Kentucky Derby 2017: Date, Horses, Contenders & Standings

kentucky derby, when, what date, horses, standings, qualifying, contenders

Just weeks remain before the 2017 Kentucky Derby. (Getty)

The 2017 Kentucky Derby takes place Saturday, May 6 with a post time of 6:34 p.m. Eastern. Keep it here for a full list of horses and the standings for qualifying.

Just two prep races remain with both taking place Saturday, April 15. The only one that will impact the Kentucky Derby qualifying is the Arkansas Derby. There are 170 points at stake in the race with 100 points going to the winner. Second place gets 40 points, third place receives 20 points and fourth place gets 10 points.

While there will be horses that come and go by the time Churchill Downs arrives, fans will at least know the full field of horses that have qualified by the conclusion of the Arkansas Derby.

Unlike last year where there were clear favorites, this year’s Kentucky Derby appears to be more wide open with so many different horses winning significant races like the Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. Despite there being no real leader in the clubhouse, there are a few horses that are expected to do well.

The following five horses are the favorites according to OddsShark: Always Dreaming +600, Irish War Cry +800, McCraken +1200, One Liner +1200 and Classic Empire +1200.

Look for Classic Empire to shoot up the odds after his victory at the Arkansas Derby to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby.

Always Dreaming had the most impressive win of prep season with his victory at the Florida Derby. He also has the benefit of being trained by Todd Pletcher.

The winner of the Blue Grass was expected to emerge as a favorite for the Derby but the underdog Irap is all the way down at +2500 despite shocking the field at Keeneland.

Irish War Cry is near the top after winning the Wood Memorial but has had an inconsistent qualifying season.

Here’s a look at the current standings courtesy of the Kentucky Derby heading into the Arkansas Derby. The top 20 horses will qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Heavy will update the leaderboard after today’s races have been completed.


Kentucky Derby Standings & Leaderboard

HORSE POINTS
1. Girvin 150
2. Classic Empire 132
3. Gormley 125
4. Irap 113
5. Irish War Cry 110
6. Thunder Show 100
7. Always Dreaming 100
8. Gunnevera 84
9. Practical Joke 74
10. J Boys Echo 63
11. State of Honor 62
12. Tapwrit 54
13. Malagacy 50
14. Hence 50
15. Fast and Accurate 50
16. McCraken 40
17. Battle of Midway 40
18. Patch 40
19. Battalion Runner 40
20. Cloud Computing 40
21. Conquest Mo Money 40
22. Sonneteer 40