Kentucky Derby Entries 2022: Race-Day Predictions for Horses, Jockeys in Lineup

The Kentucky Derby is set to take place on Saturday evening in Louisville, with a 20- horse field vying for the first gem in the Triple Crown.

A fresh group of colts with dreams of winning the Triple Crown will enter the legendary racetrack on the first Saturday in May. Only one will be able to take the three American Classics.

It's hard to pick who that colt will be. Epicenter and Taiba are the favorites during race week, with five horses at single-digit odds.

We will give you the complete lineup and a prediction as to which horse-jockey pairs will win the Run for the Roses.

1. Mo Donegal is 7-1.

2. Happy Jack is the favorite.

3. The Epicenter is 5-1.

4. It is summer tomorrow.

5. There is a 14-1 chance that you will smile happy.

6. Messier is 7-1.

7. Crown Pride is 16-1

There are 8. It is 12-1 to charge it.

There are 9. Tiz the Bomb is 25-1.

10. Zandon is 8-1

11. The Pioneer of Medina is 58-1.

There are 12. Taiba is 5-1

13 Simplification is 44-1

There are 14. The road is 40-1

15. The White Abarrio is 10-1.

16. Cyberknife is 15-1

17 The Classic Causeway is 71-1.

18. The Tawny Port had a 69-1 record.

19 Zozos is 38-1.

20. Rich Strike was 99-1.

KentuckyDerby.com has odds.

There is a lot to like about Taiba. The Tim Yakteen-trainee had just 12-1 odds after the post draw, but has risen all the way to the favorite on race day.

Taiba's inexperience is the biggest problem. The colt has only been raced twice before. Those two outings were very impressive. He showed off his tactical speed and running style with a win in the Santa Anita Derby.

That horse has star potential.

The only question is whether he will be ready for a field that will draw the kind of talent he will see in Louisville.

He will need to get out of the gates from the No. 12 post. He was able to outrun the field down the final stretch at the Santa Anita Derby. That will require a strong trip from Mike Smith, but it is easy to believe in the horse.

This could be the year of the inexperienced colt.

He only had four starts as a two-year-old, but he was raced twice as a three-year-old.

The colt put in his best performance to date last time out. He won the Blue Grass Stakes by beating Smile Happy.

It can be hard for a closer to perform at the Derby. It is easy to get boxed in with the larger field, which makes it difficult to make a run at the end of the race.

That is less of a concern with Flavien Prat aboard the colt. The jockey won the Derby on Country House and finished in the top three with Hot Rod Charlie.

A good jockey is able to get the most out of the horse and finish the race strong.

Epicenter is going to be a popular pick to win the race, but this is a good time to remember that Essential Quality finished third in the race in 2021.

It is difficult to predict the winner of the Derby. Epicenter is not a must-pick favorite.

He is talented. It is fair to wonder if he is as fast as some of the others in the field after his Louisiana Derby victory. He finished third in the Lecomte Stakes, despite being in great form.

Epicenter feels like it will finish in the top three. The colt has been consistent. He is one of the most talented horses in the field and could be a threat in the other American Classics as well.

The upside that Taiba and Zandon have shown gets the nod in these picks.