Kentucky Derby 2015: Exclusive interviews with all the contenders and betting favorites

The Kentucky Derby is one of America’s greatest sporting events, and this year’s Run for the Roses should be a spectacular one. The 2015 field is considered one of the most talented in years -- decades? -- and the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports might be even more exciting this year than most.

But too often, we don’t get the full story. We hear from all the trainers and all the owners in their fancy hats and all the jockeys, but we never hear from the true participants -- the horses.

Churchill Downs granted us unprecedented access to this year’s Derby participants, and we took a trip to the stable to pick their brains with the biggest race of their lives just days away. We sat down with all the contenders -- and some non-contenders too. (Well, technically we stood up since horses are way taller than humans and it would just be impractical for us to interview them sitting down.

AP, you’re the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. How does that make you feel?
My favorite food is oats.

Bob Baffert trains both you and Dortmund, the horse with the second-best odds in the Derby. What’s the relationship like in the stables between the two of you -- two top horses, so close, yet still rivals. Do you feed off each other’s competitive energy?
I mainly feed off oats.

You’ve won your last four races, including the Arkansas Derby. What pushes you to continue winning?
Hey -- what’s up with the little guy on my back? Why does he keep hitting me? I want him to stop. I hate that guy. Do you know him? Can you make him stop? I try to run fast so he’ll stop.

You’re coming into this race undefeated -- but you’ve got longer odds than American Pharoah. Do you feel disrespected?
What I like about running is that I get oats after I run. Although sometimes, I get oats when I don’t run. It’s tough to tell when I’m gonna get oats.

Dortmund, your father, Big Brown, won the Kentucky Derby in 2008. Has this week been a lifelong dream of yours?
I dream a lot about oats.

Is it tough to work closely with Bob Baffert knowing he’s got two horses in the race -- no pun intended?
[whinnies]

CD, you’re coming off a win in the Blue Grass Stakes. What makes racing in Kentucky so special for you?
Kentucky has good oats. Come to think of it, most places have good oats. Oats are pretty good, wherever you can get them.

You’ve won four of your five races in your life. Is it hard maintaining consistency, race after race?
Oats are consistent. Consistently delicious. I love how oat-y they are, every time.

Your name means “seize the day” in Latin. Do you take that approach on raceday?
[eats oats instead of answering question]

Terry, you’re new on the scene, not even entering a race until January. How did you get ready to compete at such a high level so early in your career?
Hey, mister -- are you gonna give me any oats?

Are you ready for the big stage of the Derby?
I’m ready for some oats. Are you gonna give me oats? Hey -- what’s up with the no oats?

Three career races, three career wins. Can you keep it going?
So, do you have oats and you’re not giving them to me? Or do you not have any oats at all?

Tajjy, coming over from Dubai for the big race, you’re somewhat of a mystery -- a dark horse, no pun intended. What do the fans need to know about Mubtaahij?
I’m just like everybody else here: A fast horse that loves oats.

This is your first race in America. New culture, new climate, new racetracks -- what’s different about racing here?Well, they have oats here. I love oats. I mean, I also had oats in Dubai, but, there are also oats here. Oats are great.

What have been the hardest parts about the transition to America?
I was in this metal tube. It was like a stable, but it was really loud and it moved and my ears went crazy. There were oats, though. Oats got me through it. Oats get me through pretty much everything.

Frosty, you’ve undergone a lot of changes. Your trainers have added blinkers, you’ve switched jockeys. With all these distractions, how do you keep your blinders on -- no pun intended -- and stay cool -- no pun intended?
Oats.

Is it hard for a horse to adjust to a new jockey?
I really thought the new little guy wouldn’t hit me with the stick. But sure enough, he keeps doing it. I try to run away from him but he’s still on my back. Maybe one day I’ll go so fast he’ll fall off?

You bounced back from a bewildering fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth to win the Wood Memorial by two lengths. How do you adjust to setbacks?
[swats flies with tail]

Liney, you’re coming off an enormous win in the Sunland Stakes -- 14 1/4 lengths! Is it hard to stay focused when you’re that much better than the competition?
I’m just here so I can eat oats.

Two of your three career second-place finishes have come against Dortmund. What makes you think you can beat him here?
I’m just here so I can eat oats.

Tell us about “Horse Mode.”
I’m just here so I can eat oats.

Tenny, you’re the longest shot in the Derby, 66-1 odds. Do you believe you can win?
Oats!

What do you have to say to everybody counting you out?
[eats oats]

As such a longshot, are you just happy to be here?
I’m happy to be anywhere I can eat oats. And I can eat oats here.