The Kentucky Derby has been won by the favourite in each of the last four years.The Run for the Roses has not produced anything resembling a shock winner since 2012, when 15-1 shot I'll Have Another prevailed at Churchill Downs, a year on fromAnimal Kingdom winning at 20-1.Classic Empire leads the betting for Saturday's 2017 Kentucky Derby, and the 4-1 favourite will start from Gate 14, a favourable post given the recent trend of winners coming largely from the outside, perChristina Mooreof America's Best RacingThe Mark Casse-trained colt's closest challenger, according to the betting, isAlways Dreaming (9-2), and he will be coming out of Gate 5, which produced 2014 winner California Chrome.Here are the latest odds in full,courtesy ofOddsShark:Classic Empire is far from a guarantee. Though long-fancied since winning theBreeders' Cup Juvenile last November, the three-year-old disappointed as he came third in theHoly Bull Stakes in February and looked in poor shape.He recovered to impress as he won theArkansas Derby last month and will be tricky to beat over 10 furlongs on Saturday.However, it is definitely doable, and one horse who has already seen off Classic Empire in 2017 is Irish War Cry, the Holy Bull winner12-1 Derby shotGunnevera was second in that race.Joint-third favourite with the well-fanciedMcCraken, Irish War Cry has received rave reviews from many in the run up to the 143rd Kentucky Derby.Superstitious types will be nervous about his post position as no horse has ever triumphed coming out of gate 17.However, as noted byDaily Racing Form's Mike Watchmaker, that is no reason not to back the Graham Motion-trained horse, who will be ridden byRajiv Maragh and has won four of five career races:Always Dreaming has an impressive team behind him. Jockeyed by the exemplaryJohn Velazquezwho won the Derby aboard Animal Kingdomthe Florida Derby winner is the best of trainer Todd Pletcher's three horses in this year's race at Churchill Downs.Pletcher was not completely satisfied with Always Dreaming's post draw on Wednesday, per racing writer J.J. Hysell:But he avoided the extreme insideno Derby winner has come from Gate 1, 2 or 3 this centuryand has every chance of beating out Classic Empire and the rest on Saturday.
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