Kentucky Derby Post Positions: Who Got the Best Slots Of The Field?
While it's not where a horse starts but rather where a horse finishes at the Kentucky Derby that counts, post position and success have long been linked at the annual Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
After all, the dominant storyline surrounding 2012 Derby winner I'll Have Another centered on him becoming the first horse in history to win from post No. 19, leaving only one other winless post.
Will this be the year a horse finally breaks through from post No. 17? Or will the historically favorable slots continue to produce champions?
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Here we'll take a closer look at which horses drew the best posts for Saturday evening's race.
2013 Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky. | Purse: $2.18 Million | Grade I | Distance: 10 furlongs | Post Time: 6:24 p.m. ET
*Post positions via the Kentucky Derby's official Twitter account. Odds via OddsShark.com.
| 1 | OPEN* | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | Oxbow | Gary Stevens | D. Wayne Lukas | 33-1 |
| 3 | Revolutionary | Calvin Borel | Todd Pletcher | 9-1 |
| 4 | Golden Soul | Robby Albarado | Dallas Stewart | 50-1 |
| 5 | Normandy Invasion | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown | 9-1 |
| 6 | Mylute | Rosie Napravnik | Tom Amoss | 16-1 |
| 7 | Giant Finish | Jose L. Espinoza | Anthony W. Dutrow | 50-1 |
| 8 | Goldencents | Kevin Krigger | Doug O'Neill | 11/2 |
| 9 | Overanalyze | Rafael Bejarano | Todd Pletcher | 14-1 |
| 10 | Palace Malice | Mike Smith | Todd Pletcher | 25-1 |
| 11 | Lines of Battle | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 33-1 |
| 12 | Itsmyluckyday | Elvis Trujillo | Eddie Plesa, Jr. | 12-1 |
| 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 | 25-1 |
| 16 | Orb | Joel Rosario | Claude R. McGaughey III | 4-1 |
| 17 | Will Take Charge | Jon Court | D. Wayne Lukas | 20-1 |
| 18 | Frac Daddy | Victor Lebron | Kenny McPeek | 40-1 |
| 19 | Java's War | Julien Leparoux | Kenny McPeek | 16-1 |
| 20 | Vyjack | Garrett Gomez | Rudy Rodriguez | 14-1 |
*Black Onyx has been scratched from post No. 1 according to Churchill Downs PR on Twitter.
Orb, Post No. 16
Recent history suggests that 2013 Kentucky Derby betting favorite Orb lucked out with his post draw in this weekend's race.
Post No. 16 may be an outside post, but it's one of the most favorable starting slots at Churchill Downs. After all, four horses have won from the 16th post since 1995, including Animal Kingdom in 2011. No post has produced more Derby winners than post No. 16 over the past two decades.
It's no surprise why Vegas loves Orb, he's won four straight races dating back to last November, including the Grade I Florida Derby last March.
But on top of the recent success, the Shug McGaughey-trained colt drew an excellent slot for Saturday's 1 1/4-mile sprint, giving bettors even more reason to love him this weekend.
Goldencents, Post No. 8
Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino will be all smiles on Saturday as his colt, Goldencents gets set to run out of one of the most favorable slots at the Kentucky Derby, post No. 8.
Post No. 8 has produced 10 winners since 1900, including 50-1 long-shot Mine That Bird in 2009.
Since 1990, four horses have won the Run for the Roses from post No. 8, so history is certainly on Goldencents' side this weekend at Churchill Downs.
With jockey Kevin Krigger on board, a Goldencents' win would be historic as Krigger is just the second black jockey to ride at the Kentucky Derby since 1921, according to Men's Journal's Ryan Goldberg.
Revolutionary, Post No. 3
Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel will ride Revolutionary out of post No. 3 on Saturday, far enough off the rail to avoid becoming an early target, but close enough to gain strong position and ultimately ride the inside to a win.
Borel last won the Kentucky Derby in 2010 atop Super Saver, who started from post No. 4 that year.
With the inside-line-loving Borel on board, and solid odds to win this weekend, Todd Pletcher's Revolutionary has to be considered a serious threat to win it all from post No. 3.
Yahoo! Sports' Pat Forde certainly agrees.
Borel is a proven champion with a proven game plan, and the combination of his experience and Revolutionary's talent make post No. 3 a more-than-ideal starting slot.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.
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