4 horses to watch at the Kentucky Derby

The 145th annual Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisivlle, Kentucky. Post time is 6:50 p.m. with coverage beginning on NBC at 2:30 p.m.

The Derby is the first of the three Triple Crown races and will be followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Last year saw just the second Triple Crown winner since 1975 when Justify emerged victorious in all three races. The original favorite for this year's Derby, Omaha Beach, was scratched, which has created one of the most wide open fields in recent memory, The Washington Post reports. Here are the horses to watch. See the full betting odds at CBS Sports.

Maximum Security — The new favorite, Maximum Security's odds lead the betting field at 9-2.

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Improbable — This undefeated horse with 5-1 odds could very well defy his name and come away with the victory.

Tacitus — Bearing the great Roman historian's name, Tacitus is looking to etch his own name into the history books with a Derby win. Like Improbable, Tacitus registers at 5-1.

Game Winner — Game Winner seems like the natural choice if you're placing your bets solely on names — it rings with authoritative certainty. And the odds back it up at 6-1.

Read about the other horses — and their clever names — at The Week.