Kentucky Derby 2013 Entries: Post Positions, Odds and Projections for Each Horse

Handicapping the Kentucky Derby is never easy. These are horses with limited experience, facing the deepest, most talented field of their career, and doing it in front of a massive crowd. Add in weather and it's clear there are numerous deciding factors.

That's what makes the race so special, though. If it were predictable the excitement level wouldn't be nearly as large as it is on the first Saturday every May. Those people fortunate enough to pick the winner deserve praise. It's not an easy task.

That said, here's a complete forecast for the finish of the 139th Kentucky Derby. Goldencents earns the top spot courtesy of his well-rounded skill set and is followed by Revolutionary and Verrazano to finish off the projected trifecta. A breakdown of those three is also below.

Complete Race Projection

Finish	Horse	Post	Jockey	Odds
1	Goldencents	8	Kevin Krigger	6-1
2	Revolutionary	3	Calvin Borel	5-1
3	Verrazano	14	John Velazquez	9-1
4	Itsmyluckyday	12	Elvis Trujillo	9-1
5	Overanalyze	9	Rafael Bejarano	14-1
6	Orb	16	Joel Rosario	7-1
7	Normandy Invasion	5	Javier Castellano	7-1
8	Mylute	6	Rosie Napravnik	13-1
9	Palace Malice	10	Mike Smith	24-1
10	Vyjack	20	Garrett Gomez	34-1
11	Java's War	19	Julien Leparoux	23-1
12	Will Take Charge	17	Jon Court	30-1
13	Oxbow	2	Gary Stevens	22-1
14	Charming Kitten	15	Edgar Prado	29-1
15	Golden Soul	4	Robby Albarado	30-1
16	Frac Daddy	18	Victor Lebron	23-1
17	Falling Sky	13	Luis Saez	37-1
18	Giant Finish	7	Jose Espinoza	38-1
19	Lines of Battle	11	Ryan Moore	33-1

Odds as of 12:20 p.m. ET (via KentuckyDerby.com)

Top 3 Breakdown

1. Goldencents

Goldencents had one bad performance. He finished fourth in the San Felipe Stakes behind three horses not in the field, although Hear The Ghost was a contender before getting injured. That poor showing will be enough to scare some people away.

Instead, it should just be chalked up as an off day. In his other five races he's looked like a major derby threat with four victories and a second-place finish. That includes a triumph in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby the last time out.

He features tremendous early pace, which should put him in or around the lead right away. As long as it's not a lightning pace, which would force him to expel too much energy early, there's no reason to believe he can't handle the distance to open Triple Crown season with a win.

2. Revolutionary

It's impossible to ignore a horse being ridden by Calvin Borel that's starting near the rail. Revolutionary will start from the No. 3 position and it will only take a blink of the eye for Borel to get him on the inside. He'll hold that position until deep stretch.

He should be one of the few horses that will challenge Goldencents' early pace. The key will be getting to the inside and using that initial burst to avoid the onrush of horses moving down from the outside. If Borel does that, Revolutionary will be in ideal shape.

Since he hasn't shown as much late pace as Goldencents, it will be tough to overcome him if he's not at least even when they turn for home. But he's finished in the money in all six starts and should keep that streak alive in the derby.

3. Verrazano

Verrazano is unbeaten in four career starts. His last win came in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial, where he was able to outlast fellow derby hopefuls Normandy Invasion and Vyjack. It was his best showing to date and allows him to enter Churchill Downs on high note.

Unlike the first two horses on the list, Verrazano relies on a late charge to win races. He'll probably be more toward the middle of the pack in the early going before John Velazquez decides to make his move after holding steady throughout the backstretch.

The key will be exactly how much ground he needs to make up. If he's within a handful of lengths, he could very well win the derby. Coming from deeper in the field will be a massive challenge, which makes third place a more likely scenario.