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The Kentucky Derby is less than three weeks away, and all but one of the meaningful prep races is in the books, so it seems like a good time to look at how the top of the field is shaping up. The Derby is very hard to handicap at the best of times, but this year is shaping up to be even more difficult than normal. Every top contender either has a glaring problem or a poor performance that needs to be explained away. A big part of the problem this year are the synthetic tracks - the Derby is not run on one, but many of the key prep races were. We haven't been dealing with the new surfaces long enough to know just how well horses react to them, or what kind of horses will transfer best from the fake surface to a real one.

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Some will argue that this is a weak class of three year olds. I don't know if that's the problem, or if we just haven't seen the true superstars emerge yet as they usually have by this time. Either way, here is a look at six of the serious Kentucky Derby contenders.

The Elite

The favorite is very likely to be one of two horses. A third, Pyro, would have been in this group until a terrible performance in the Blue Grass Stakes raised some questions.

Big Brown - The likely first choice, this horse will be a handicapping nightmare. He has won each of his races in incredibly impressive fashion, and he has shown that he can run away from the crowd at the front of the pack, or stalk the pace before pouncing late. That versatility s a huge asset in Kentucky. The problem, though, is that the horse has only run three times, and only once in stakes competition. His career began last September on the grass at Saratoga. He led the whole way and won by more than 11 lengths. The gap was even wider in his next race on the dirt at Gulfstream in March. In between those races, though, the horse was forced out of action by some foot issues. Though they seem to have cleared up, it's a vulnerability that needs to be considered . His stakes debut came in the Florida Derby at the end of March, and it was spectacular. He settled off the pace before unleashing a massive move to take the lead and pull away.

The horse has game - there is no doubting that. He just has so many strikes against him - the lack of experience, the injury, the layoff before the race. On their own, each one can be overcome - Curlin had barely run before the Derby, and he almost won; Barbaro had the same layoff after winning the Florida Derby; Smarty Jones was badly hurt in a training accident in the starting gate as a two year old, but came back to win the biggest race. The question is whether this horse is good enough to overcome all of them at once. A tall order.

Colonel John - This horse doesn't have the jaw dropping appeal of Big Brown, but he has been impressive, and is clearly the best the west coast has to offer. He comes in off a Santa Anita Derby victory captured by a powerful stretch drive. In that race and the Sham Stakes before it, Colonel John beat El Gato Malo, the other top runner in California. Overall he has won four of six races.

This horse is more seasoned, but he has no shortage of knocks, either. He has never run on dirt, so the Derby will be a new experience for him, and potentially one he is not suited for. His trainer, Eion Harty, is very good but has never had a Derby runner before. Horses from California have not fared well in recent years at the Derby, and a California prepped runner hasn't won it all since Real Quiet in 1998.

Close behind

Pyro - Going into the Bluegrass Stakes Pyro probably had the inside track to Derby favoritism. He had been a strong second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and had built on that with impressive victories in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby this year. He didn't even need to win the Bluegrass as long as he put up a solid effort that showed he was moving forward. Oops. He was 10th the whole way in that race, and never showed the first sign of a desire to win. On one hand, that race was on a synthetic surface, and he clearly didn't like it, so it might not mean much. On the other hand, a performance that lousy could be a clear sign of failing form. The good news for people who still like this horse is that his price will be much better in Kentucky after the Bluegrass.

After completing this article view our Kentucky Derby field odds page. Our Preakness Stakes winning picks page is also a valuable tool for your horse betting research. Our Preakness stakes betting odds page is also must read when studding horse racing. For 35+ years the team at Doc's Sports Service has provided and insight on horse racing handicapping.

Other top contenders

Tale of Ekati - This horse has disappointed amid high expectations a few times, but he finally lived up to his potential when he chased down War Pass to take the Wood Memorial. If he ran the same race in Kentucky that he did in the Wood he wouldn't be good enough, but he has the tempting look of one who can improve significantly.

Recapturetheglory - This horse rose to prominence from almost nowhere with a win in the Illinois Derby, the same race that War Emblem used as his final prep before his Derby win. The distance may be a question, and the Illinois Derby has created more heartbreakers than winners in recent years. What makes this horse compelling, though, is his owner. Louie Roussel owned Risen Star, the 1998 Preakness and Belmont winner, and he is one of the more entertaining characters in the sport.

Gayego - The Arkansas Derby winner proved he has the much needed versatility. He won on dirt in Arkansas, and he was very solid against the top competition in California on the synthetics. His win in Arkansas improves the outlook of the California class, and the fact that it came after a tense stretch duel showed that Gayego is a fighter.