The 148th Kentucky Derby is poised to take place on Saturday, with the renowned event hoping to move on from the drama of last year.
Medina Spirit was the first to cross the finish line in 2021, but the horse later tested positive for a prohibited drug, invalidating the result.
The horse's trainer, Bob Baffert, was later barred from Churchill Downs for two years, and the race's eventual winner, Mandaloun, was declared the winner.
Baffert then issued a long statement alleging that the positive test was caused by a medication used to treat dermatitis.
The incident, which took a sad turn when Medina Spirit died unexpectedly in December, arguably continues to dominate the event, which was first held in 1875, but the Derby is eager to put the matter behind them.
The field is wide open for what promises to be an entertaining race without Baffert, who has won the event a record-tying six times.
During the 147th Kentucky Derby, Medina Spirit is the first horse to cross the finish line.
The Derby dubbed the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" because of its estimated run duration, is the first race in the coveted Triple Crown of American horse racing, which also includes the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
In 2018, Baffert's horse Justify was the last horse to win all three events.
Ones to watch
Despite Baffert's absence from the event, two of his previous horses had a strong chance of winning.
Messier and Taiba are among the candidates after being transferred on to Tim Yakteen, Baffert's longtime assistant, who has been preparing the horses for the showpiece for little over a month.
Yakteen claims he hasn't spoken to Baffert in the weeks leading up to the race, but he has come under fire from some who claim they are the 69-year-old trainer's horses in everything but name.
When questioned whether he had second thoughts about bringing the horses into his barn, Yakteen said, "I'll be honest, I didn't anticipate it was going to be like this, but I would have never hesitated."
Epicenter and Zandon, on the other hand, appear to be the two outstanding selections coming into the event, with both horses showing remarkable promise.
Steve Asmussen, the most successful trainer in North American horse racing history, has yet to win the Kentucky Derby in his 23 efforts.
Meanwhile, Landon is coming off a strong performance last time out that has cemented its position as the race favorite.
How to watch
In the United States, coverage of all of Saturday's races will begin at midday on NBC, the NBC website, and the NBC app.
The historic race will begin at 6:57 p.m. ET.
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