Unlike previous years, there are plenty of horses that could ultimately take the crown at the 2019 Kentucky Derby.

Throughout history, there have been some epic Derby finishes, from nail-biters to wins that cemented horses in sports history.

Which horse will win the Kentucky Derby? And which long shot will hit the board? Visit SportsLine now to get Jody Demling's Kentucky Derby winner, see which huge long shot contends, and get the finish positions for every single horse, all from the man who's nailed 9 Derby-Oaks doubles.

To prepare you for all the action, here are the five best five finishes in the race's history.

5. Charismatic's photo finish (1999)

Charismatic needed every moment of the race in 1999 to edge out Menifee by a hair. As so many great finishes do, this one would create a rivalry between Menifee and Charismatic. Perhaps even crazier, Charismatic and Menifee didn't even look like they should have been in the race. Cat Thief and Worldy Manner were out in front, but Charismatic took control down the stretch. Menifee made a remarkable late kick that ended up coming just short and Charismatic won his first of two legs in pursuit of the Triple Crown. He did not win at the Belmont Stakes.

4. Mine That Bird's comeback victory (2009)

Mine That Bird was another horse that was conservative out of the gate, but with a strong final push gave us one of the most thrilling victories in Derby history. Mine That Bird was distinctly part of the pack coming around the final turn, and what followed is one of the most outstanding kicks the Derby has ever seen. It was by no means a wire-to-wire win, but Mine That Bird managed to break away from the pack and turn in what would be a dominant victory after being at last in one point of the race. The horse would win by nearly seven lengths after opening at 50-1 odds, making the insane comeback a massive upset as well.

3. American Pharaoh begins his Triple Crown pursuit (2015)

Since Affirmed had won the last Triple Crown in 1978, there was tons of speculation every year about which horse could repeat the feat. But not many horses generated the buzz that American Pharoah did in 2015. Even fewer horses could live up to that buzz, but American Pharaoh did at the 2015 Kentucky Derby. Things weren't easy, however. Firing Line gave American Pharaoh a race up until the final length, with the later barely pulling ahead. American Pharaoh would go on to win the Triple Crown, including a wire-to-wire win at Belmont, but Firing Line showed just how hard it is to win the Derby, prodigal son or not.

2. Grindstone tops Cavonnier by a nose (1996)

Grindstone and Cavonnier had an utterly insane race, with both horses jockeying for position down the stretch. The two horses were still part of the pack coming around the final turn, when Cavonnier jumped ahead on the inside. Just when it looked like Cavonnier might have the win locked up, Grindstone came screaming around the outside in a dead sprint. The finish was so close that it couldn't be called immediately, but it turned out that Grindstone edged out Cavonnier by a literal nose. Not a snout, a nose. Grindstone's comeback is one of the most impressive in the Derby's history, mostly because of how late he turned it on.

 1. Secretariat beats rival Sham for Derby win (1973)

Sham and Secretariat were longtime rivals coming into the 1973 Derby, but Secretariat was unrivaled on May 5, 1973. The two were massive favorites over the rest of the field, with Secretariat ending at 1.5 odds and Sham ending at 2.5 odds. Secretariat would go on to win in historic fashion, finishing in a time of 1:59.40. That's still the best time in Derby history and is part of why Secretariat is considered by many to be the best racing horse ever. The Derby win was Secretariat's first en route to the Triple Crown. Sham would finish in second place at both the Derby and the Preakness Stakes, before finishing fifth at the Belmont Stakes.