2012 Kentucky Derby: This Year's Field Is Wide Open

There are 20 horses in this year's Kentucky Derby Field, but none of them are standing out far beyond the rest as the clear horse to beat.

While the horses with the best odds, Bodemeister and Union Rags, are getting most of the headlines, it might be Gemologist who steals the show on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gemologist, despite a Barbaro-esque perfect five for five, gets shuffled back to third choice in the morning line. His Wood Memorial win was deceptively strong. He overcame severe traffic trouble in the first turn and then found another gear when challenged late in the stretch by a hard charging Alpha. It appeared that he was just getting lazy on the lead in the stretch but was never seriously challenged. Gemologist is a versatile runner and can concede the early pace.

At 6-1 odds, Gemologist has become a popular pick as handicappers try to make sense of a cluttered field.

For more on the world of horse racing, head to And Down The Stretch They Come. For more on the 2012 Kentucky Derby, keep it locked to this StoryStream.