American Pharoah is tipped to reign supreme over the Kentucky Derby with jockey Victor Espinoza gunning for back-to-back wins in the 141st edition of the prestigious showpiece.
Famed trainer Bob Baffert's American Pharoah, last year's champion two-year-old, is the 5-2 favourite in a strong field for the US$2 million classic at Churchill Downs Sunday morning (Hong Kong time).
Mexican jockey Espinoza is bidding to steer the horse to victory 12 months after guiding California Chrome to a memorable win in the one-and-one-quarter mile gallop, the opening leg of racing's Triple Crown.
Espinoza believes he is on a stellar ride as he aims to join the select band of jockeys to win the Kentucky Derby three times.
"I have had all the confidence in him since the first time I rode him at Del Mar," Espinoza said of American Pharoah, referring to the horse's emphatic win in last September's Del Mar Futurity Group One race in California.
"The way he won that day, I just said 'Wow, he's an amazing horse.'"
Recent results have underscored American Pharoah's status as the horse to beat, with a victory in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in March followed by an impressive eight-length win in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in early April.
Ominously for his Kentucky Derby rivals, Espinoza believes American Pharoah's full potential has yet to be realised.
"I really don't know how good he is," said Espinoza, who is unbeaten on the horse in four rides.
"I ride him, but the way he does things so easy, I really don't know how good he is. He's an amazing horse. But so far, I never ride him really hard," added Espinoza, who is unfazed by a gate of 18 in the 20-horse field.
The biggest challenge to American Pharoah's chances could come from another Baffert-trained horse, the 3-1 shot Dortmund who will be ridden by Martin Garcia out of gate number eight.
Dortmund also arrives in Kentucky brimming with confidence following a four-and-a-half-length win in the Santa Anita Derby in California in April.
The horse, owned by Kaleem Shah, has recorded a 100 per cent record in six career races.
"It takes a horse with a certain demeanour, and speed and class to be undefeated, six-for-six so far," Shah said.
"I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'm very hopeful that he will do well for himself."
The 8-1 third pick is Carpe Diem, one of three horses in the Derby trained by Todd Pletcher, to be ridden by John Velazquez from gate two.
Legendary jockey Gary Stevens will be the oldest to saddle up when he rides on Firing Line, who starts at 12-1.
"If you want to picture a racehorse, that is what one is suppose to look like," said 52-year-old Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner. "He's got great stamina, he's got great speed, and he's got a great mind."
The Triple Crown is completed by the Preakness at Pimlico on May 16 and the Belmont Stakes on June 6. Only 11 horses in history have landed all three races in the same season, with the last to win it being Affirmed in 1978.
