PREVIEW-Horse racing-Fierceness the favorite for 150th Kentucky Derby

Trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher and ridden by three-time winner John Velazquez, Fierceness has been untouchable when given room but has struggled in more physical races, which is often the case in the 20-horse derby. Not far behind Fierceness in the odds is Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone at 3-1.

The Kentucky Derby arrives at Churchill Downs with Fierceness as the favorite but the bay colt is expected to face stiff competition from speedy Sierra Leone and Japan's Forever Young in the 150th Run for the Roses.

Fierceness (5-2) produced a dazzling display of speed to notch a record 13-1/2 lengths victory at the Florida Derby and if he breaks well from post 17 and has a clean trip, he should be wearing the roses come Saturday evening in Louisville. Trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher and ridden by three-time winner John Velazquez, Fierceness has been untouchable when given room but has struggled in more physical races, which is often the case in the 20-horse derby.

Not far behind Fierceness in the odds is Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone at 3-1. While Fierceness is a strong starter, Sierra Leone is a deep closer capable of storming from the back of the pack as he did in his thrilling win at Keeneland in April.

Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Just a Touch (10-1) is another powerful colt with huge potential and looking to etch his name into history. But the Brad Cox-trained horse is making only his fourth start and will have to negotiate what could be a hot pace along the 1 1/4-mile dirt track.

Undefeated Forever Young might be the most intriguing horse in the field. The Japanese colt has won five races on five different tracks and most recently emerged the victor of an epic battle at the UAE Derby in Dubai in late March.

But history is not on his side as UAE Derby champions have gone winless in 19 starts at the Kentucky Derby. The three-year-old thoroughbred has had to travel across the globe to make it to Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, staged annually since 1875 despite two world wars, an economic depression and global pandemics.

Churchill Downs and the sport as a whole has struggled with its public perception in recent years amid horse deaths related to the illegal use of drugs. Last year, 12 horses died in the weeks leading up to the race and while Churchill Downs was cleared of any wrongdoing, investigators failed to pinpoint a reason for the fatalities.

The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown and this year all three races will for the first time be regulated under the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's anti-doping program.

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