Kentucky Derby Odds: Smart Strategies That Will Pay off Big

Sports betting may be taboo the majority of the time, but that is one of the many elements that makes the Kentucky Derby so special.

The 2013 field is filled with talented Thoroughbreds, and now that the post positions have been revealed, it's easier to discern which contenders have the best odds of succeeding in the Run for the Roses on Saturday.

Below are the complete odds for the field (h/t KentuckyDerby.com), followed by some smart betting strategies that will only add more intrigue to the most exciting two minutes in sports at Churchill Downs.

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

Verrazano the Safest Bet Among Favorites

The payout for Todd Pletcher's alpha specimen isn't overwhelmingly lucrative, but based on where Verrazano is beginning the 139th running of this race, it should be a no-brainer to put him in the top three.

Orb has emerged as the heavier favorite, but he'll have to face a less-than-ideal draw in the auxiliary gate at No. 16.

Meanwhile, Verrazano is just off the dividing line in 14th position and has the inside advantage on Orb from the start.

Charming Kitten is a 20-1 shot and possesses wonderful speed, so he will dart out in front, allowing Verrazano to maintain a comfortable pace in the early going, avoid traffic and cut off Orb as early as the first turn.

No horse has defeated Verrazano in his first four starts thanks to an eye-popping combination of size and speed. If any horse has the chance to overcome not competitively racing until age three and then finding the winner's circle in Louisville for the first time since 1882, it's Verrazano.

History and Post Position Favor Normandy Invasion

As far as relative bargains for an across-the-board bet, not many contenders are more viable than Normandy Invasion at 12-1.

Starting at the No. 5 slot is already beneficial, as it has produced 12 past champions—the most of any other position besides the No. 1 post.

At the Wood Memorial Stakes, a blistering run down the final straightaway nearly resulted in Normandy Invasion catching up to the undefeated Verrazano. That shows this horse is explosive enough and has the stamina to get the job done.

Even world-renowned actor Russell Crowe is on the Normandy Invasion bandwagon, as is ESPN analyst and horse racing enthusiast Mark May:

Trainer Chad Brown has been mentored by Hall of Famers Shug McGaughey and Bobby Frankel. Brown should be able to get the most out of his sleek horse with renowned jockey Javier Castellano getting the mount.

Longer Shots Worth Serious Consideration

A cluster of horses sit at 50-1 with the longest morning-line odds, but Frac Daddy is the best candidate to be the best of the bunch and make some noise.

Betting on someone with such long odds is usually discouraged. If there is an underdog to bet on, though, it's definitely Frac Daddy due to his massive size and vastly improved strength since arriving at Churchill Downs.

Another Ken McPeek horse, Java's War may be all the way out at No. 19, but don't count him out.

The winner of the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course came from last place to emerge victorious. He has proven himself against an elite field and has the firepower and opportunity to avoid traffic in the early going to make a push.

One other to watch for: Oxbow, who is second closest to the rail at 30-1. Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens has returned from retirement to be in the saddle in pursuit of his fourth triumph at Churchill Downs.

Two of the three Kentucky Derby victories for trainer D. Wayne Lukas came with Stevens as his jockey. Now that Stevens has had time to adjust after a fifth-place debut in the Arkansas Derby, Oxbow is among the best bargains in the field.