Jockey Victor Espinoza is a two-time Kentucky Derby winner including last year's win on California Chrome. Espinoza will look to make it back-to-back Derby winners on this year's betting favorite leading up to race day, American Pharoah.
Kentucky Derby 2015: American Pharoah betting odds, race outlook
With four straight wins heading into the Kentucky Derby, American Pharoah is considered by many to be the horse to beat in Saturday’s race.
Espinoza and American Pharoah are currently going off at 13/5 on the odds to win the Kentucky Derby at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
American Pharoah's career started with disappointment as the bay colt was unsettled before his maiden race and finished back in fifth place. However, with some excellent training from Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and a jockey change to Espinoza, the turnaround for American Pharoah was immediate.
The horse was entered into the Grade 1 class for the Del Mar Futurity and cruised to a wire-to-wire victory. American Pharoah picked up two more wire-to-wire victories in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes and the Grade II Rebel Stakes before running one of the most impressive races of his career in his most recent run.
In the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby, American Pharoah pulled away with an eight-length victory while recording a Beyer speed of 102. Runner-up Far Right's trainer Ron Moquett called American Pharoah a "superhorse" on the heels of that race.
American Pharoah is going off at minus-120 to finish in the top three in Saturday's race on the Kentucky Derby betting props at the sportsbooks, and is at minus-110 to finish fourth or worse. This horse has it all; an excellent trainer, a jockey that knows how to ride him and excellent form.
The main obstacle that American Pharoah will have to overcome, besides an excellent field, is his post position. Starting from position No. 17, Espinoza could have trouble guiding American Pharoah into the lead in the early stages of the race as he has in other successful runs.
But while no horse has ever won from the No. 17 spot specifically, three of the last four Kentucky Derby winners have come from post position No. 15 or higher.
