can pull away like he's done so often before or if the depth of the field will be too much for him.
Either way, it should be a terrific finish below the twin spires of Churchill Downs. See More
