Kentucky Derby 2012 Post Positions: Best Slots for Biggest Names in Field

The Kentucky Derby held its annual draw for the 138th time yesterday, and the field of 20 horses now knows their exact post positions on Saturday night.

With such a big field getting set to compete in the 2012 Run for the Roses, starting position is extremely important. Being too far outside or right next to the rail can spell doom for many hopeful contenders.

Let’s take a look at which colts lucked out and got great position with a good chance to win.

Bodemeister

Before the draw, Bodemeister was one of two favorites, the other being Union Rags.

With the horse drawing a favorable No. 6 slot that is close enough to the inside rail but not on top of it, he has emerged as the clear favorite and is now at 4-1 odds.

The one knock on Bodemeister is that he went unraced as a two-year-old, and a horse with that background has not won since 1883. We’ll see if he can buck history on Saturday.

Union Rags

Rags took a backseat to Bodemeister after drawing the No. 4 stall. He’s now listed at 9-2, which is still a good value, but he has to be careful.

It’s quite possible that the other competitors box him in along the rail to the outside. If that happens, it will be tough if not impossible for this prestigious colt to make it to the finish line ahead of the pack.

Gemologist

The only undefeated horse in the race has to love the No. 15 position on the auxiliary gate. He’s got the speed to race right inside, take the lead and never relinquish it.

Gemologist can be had for 6-1 right now, and that is an incredible deal for such a great competitor.