Kentucky Derby 2013 Post Positions: Horses Most Impacted by Draw

In the Kentucky Derby, the post position can mean as much as the horse itself. This is not good news for a few contenders.

Generally, jockeys prefer starting in the middle or closer to the inside in order to get where they want to be before making a move late.

Then again, the past few years showed that it is still possible to win from an outside post. I'll Have Another won from No. 19 last year, while Animal Kingdom got the victory from the No. 16 spot in 2011. 

Still, the post positions will make a big difference in the race, and these horses will be affected the most.

2013 Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky. | Purse: $2.18 Million | Grade I | Distance: 10 furlongs | Post Time: 7-7:30 p.m. ET

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer
1	Black Onyx	Joe Bravo	Kelly Breen
2	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher
4	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart
5	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown
6	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss
7	Giant Finish	Jose L. Espinoza	Anthony W. Dutrow
8	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill
9	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher
10	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher
11	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien
12	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa, Jr.
13	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II
14	Verrazano	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher
15	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher
16	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III
17	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas
18	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Kenny McPeek
19	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Kenny McPeek
20	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez

No. 16 Orb

As the likely favorite heading into the Kentucky Derby, a lot of people were focused on the starting position for Orb.

The No. 16 spot is not impossible to overcome (see: Animal Kingdom), but it is also not an ideal spot for the top contender.

Orb is coming off four-straight wins, including a victory at the prestigious Florida Derby earlier this year. In that win, the horse showed the ability to start slow and come back late by passing Itsmyluckyday on the final stretch.

Therefore, if there is a horse that can win from the outside, Orb is the one to do it.

No. 8 Goldencents

Although No. 8 has not always been the best historic position, recent races have shown that this is an ideal spot to win at Churchill Downs.

Mine That Bird and Barbaro won from that post in the past few years, while four total have reached the winner's circle since 1990. It is a good place to get a strong start without being cornered into the rail.

This will work out well for Goldencents, a horse that has been a bit undervalued in recent weeks. He does not have the perfect record of Verrazano, but this contender has as many good wins as any others in the field.

Led by trainer Doug O'Neill, Goldencents has won three of his past four races, including the prestigious Santa Anita Derby in early April. He has the ability to get out to a good start and surprise the field by staying in front for the win.

No. 17 Will Take Charge

Since 1900, not a single horse has ever won from the No. 17 post. You can call this coincidence, but the history is not in this spot's favor.

Not only is this one of the furthest gates, but is also gets congested as each of the outside horses look to get to the rail in a hurry. If it is important to get out to a good start, this is not where you want to be.

Will Take Charge has had success over the past year with two victories, although his competition has not been great. His latest win at Grade 2 Rebel was the toughest race to date, and it took a late comeback to win.

It will take a lot of luck for this horse to get a win, but it is unlikely Will Take Charge breaks the unlucky streak for No. 17.

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