The 149th Kentucky Derby is set to take place on May 1st, 2021 and will feature a wide-open field of 19 horses. This year’s Derby is sure to be an exciting one, as the field is full of talented horses with a variety of backgrounds and racing styles.
The favorite for the 2021 Kentucky Derby is Essential Quality, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez. Essential Quality has had a great start to 2021, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Blue Grass Stakes. He is the first horse since Street Sense in 2007 to win both of those races before the Kentucky Derby.
Other contenders for the 2021 Kentucky Derby include Mandaloun, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux; Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Flavien Prat; and Highly Motivated, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano. All three horses have had impressive performances in their most recent races and could be serious contenders for the win.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby will also feature some lesser-known horses that could surprise the field. Keepmeinmind, trained by Robertino Diodoro and ridden by David Cohen, has been steadily improving throughout the year and could be a dark horse in the race. Helium, trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Julien Leparoux, is another horse that could surprise the field with a strong performance.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby is sure to be an exciting race with a wide-open field of 19 horses. With so many talented horses in the mix, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top. It’s sure to be a thrilling race that no one will want to miss.
