Breaking down 5 contenders at the Kentucky Derby

The field is set for Saturday's 144th running of the Kentucky Derby slated for 6:50 p.m. ET. Experts say this is the deepest field assembled for the Run for the Roses in years. Two undefeated colts, a Breeders' Cup champion, and a horse named after Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt will battle it out under the famous twin spires. Here is a breakdown of five of the top contenders:

Justify (3-1)

Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert once again finds himself in the enviable (or dreaded, depending who you ask) position of having the morning-line favorite for the Derby with Justify. The colt comes into the race 3-for-3, most recently running his rivals off their feet in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. But he is lightly raced, having only a trio of starts under his belt, all in California. To win, he'll need to break the dreaded Curse of Apollo, a jinx that dates back to 1882.

Still, if anyone knows whether a horse is up to the task, it's Baffert. It also doesn't hurt that Mike Smith will be in the irons.

Magnum Moon (6-1)

Like Justify, Magnum Moon comes into the Derby having never lost a race in his short but stellar career. He also has to overcome the Apollo Curse, a stat which shows the last time a horse that did not run a race as a 2-year-old and won the Derby was in Apollo in 1882. And similar to Justify, Magnum Moon has the benefit of a superb trainer in Todd Pletcher, who has two Derbys to his name, including winning last year's rendition with Almost Dreaming. But breaking from post 16 will not help Magnum Moon, so his jockey, Luis Saez, will need to work out a clean and efficient trip if this colt is going to factor.

Bolt d'Oro (8-1)

Bolt d'Oro deserves as much respect as the three aforementioned horses, even though he has been beaten by both Good Magic in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Justify in the Santa Anita Derby. This dark bay son of Medaglia d'Oro - who is named after Usain Bolt - has faced adversity in his past starts and the way he battled bravely down the stretch in the Santa Anita Derby shows he might have the necessary resolve to take on 19 others down the lane at Churchill too. Victor Espinoza, who won the Derby on California Chrome and the Triple Crown with American Pharoah, has the ride.

Good Magic (12-1)

This colt burst onto the scene last November in a big way, breaking his maiden in the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Trained by two-time champion conditioner Chad Brown, who won last year's Preakness Stakes with Cloud Computing, Good Magic won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in preparation for the Derby and has been impressing onlookers all week at Churchill. While this colt is one of the horses to beat, statistics are not on his side: The last time a Blue Grass Stakes winner won the Derby was Strike the Gold in 1991.

Audible (8-1)

Florida Derby winner Audible has been in the spotlight all week, but not just because he's one of the top contenders in Saturday's race. It's because his name attracted the attention of the world's largest audio book company, Audible. On Saturday Audible will sponsor equine Audible, and, its logo will be emblazoned on Audible's blanket and clothes worn by his trainer Todd Pletche's staff. The company will make a $25,000 donation to a charity which works to secure racehorses homes and second careers when they retire from the track. But Audible the horse is no gimmick. Prior to the Florida Derby, he won the Holy Bull en route to Louisville. He will break from the five hole, the best post position of his trainer Todd Pletcher's four entrants.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)