Arkansas Derby 2013: Post Time, Odds & Predictions for Entire Field

Saturday's 2013 Arkansas Derby promises to be an exciting 10-horse race that will help set the field for the Kentucky Derby.

Oaklawn Park Race Track will host the penultimate race in the second leg of the Championship Series. The winner will receive 100 points in the Kentucky Derby points standings, which will essentially lock up a spot at Churchill Downs for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

CBS affiliate THV 11 in Little Rock provides the latest forecast for the action in Hot Springs:

Below is a breakdown of the post time, a list of the entire field's odds and a top-three projection of how the vital one and one-eighth-mile race will play out.

When: Saturday, April 13, at 6:28 p.m. ET

Where: Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Watch: NBC Sports Channel

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Purse: $1 million

Starting Positions and Odds

Position	Horse	Jockey	Odds
1	Carve	R. Santana Jr.	20-1
2	War Academy	M.E. Smith	2-1
3	Divine Ambition	B.J. Hernandez Jr.	20-1
4	Falling Sky	M. Garcia	10-1
5	Den’s Legacy	R. Albarado	6-1
6	Heaven’s Runway	I. Ocampo	30-1
7	Texas Bling	C.H. Borel	20-1
8	Frac Daddy	V. Lebron	15-1
9	Overanalyze	R. Bejarano	4-1
10	Oxbow	G.L. Stevens	5-2

Note: All odds courtesy of Bloodhorse.com's Steve Haskin in his ESPN piece from Friday. Other information and the statistics that follow were obtained from Equibase.com.

Race Predictions

Win: Oxbow

It's hard not to agree with Tom LaMarra of BloodHorse.com, who picks this three-year-old thoroughbred in the video above.

This is one incredibly fast thoroughbred, and the Friday morning odds list him at 5-2 for good reason. A fourth-place effort at the Risen Star Stakes and a runner-up showing at the Rebel Stakes have this talented three-year-old due for a victory.

Starting well off to the outside is familiar territory for Oxbow, who has managed to improve over the past two races in spite of that setback.

It should only set the stage for a strong push by three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Gary Stevens on the final straightaway. The result will give renowned trainer D. Wayne Lukas' team another contender for Louisville, joining Will Take Charge.

Place: Overanalyze

Rafael Bejarano is the hottest jockey in the saddle for this race, leading all of his counterparts with a fourth-place standing in this year's earnings with nearly $4 million.

That edge should bode well for Overanalyze, whose fifth-place finish at the Gotham Stakes last month was slightly disappointing. It was the only race he has run all year, but the fact that oddsmakers still have him as the No. 2 horse shows the talent he possesses.

Overanalyze's trainer, Todd Pletcher, expressed confidence in his horse's training, as documented by Steve Haskin for ESPN:

"

Overanalyze seems to have moved forward in his training since the Gotham. We expect improvement in his second start after the layoff. Rafael has had a lot of success at Oaklawn Park and we were lucky to get him on short notice.

"

Pletcher captured the recent Wood Memorial Stakes with top Kentucky Derby contender Verrazano, and should have Overanalyze ready to go for a great run in this one too.

Show: War Academy

Bob Baffert's Hall of Fame reputation as a trainer precedes him, and War Academy gets the expected billing as a 2-1 favorite at Oaklawn.

A generous starting position in the No. 2 post is definitely going to help the horse's cause, as it creates a less treacherous distance to cover on the nine-furlong, dirt track.

As Haskin points out, though, War Academy has never won or placed in a stakes race.

Even the inside leverage won't be enough for War Academy to combat a lack of experience and the closing speed of Oxbow. War Academy will likely fade down the stretch, but don't be surprised if Baffert's horse rounds the last turn with a nose in front of the pack.