Kentucky Derby 2015 Post Positions: Draw Start Time, Horses Lineup and More
The Kentucky Derby is rapidly approaching, and the draw for post positions will help to tell us a lot about who can—and might—win this year's Run for the Roses.
Historically, post positions have made a huge difference in the chances a horse has at winning or even performing well. For instance, dating back to 1930—the first year in which a starting gate was used—the No. 10 and No. 5 holes have produced the most winners—nine from each, per KentuckyDerby.com.
Meanwhile, the No. 17 spot has yet to produce a winner in 36 attempts, per KentuckyDerby.com.
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All that to say, the post position draw on Wednesday will be extremely important.
So, over the course of this article, I'll give you a look at the full lineup of horses slated to run in the Derby, along with information on the draw (date, start time, location, TV schedule, etc.) as well as some updates on the top favorites and an underdog to watch come May 2.
Let's dive in.
Kentucky Derby Post Position Draw Info
When: Wednesday, April 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
Where To Watch: NBC Sports Network
Horses Lineup
Assembled through the use of KentuckyDerby.com, OddsShark.com and DRF.com, the chart below details the 20 horses who are currently in line for starting positions:
| American Pharoah | Bob Baffert | 7-2 | 13-5 |
| Dortmund | Bob Baffert | 4-1 | 4-1 |
| Carpe Diem | Todd Pletcher | 10-1 | 15-2 |
| Materiality | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 | 14-1 |
| Mubtaahij | Michael de Kock | 12-1 | 10-1 |
| Upstart | Richard Violette Jr. | 12-1 | 20-1 |
| Firing Line | Simon Callaghan | 15-1 | 16-1 |
| Frosted | Kiaran McLaughlin | 15-1 | 16-1 |
| International Star | Mike Maker | 15-1 | 20-1 |
| Bolo | Carla Gaines | 30-1 | 40-1 |
| Danzig Moon | Mark Casse | 30-1 | 40-1 |
| El Kabeir | John Terranova II | 30-1 | 33-1 |
| Far Right | Ron Moquett | 30-1 | 33-1 |
| Itsaknockout | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 | 40-1 |
| Stanford | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 | N/A |
| Tencendur | George Weaver | 30-1 | 66-1 |
| War Story | Tom Amoss | 30-1 | N/A |
| Mr. Z | D. Wayne Lukas | 50-1 | 40-1 |
| Ocho Ocho Ocho | Jim Cassidy | 50-1 | 40-1 |
| Keen Ice | Dale Romans | N/A | 50-1 |
You'll notice that Madefromlucky is nowhere to be found in the list of possible runners. According to The Associated Press, via USA Today, trainer Todd Pletcher decided to drop the Lookin at Lucky colt from consideration for the 141st running of the Derby.
The move leaves Pletcher with four horses in the field, including two of Michael Watchmaker's top two favorites—Carpe Diem and Materiality. The change also means that Keen Ice, a Dale Romans-trained colt, will get a shot at glory.
Updates on Top Favorites and Underdogs
Less than a week away from the big day, and we're getting great news related to some of the major players in the field.
According to Steve Haskin of Blood-Horse, the current pre-race favorite, American Pharoah, worked five furlongs in an effortless 58.24 seconds. The scene at Churchill described by Haskin was one of utter disbelief, as Justin Zayat, the racing manager for Zayat Stables (AP's owners), noted that his workout was "unbelievable" and "gave me chills."
Gary Young, the 35-year-veteran clocker and bloodstock agent who timed his workout, described American Pharoah in grandiose terms:
Hearing all of this just confirms what most people have assumed all along—American Pharoah is the best three-year-old in the field. That doesn't guarantee a win, though, and several other horses will have a say in the race's final outcome.
In relation to the importance of the post position draw, American Pharoah would benefit greatly from a spot in or around the No. 5 hole.
In each of AP's last three wins, he's run out of the No. 6, 4 and 5 positions, respectively, via KentuckyDerby.com. That's not to say that the Pioneer of the Nile colt can't win out of another post position, but given the historical importance of post positions, as well AP's preferred starting position, it certainly can't hurt to be placed strategically around the No. 5 spot.
Another major Derby contender, Dortmund worked solidly on the Santa Anita dirt, going six furlongs in 1:13.60, per Alicia Wincze Hughes of The Lexington Herald-Leader.
Realistically, it would be nice to see Dortmund working at Churchill, but he has shown an ability to run well over the Kentucky dirt, logging a win at Churchill back in November 2014.
Dortmund will benefit greatly from a post position somewhere near the inside third of the starting gate, as his front-running style means that he'll need to get out and ahead quickly. Trying to get out in front from the rail could prove difficult, and attempting to jet in front of 19 other horses from the No. 20 hole will be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
This Big Brown colt is built like a freight train, and if he's able stake out to a modest pace on the front end, say goodnight.
One underdog to keep an eye on here is Far Right. As of April 22, OddsShark.com had the Notional colt as a 33-1 mid-pack selection. However, the potential is there for much, much more.
According to Jonathan Lintner of The Courier-Journal, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith left a little something in the tank when he and Far Right finished a distant second to the Derby favorite in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
When talking to Lintner, trainer Ron Moquett noted that Smith told clients that with little to no speed in the race, "We weren't going to win that day's battle but saved some horse for the war." This could prove pivotal as they move into the Derby next weekend.
Beyond that little bit of extra energy, Far Right has shown an ability to come from well off the pace, most notably in his win over the dirt track at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes. A whopping four lengths back entering the stretch run, Mike Smith and Far Right managed to pull out an impressive 3/4-length victory, which is depicted in the video below.
Late last week, Far Right logged his final workout over the Churchill dirt course, working through four furlongs in an effortless 49 seconds.
Keep that in mind—and the fact that Far Right is one of the field's more experienced runners when it comes to running over the Churchill dirt; he owns a first-, second- and third-place finish at the track, via HorseRacingNation.com.
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