Kentucky Derby 2014 Horses: Updated Race-Day Odds and Post Positions Info

Post position is a crucial factor in horse racing, especially at the Kentucky Derby, where horses and jockeys have minimal room for error.

Where a horse starts doesn't always determine where it finishes, but that doesn't mean a poor draw can't derail a horse's chances. 

Below, you'll find the latest race-day odds and starting posts for the 19-horse field.

Date: Saturday, May 3

Post Time: 6:24 p.m. ET

Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
2	Vicar's In Trouble	Mike Maker	Rosie Napravnik	20-1
3	Harry's Holiday	Mike Maker	Corey Lanerie	50-1
4	Uncle Sigh	Gary Contessa	Irad Ortiz Jr.	30-1
5	Danza	Todd Pletcher	Joe Bravo	8-1
6	California Chrome	Art Sherman	Victor Espinoza	5-2
7	Samraat	Rick Violette Jr.	Jose Ortiz	15-1
8	We Miss Artie	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	50-1
9	General A Rod	Mike Maker	Joel Rosario	15-1
10	Vinceremos	Todd Pletcher	Joe Rocco Jr.	30-1
11	Wildcat Red	Jose Garoffalo	Luis Saez	15-1
SCRATCHED	Hoppertunity			SCRATCHED
12	Dance With Fate	Peter Eurton	Corey Nakatani	20-1
13	Chitu	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	20-1
14	Medal Count	Dale Romans	Robby Albarado	20-1
15	Tapiture	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	12-1
16	Intense Holiday	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	8-1
17	Commanding Curve	Dallas Stewart	Shaun Bridgmohan	50-1
18	Candy Boy	John Sadler	Gary Stevens	15-1
19	Ride On Curlin	William G. Gowan	Calvin Borel	15-1
20	Wicked Strong	James A. Jerkens	Rajiv Maragh	6-1
SCRATCHED	Pablo Del Monte			SCRATCHED

Historically, horses that start closer to the rail have fared better than horses starting outside at the Kentucky Derby. However, it's important to note that smaller Derby fields in the past have contributed to those numbers.

Since 1930, post No. 10 has been by bar the most successful starting slot, with nine horses winning from that gate, the most recent being Giacomo in 2005.

But on Saturday, 30-1 long-shot Vinceremos will start in the 10th post. So, bet on the underdog at your own peril.

While post Nos. 5 and 7 have combined to produce 14 Derby winners since 1930, including recent winners like Funny Cide in 2003 (post No. 5) and Street Sense in 2007 (post No. 7), post No. 6 hasn't been nearly as favorable, boasting just two Derby winners since 1930. Sea Hero was the last horse to win from that post back in 1993.

That's worth noting because odds-on favorite California Chrome will run from the sixth post on Saturday following the withdrawal of Pablo Del Monte on Friday. The scratch has resulted in the first 10 horses being moved down a post.

As Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde points out, trainer Art Sherman should be quite pleased with his horse's draw:

In fact, Sherman was awfully excited about his horse during Thursday's warm-up, per ESPN.com's Gary West: 

"He looked good out there. He's feeling good, and he's doing good. He's coming up to this race right."

You've got to put more stock into California Chrome's past outings than his starting slot. And the bigger issue is that the Santa Anita Derby winner will be surrounded by speedsters, as pointed out by West:

"

California Chrome's main problem in the Derby could be the pace and his position relative to the other speedsters. He has post position No. 5. To his inside, there are two horses, Uncle Sigh (No. 3) and Vicar's In Trouble (No. 1), who possess considerable natural speed. To the Derby favorite's outside, there are more speedsters -- Samraat (No. 6) and General A Rod (No. 8), but especially Wildcat Red (No. 10) and Chitu (No. 13).

"

If California Chrome can avoid getting swept up in a sprint, he'll have a chance to take over late. But with 18 other horses to contend with and the 10 furlongs providing a unique challenge to the favorite, there's no telling how things will shake out.

While post position isn't going to be the sole factor for a horse's performance on Saturday, it can provide a vital advantage or crippling disadvantage in some cases and should be factored into your predictions. 

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.