Handicapping the 2015 Kentucky Derby

Dortmund, the second choice at 3-1, is undefeated in six races.Jamie Rhodes/USA Today

A bettor could make a case for 10 horses in this year’s Derby, which makes this a difficult gambling proposition. The favorites are all legitimate, too. The pace — usually hotly contested in the Derby — will be critical, and if it’s too fast, the late runners could take advantage. The favorites seem so talented that the winner probably will come from that group, and it will be the one who has the best trip, not too fast and avoiding traffic.

Here is the field for Saturday’s 141st Kentucky Derby. Post time: 6:34 p.m. (NBC). Weights: 126 pounds. Distance: 1¼ miles. Purse: $2,203,800 if 20 start. First place: $1,443,800. Second place: $400,000. Third place: $200,000. Fourth place: $100,000. Fifth place: $60,000.

2015 Kentucky Derby field

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds	Comment
1	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Jim Cassidy	Elvis Trujillo	50-1	Undefeated at 2 but hasn't been able to keep it up against the top-class horses as a 3-year-old.
2	Carpe Diem	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	8-1	Has won four of five lifetime events and has the top jockey/trainer combination in the nation.
3	Materiality	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	12-1	Undefeated in three races with big speed figures but didn't race at age 2, and no horse unraced at 2 has won the Derby since 1882.
4	Tencendur	George Weaver	Manny Franco	30-1	Has won only once race but was a nice second in the Wood.
5	Danzig Moon	Mark Casse	Julien Leparoux	30-1	Has only one victory, but this is Canada's leading trainer. Jockey can be inconsistent.
6	Mubtaahij	Mike de Kock	Christophe Soumillion	20-1	Has won only in Dubai but is 4 for 7. Trainer is from South Africa but has been no worse than second in five starts in North America.
7	SCRATCHED				El Kabeir was pulled from the field Friday
8	Dortmund	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	3-1	Undefeated in six races, also in awesome fashion, including a 4 1/4-length victory in the Santa Anita Derby.
9	Bolo	Carla Gaines	Rafael Bejarano	30-1	Has won only on the grass and futilely chased Dortmund in the last two races.
10	Firing Line	Simon Callaghan	Gary Stevens	12-1	Coming off a huge 14-length victory in Sunland Derby but chased Dortmund in two other starts in California.
11	SCRATCHED				Stanford was pulled from the field on Thursday.
12	SCRATCHED				International Star was pulled from the field on Saturday
13	Itsaknockout	Todd Pletcher	Luis Saez	30-1	Won his first three races (one by DQ) but then couldn't compete in the Florida Derby.
14	Keen Ice	Dale Romans	Kent Desormeaux	50-1	His only victory came last September at Churchill Downs. Couldn't compete with International Star in Louisiana.
15	Frosted	Kiaran McLaughlin	Joel Rosario	15-1	Seemed a cut below the best before he won the Wood Memorial, rallying to a 2-length victory.
16	War Story	Tom Amoss	Joe Talamo	50-1	Never worse than third in five starts; he'll do his best running late.
17	Mr. Z	D. Wayne Lukas	Ramon Vazquez	50-1	Only 1 for 12 lifetime but is trained by one of the all-time masters.
18	American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	5-2	Has rattled off four impressive victories with big speed figures, then had an eye-popping workout Sunday.
19	Upstart	Rick Violette Jr.	Jose Ortiz	15-1	Never been out of the money but couldn't get past Materiality in the Florida Derby. Jockey and trainer underrated.
20	Far Right	Ron Monquett	Mike Smith	30-1	Had two nice wins at Oaklawn Park before being blown away by American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby.
21	Frammento	Nick Zito	Corey Nakatani	50-1	Was on the also eligible list but needed a scratch to get in. Nakatani is 0-for-17 in Kentucky Derby.

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Joe Sullivan/Globe Staff

JOE SULLIVAN’S PICKS:

1. American Pharoah;

2. Frosted;

3. Mubtaahij.

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■  Trainer Todd Pletcher saddles four horses in Kentucky Derby