2013 Kentucky Derby: Latest Buzz Following Draw for Post Positions

Horse racing fans have been buzzing about the Kentucky Derby for the past few weeks, but the hype was kicked up another notch on Wednesday when the post positions were drawn for Saturday's Run for the Roses. Most of the top contenders came away happy, but not everyone was so lucky.

A horse isn't guaranteed success or failure based on where they start, but it is generally considered advantageous to start somewhere in the middle. Starting in one of the first few gates means a horse could get pinned up against the rail, while starting too far outside can make it difficult to merge with the pack in a timely manner.

With that in mind, there has been plenty of reaction regarding the post draw. Here is the latest on how things are looking for some of the Kentucky Derby's biggest names in the aftermath of the post-position draw.

Orb and Verrazano Escape Draw Unscathed

Orb and Verrazano are considered by most to be the top two contenders in the Kentucky Derby as evidenced by their 7-2 and 4-1 odds, respectively. One, or both of them, could have easily been put in a precarious position, but they should both be fine. Orb came away with the No. 16 slot while Verrazano will start No. 14, so they are well within the safe zone.

Being a little closer to the middle would have been more advantageous, but if Orb and Verrazano are as good as advertised, it shouldn't be a problem. Chris Korman, of The Baltimore Sun, believes that Orb could run into some trouble at No. 16, but he concedes that things could have been much worse for both horses.

Both horses enter the Kentucky Derby with a ton of momentum behind them. Orb has won four consecutive races, including the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes. Verrazano is also looking good as he is undefeated in four career starts and owns wins in the Wood Memorial and Tampa Bay Derby.

Wednesday could have been a disastrous day, but Orb and Verrazano should be in contention at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

Calvin Borel and Revolutionary Sitting Pretty

Despite the notion that starting inside is a disadvantage, Revolutionary actually made out pretty well by nabbing the No. 3 position on Wednesday. Revolutionary will be ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel, who just so happens to love keeping his horses close to the rail. It is a strategy that can backfire if there is too much traffic, but nobody executes it better than Borel.

According to Jerry Izenberg of NJ.com, trainer Todd Pletcher chose Borel to ride Revolutionary, and it now appears to be an ideal fit. Many fans refer to Borel as Calvin Bo-rail due to his propensity for taking the inside line. KATC TV3 in Borel's home area of Lafayette, La. believes that Borel and Revolutionary are a great bet at 10-1.

It's entirely possible that Revolutionary will get bottled up early, but Borel knows how to handle the situation. Revolutionary has a bit more leeway at No. 3 than he would have at No. 2 or No. 1, so if he has an ideal trip, then Borel has what it takes to lead him to victory.

Normandy Invasion Stuck in Tough Spot

He may not be among the top few horses in terms of the betting lines, but Normandy Invasion is a very popular choice to win the Kentucky Derby. He hung with Verrazano in the Wood Memorial and should have great guidance with Javier Castellano aboard.

One thing that Normandy Invasion doesn't have, though, is an ideal post position as he will start No. 5.

Revolutionary is a special case at No. 3, so the inside starting spot shouldn't hurt him much. Normandy Invasion is a horse that is better off in space, and it will be tough to find any in the early going. Normandy Invasion has reportedly looked great during the lead up to the Kentucky Derby, and trainer Chad Brown is extremely excited about his form, according to J.J. Hysell of Louisville.com.

There is no question that Normandy Invasion is strong enough to pull off a victory if Castellano is able to brave treacherous waters early in the race. He will have to work harder than most of the other top contenders, though, so it might be a wise move to temper expectations when it comes to Normandy Invasion.

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

*Post positions via the Kentucky Derby's official Twitter account. Odds courtesy of NBC Sports, via WDRB's Steve Andress.

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