Orb Joel Rosario 2013 Kentucky Derby
Orb, ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, proved victorious through a muddy track at the 139th Kentucky Derby. Reuters

It’s been 35 years since the last the horse won the Triple Crown.

On Saturday, Orb took the first step towards making history with his win at Churchill Downs. The favorite at the 139th Kentucky Derby didn’t disappoint, finishing the race in two minutes and 2.89 seconds.

Now, Orb is just two victories away from doing what Affirmed did in 1978. What are the chances that Orb will win the Triple Crown?

Even though every Kentucky Derby winner in the past three and a half decades has been unsuccessful at winning both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, it isn’t out of the question that Orb will make history.

The online betting Web site Bovada has set Orb’s odds of winning the Triple Crown at +250. The horse’s odds of losing at least one of the next two races is set at -400.

Since Affirmed won all three legs, 11 horses have entered the Belmont Stakes with a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner. Four of those horses finished in second, with Smarty Jones being the most recent in 2004.

Early odds have Orb as the overwhelming favorite to win the 2013 Preakness Stakes, which is scheduled to get underway on May 18. At +150, Orb is expected to win his sixth straight race.

Orb is the perfect candidate to end the 35-year dry spell. He has proven to be one of the three-year-olds around with wins in the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes. He also has a great pedigree and a Hall of fame trainer in Shug McGaughey.