Kentucky Derby 2013 Horses: Overanalyze and Sleeper Horses to Bet On
Just as I'll Have Another proved in 2012, betting on a favorite to win at the Kentucky Derby can be awfully risky.
After all, it's been five years since a betting favorite won the Run for the Roses. The last to do so was Big Brown in 2008. Since then, heavy favorites like Dunkirk (2009), Dialed In (2011) and Bodemeister (2012) have come up short in their bid to deliver what Vegas expected.
Below we'll run down the entire field of horses at Saturday's Kentucky Derby, highlighting a trio of Todd Pletcher-trained sleepers to bet on this weekend.
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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.
Overanalyze, Post No. 9, 14-1
Kentucky Derby-winning horse trainer Todd Pletcher has five colts in Saturday's race, including a few sleepers like Overanalyze, who will run from post No. 9 this weekend.
The Grade I Arkansas Derby winner has won four of his seven career starts, and has decent but not great odds to win this weekend, 14-1 according to OddsShark.com. You won't be alone in picking Overanalyze, though, as ESPN's Darren Rovell is already on the bandwagon.
It's been over 30 years since a horse has won the Derby from post No. 9, but that doesn't quite make it an unfavorable post. After all, slot Nos. 8 and 10 have produced a combined 20 Derby winners since 1900.
Given what we saw from this horse at Oaklawn Park this spring and at the Grade II Remsen Stakes last fall, there's really no reason to pick against Overanalyze this weekend.
Palace Malice, Post No. 10, 25-1
Pletcher has also had a hand in Palace Malice's success. The Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes runner-up is facing stiff odds to win this weekend, but is definitely capable of winning or at least finishing in the money from post No. 10.
Post No.10 has produced 10 Derby winners over the past 113 races at Churchill Downs, including 2005's Giacomo.
Palace Malice has finished in the money in five of his six career races dating back to last summer and was actually running well at the Grade II Louisiana Derby last March before stumbling down the stretch to finish a disappointing seventh.
Most recently, though, we saw this horse give fellow Derby contender Java's War all he could toward the end of the Blue Grass Stakes.
Charming Kitten, Post No. 15, 25-1
Another sleeper with 25-1 odds to win this weekend is Charming Kitten, who will be running out of a favorable slot in post No. 15. Two Derby winners have run out of post No. 15 since 1996.
The 15th slot will offer plenty of space out to Charming Kitten's left at the start as the post marks the first of six inside the auxiliary gate (the additional gate added on to the first 14 posts.
Beyond his starting post on Saturday, Charming Kitten has a solid resume to suggest he'll come up big at Churchill Downs. Despite boasting just one victory in 2013, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt has finished in the money in six of seven career races, including a third-place finish at the Blue Grass Stakes last month.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.
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