Kentucky Derby 2017: Post positions and morning line odds

Classic Empire, Always Dreaming, and McCraken all enter with strong odds to win the 143rd Run to the Roses Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Stalking his foe around the track last November, Classic Empire stayed a close second for much of the way around the track before making his break just as he entered the the final stretch. He had to hold off a late challenge, but held on to win the Breeders’ Cup juvenile.

His path to being the morning line favorite at the 2017 Kentucky Derby has taken a similar tilt. The three-year-old jockeyed by Julien Leparoux and trained by Mark Casse was thought to be a strong contender for the roses as horse racing turns its attention Churchill Downs during the first weekend in May. An abscess on his foot derailed a bit of that, but an impressive finish in the Arkansas Derby in April and a draw of the 14th gate at the starting line has put those fears to rest.

Now we’ll see if he can complete the loop at the $2 million, 1-1/4 mile Kentucky Derby. Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia set him at the 4-1 morning line favorite.

You can watch the Derby live on NBC — the post time is set for 6:46 p.m. ET — or stream it via NBC Sports Live Extra.

A pair of contenders were given 5-1 odds to overthrow Classic Empire: Todd Pletcher-trained Always Dreaming, who’ll start from the fifth gate, and Ian Wilkes’ McCraken, who’ll start from the 15th. Jockeyed by John Velazquez, Always Dreaming put up an impressive performance at the Grade 1 Florida Derby last month to absolutely run away with it down the front stretch. The only knock against Always Dreaming is not on him but his trainer — Pletcher is just 1-for-45 in the Derby. McCraken, ridden by Brian Hernandez, doesn’t have the same resume under his belt, but his impressive speed and workouts have understandably created some excitement to see what he can do in the big race.

You can find the full field for the 2017 Kentucky Derby as well as Battaglia’s morning line odds below.