Kentucky Derby 2013 Post Positions: Where Top Contenders and Dark Horses Sit

The post positions are in, and the real betting can now commence. 

While we've known the favorites and longshots for the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby for a while now, where the horses start in the stalls can unequivocally change everything. 

Get trapped inside against the rail? Race over. Need a quick start but get stuck trapped inside two slow-paced horses? You're done. Get clogged up at the beginning? Good luck with the comeback. 

Of course, it works adversely, too, as a beneficial post position can mean wonders for a horse's chance in The Run For The Roses. 

With the draw now complete, let's take a gander at where each horse is slotted to start and how some notable colts fared at the crucial event. 

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Black Onyx	Joe Bravo	Kelly Breen	50-1
2	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	30-1
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	10-1
4	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart	50-1
5	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	12-1
6	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	15-1
7	Giant Finish	Jose L. Espinoza	Anthony W. Dutrow	50-1
8	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	5-1
9	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher	15-1
10	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher	20-1
11	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	30-1
12	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa, Jr.	15-1
13	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II	50-1
14	Verrazano	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	4-1
15	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	20-1
16	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	7-2
17	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas	20-1
18	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Kenny McPeek	50-1
19	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Kenny McPeek	15-1
20	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez	15-1

Favorites

Orb (Post No. 16)

There was debate coming in about whether Orb or Verrazano was the true favorite, but Hall of Famer "Shug" McGaughey's horse, ahem, raced to the top of the odds after getting post No. 16.

Many believe that being too far on the outside can be a burden, but since the turn of the century (13 races), six winners have come from post No. 13 or further wide, including I'll Have Another (No. 19) last year and Animal Kingdom (No. 16) in 2011. 

Moreover, Shug, who will be looking for his Derby win, is fine with the position:

If Orb was your favorite before Wednesday, this spot shouldn't sway your opinion. 

Verrazano (Post No. 14)

Trainer Todd Pletcher has five chances at his second Kentucky Derby, but Verrazano is undoubtedly the best of them all. 

The talented Colt has won all four of its races, including victories at the Grade-2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade-1 Wood Memorial in the last two months.

Much like with Orb, being on the outside in space—thanks to coming from the second gate—will only help this speedy horse. Being two spots inside of Orb could also prove to be essential. 

Others

Itsmyluckyday (No. 12) and Revolutionary (No. 3, with Calvin Borel inside on the rail) also got terrific draws. 

Popular Dark Horses

Palace Malice (Post No. 10)

From a historical perspective, Todd Pletcher got another favorable draw when Palace Malice was placed at the No. 10 post. 

Since the use of a starting gate in 1930, No. 10 has gone 76-9-6-9, good enough for a win percentage of 11.8 and an in-the-money percentage of 31.6. Both of those are the best out of any position.

Cot Campbell, founder of Dogwood Stable, echoed that optimism (via the Twitter account of Palace Malice):

"

“We’ll load last and won’t have to sit in the gate long at all.” -Cot Campbell

— Palace Malice (@PalaceMalice) May 2, 2013"

Throw in the fact that Mike Smith—who won from the No. 10 spot in 2005 on Giacomo—will be extremely comfortable, and you've got yourself a longshot with a wonderful draw. 

Oxbow (Post No. 2)

Before Wednesday, Oxbow was gaining quite a bit of momentum. He only finished fifth at the Arkansas Derby, but had recently been training well under D. Wayne Lukas, arguably the greatest of all time. 

This draw should officially put a halt to any talk of an upset.

Being close to the rail is already tough enough, but being right inside Calvin Borel makes it even worse. Oxbow is going to get used, and he will face an inordinate amount of early pressure.  

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