Kentucky Derby 2017: Top 5 Best Sleepers & Dark Horses


Heavy has already walked you through the 2017 Kentucky Derby contenders. The real work is knowing which horses with long odds have a chance to make some noise at Churchill Downs. This year, this is even more important than ever with no heavy favorite. While Classic Empire is slightly favored in the odds, his injuries along with his refusal to practice at times during prep season makes him far from a sure bet. Saturday's race is wide open with most of the horses in the field having a chance to compete. There are several horses with double-digit odds that Heavy likes to do damage. While he just missed our rankings, State of Honor is a horse who has been running well at Churchill Downs during the practice runs and could be worth a flyer at 30-1 odds. Heavy breaks down the top horses with double-digit odds that have a good chance to compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. If you are a fan of choosing a horse based on an experienced jockey, Victor Espinoza and Mario Gutierrez both offer some value with both jockeys riding horses who are dark horses in Saturday's race. According to OddsShark, the two jockeys have accounted for four of the last five Derby winners. Click the arrow on the right side of the middle of the page to see Heavy's breakdown of the top sleepers and dark horses for the 2017 Kentucky Derby. (Getty)