Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
From Game Winner to Tacitus to Win Win Win, the field at the Kentucky Derby is more wide open than it has been in years.
- On Saturday, 20 horses will step into the gates at Churchill Downs for the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby.
- Omaha Beach entered as the early favorite to win but was forced to scratch from the race due to injury.
- Below we go post by post to break down the chances of the seven favorites to win the roses now that Omaha Beach is out.
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On Saturday, 20 horses will step into the gates at Churchill Downs, with one winning the "Run for the Roses" and taking the first step toward Triple Crown immortality.
After the official draw determined the post positions for the 20 horses in the field this year, the morning line was set, and bettors began to consider where they'd put their money down before the starting gun sounds on Saturday.
Read more: Kentucky Derby 2019: A beginner's guide to betting the biggest horse race of the year
On Wednesday, early favorite Omaha Beach was forced to scratch due to injury. The news came as a shock to racing fans ready to support him, and his absence makes this year's run at Churchill Downs as open a race as we've seen in years.
While any horse could win on Saturday, seven horses stand above the rest as having the potential to take home the roses and possibly make a run at the Triple Crown.
Below we break down the seven favorites of the 2019 Kentucky Derby.