Early Kentucky Derby odds place two contenders neck-and-neck

Classic Empire held off Not This Time by a neck to win Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, so it was no surprise this week when early odds for the 2017 Kentucky Derby placed the two neck-and-neck.

Odds provided by Bovada sportsbook assigned both 2-year-olds as 14-1 shots to win the Run for the Roses. The 143rd Kentucky Derby will take place May 6, 2017, at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Classic Empire, owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse, has won four races in five career starts, including the $2 million Juvenile over 10 rivals at 1 1/16 miles.

Not This Time, who’d won his two previous starts by a combined 18 3/4 lengths and was the 5-2 favorite in the Juvenile, is owned by Albaugh Family Stable and trained by Dale Romans.

Only two horses have ever won both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby — Street Sense in 2006 and Nyquist in 2015.

Third and fourth choices in Bovada’s odds are Gormley (18-1) and Klimt (20-1), a pair of California horses who fell short of expectations in the Juvenile, finishing seventh and eight, respectively.

The road to the 2017 Kentucky Derby continues Nov. 19 with the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot in Louisiana.

2017 Kentucky Derby odds to win

Classic Empire 14-1

Not This Time 14-1

Gormley 18-1

Klimt 20-1

Mastery 25-1

Practical Joke 25-1

Three Rules 25-1

Theory 28-1

Favorable Outcome 35-1

Lookin At Lee 40-1

Mo Town 40-1

Ticonderoga 45-1

Big Gray Rocket 50-1

McCraken 60-1

Syndergaard 60-1

Fact Finding 75-1

Hot Sean 75-1

Takaful 75-1

Random Walk 85-1

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Early Kentucky Derby odds place two contenders neck-and-neck."