The field at the 2017 Kentucky Derby is set, and all that's left is the run for the roses. Wednesday's post draw set the field of 20 horses that will step to the gates Saturday evening in what's shaping up to be a pretty wide-open field.Based on the oddsmaker outlook, it's a four-horse field. Classic Empire comes in as the morning line favorite at 4-1 and drew the No. 14 post. He's followed by No. 5 post Always Dreaming and No. 15 post McCraken, which are both 5-1. Irish War Cry, lining up on the No. 17 post, is at 6-1 and is the only other horse with single-digit odds.Fifteen horses, including alternate entrant Royal Mo, are sitting at 20-1 or better odds."When you look at it just on numbers, it's very even," trainer Doug O'Neill said, who has Irap in this year's race, per Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun. "There's no horses coming inthere are a lot of really nice three-year-olds that just look like they're getting better and betterbut no freakish two-year-olds that have continued on."Still, Classic Empire trainer Mark Casse told reporters "we couldn't be in a better place right now" coming into the Derby."With the average horse you couldn't do what we have done," Casse said. "You need so many things to go right and the good news with this horse is he's so talented he can overcome a lot.""I've always said good horses win when everything goes their way; great horses win when nothing goes their way,"Casse toldJohn Clayof theHerald-Leader. "And I think he's a great horse. But I guess we'll determine that (Saturday)."Classic Empire won four of his first five career races, highlighted by theBreeders' Futurity Stakesand the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. His only blemish was a third-place outing at theHoly Bull Stakes in March, which saw him finish behind Derby competitorsIrish War Cry andGunnevera. His pattern of behavior after that loss was a bit of a concern, with Casse taking him back to the barn for extra work.Always Dreaming is another favorite with some past issues. The horse, trained by Todd Pletcher, has won each of its last two races. Its1:47.47 time was the fastest at the track since 1978. Pletcher and others have highlighted the atypical aggressiveness of the horse."The thing about training horses is you're always looking to make the right adjustments," Pletcher said, perTim Sullivanof theCourier-Journal. "Some horses in this field don't want to train. Some horses want to train too much. Part of your job as a trainer is to continue to make adjustments and make sure everything is going as smooth as possible."Pletcher, one of the busiest trainers in the game, will also saddle 20-1 Tapwrit and 30-1 Patch. Alternate entrant Master Plan, sitting at 50-1, also has a chance to make the field in the case of other horses dropping out.Meanwhile, Pletcher's biggest rival, Bob Baffert, will not enter a horse in this year's field. The 64-year-old, who shepherded American Pharoah to a Triple Crown in 2015, won't have a horse ready after Mastery dropped out of the field.Pletcher,Steve Asmussen and Casse are the only three trainers in the field with at least two horses.
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