Kentucky Derby 2013: Post Time, Post Positions and Full TV Coverage Info

The first Saturday in May has finally arrived as the excitement surrounding the 2013 Kentucky Derby has reached a fevered pitch.

The field of 19 horses is set for the 139th Run for the Roses on Saturday at Churchill Downs, and despite forecasts calling for rain showers in Louisville this weekend, the race is expected to go on as scheduled.

Orb, Goldencents and Verrazano are the names to know coming in. Revolutionary and Normandy Invasion have also looked strong in recent outings. There are certainly plenty of long-shots to choose from this weekend as well, and if recent history is any indication, a sleeper will likely steal the show this weekend.

Here we'll get you set with everything you need to know for Saturday's much-anticipated Triple Crown opener.

Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.

When: Saturday, May 4

Post Time: 6:24 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

2013 Kentucky Derby | Purse: $2.18 Million | Grade I | Distance: 10 furlongs

*Post positions via the Kentucky Derby's official Twitter account. Odds via OddsShark.com.

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
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.

Will a Long-Shot Win Again?

In recent years, long-shots have fared better than favorites at the Kentucky Derby, with only three betting favorites winning in the last 10 years and four since 2000.

Last year's race was won by underdog I'll Have Another, who came from behind late to become the first horse to ever win the Derby from post No. 19. Animal Kingdom overcame even greater odds to claim the roses in 2011. And who can forget the 50-1 long-shot Mine That Bird in 2010?

It's been five years since a betting favorite won the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown; Big Brown won from post No. 20 with 2-1 odds in 2008.

That said, many have settled on sleepers this weekend, hoping for the string of upsets to continue in Louisville. If you believe in Cinderella, then Itsmyluckyday, Overanalyze and Charming Kitten are three dark horses worth betting on this weekend. 

Best and Worst Post Positions

Fans and bettors love to analyze starting post positions each year, and why not?

There's plenty of past Derby results to dissect, and history tells us that some posts are much more favorable than others. While post Nos. 1 and 2 have combined to produce 21 Derby winners since 1900, it's been 27 years since a horse from either post has won the Run for the Roses. 

It's tough to win on the rail.

Recently, post Nos. 5, 8 and 16 have been the most successful, producing six of the past 12 winners at Churchill Downs.

Oddly enough, three of this weekend's big favorites will start in those three posts. Normandy Invasion, Goldencents and Orb will each take off from a historically advantageous post on Saturday, perhaps signaling that this is the year a favorite delivers.

Either way, all that's left to do now is watch.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.