Kentucky Derby Post Positions 2012: Inside Rail Position Will Be Crippling

Whoever is cursed with the inside rail position in Wednesday's Kentucky Derby post position draw may as well drop out on the spot.

Given the 20-horse field, and the overwhelming amount of contenders this year, gaining ground in the 1 stall could prove to be nearly impossible.

Dullahan's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, said before the post position draw, via the Des Moines Register:

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The 1 stall is almost inside the turn. You have to make a right to get out of there. The positioning for the 1 hole is, you’re already getting shut out. I like to be able to float to my spot on my own.

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Jerry Crawford, general manager of Donegal Racing which oversees Dullahan, would be happy with any gate 4 through 20. But anything inside that spells trouble.

Beyond some front-runners such as Union Rags, Bodemeister and Gemologist, you also have some legit contenders in Dullahan, Creative Cause and Take Charge Indy. That's not even taking into account the fact that Animal Kingdom faced 20 to 1 odds last year before winning the Derby.

In that sense, any horse that grabs a solid position in the Derby has a shot of winning, especially if the front-runners find themselves on the inside (imagine Union Rags, Bodemeister and Gemologist in stalls 1 through 3).

That's why this year's post-position draw is so critical, perhaps the most important draw in years. The full field, combined with the competition, has the potential to push the inside positions out of the race completely.

It could be a wild race, with the prospect of another "Animal Kingdom" coming out of nowhere to shock everyone.