Kentucky Derby Entries 2015: Post Positions, Latest Odds for All Horses in Field

Today is when the 2015 Kentucky Derby anticipation begins to peak with the post positions being determined for all 20 horses in the field at Churchill Downs. 

This is isn't a day when a horse can win the race, but it's certainly one in which he can lose it. The No. 1 post isn't ideal because it's easier for jockeys to box a horse in, forcing him to slow down and play catch-up down the stretch. Being outside in a field this deep isn't good because that requires a greater distance to run around the track. 

If a horse and jockey can get a post closer to the middle, they have a better chance of a smooth run with an opportunity to win the race. Those are generalities, as some horses have more size and speed than others to overcome limitations of the post, but there's a reason odds can shift after post positions are drawn. 

Here's how the post position broke on Wednesday as well as updated odds for the field and what the draw means looking ahead to Saturday.    

Post	Horse	Odds
1	Ocho Ocho Ocho	50-1
2	Carpe Diem	8-1
3	Materiality	12-1
4	Tencendur	30-1
5	Danzig Moon	30-1
6	Mubtaahij	20-1
7	El Kabeir	30-1
8	Dortmund	3-1
9	Bolo	30-1
10	Firing Line	12-1
11	Stanford	30-1
12	International Star	20-1
13	Itsaknockout	30-1
14	Keen Ice	50-1
15	Frosted	15-1
16	War Story	50-1
17	Mr. Z	50-1
18	American Pharoah	5-2
19	Upstart	15-1
20	Far Right	30-1
21	Frammento	N/A
22	Tale of Verve	N/A

With the post positions in place, there are certain trends to look for that can make it easier to determine which horse will win. 

American Pharoah's draw at post 18 immediately stands out. It's not an insurmountable spot to start from, but it is certainly further outside than the horse's stable would have liked. 

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports took the high road with American Pharoah's draw:

On the flip side, Dortmund looks even better starting out of the eighth gate than he did coming in, which is saying something given that he was already the No. 2 betting favorite. 

As previously mentioned, the No. 1 post in a deep field is a fiasco that will require a lot of maneuvering by the jockey. Mike Curry of Fox Sports put the agony of having that first post in a more eloquent, thoughtful way and noted how long it's been since anyone captured the roses after starting at that spot:

"

Think about it, 19 other horses break out of the starting gate and immediately start moving over to try and take that inside position. It's like a stampede engulfing the inside horse and we've seen quite a few runners get bounced around pretty good in the early stages of this race. The last horse to win from the one hole was Ferdinand in 1986. 

"

A nearly 30-year winless drought from the first post isn't a coincidence; it's a trend at this point that doesn't speak well to Ocho Ocho Ocho's chances on Saturday. 

Another aspect of the Kentucky Derby to keep in mind, which Kenny's article also mentions, is practice time. Kenny specifically says to "use information coming from people" on the track at Churchill Downs who are watching these horses. 

Well, let's do that. American Pharoah has been the betting favorite leading up to the Kentucky Derby, and his practice sessions have done nothing to suggest otherwise.

Per a news release from Churchill Downs vice president of Racing Communications John Asher, American Pharoah ran five furlongs in 58.4 seconds on April 25. 

Joe Kristufek of America's Best Racing listed five contenders who have impressed him this week in addition to the two favorites:

Gary Young, who was clocking American Pharoah, is quoted in the release as saying the horse is arguably the best he's personally seen:

"

I have been doing this for 35 years, and he might be the best horse I’ve ever seen. He’s simply like Michael Jordan and stays in the air like he did in his rookie year. He stays in the air longer than any horse and you get the feeling that there’s not one gear left, but he may have two, three or four gears.

"

With a longtime expert saying something like that, combined with American Pharoah's stellar practice times, it's easy to understand why he's a betting favorite. 

Dortmund, who is the No. 2 horse based on betting odds, is no slouch heading into Saturday. Bob Baffert, who is training Dortmund and American Pharoah, does see separation between the two. He made a college basketball comparison to Jennie Rees of USA Today in March:

"(Dortmund) is not UK," Baffert said with a laugh. "You're getting carried away. He might be Arizona, but he's not UK. American Pharoah might be my UK; we'll find out. The talent is there. You just have to see it race by race."

Arizona was a terrific team this season that had the misfortune of running into Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Baffert's analogy may cloud things with the benefit of hindsight, knowing what happened to Kentucky in the Final Four, but you get the idea he's going after. 

This is such a strange year because American Pharoah and Dortmund, based on odds and pedigree, would likely be serious Triple Crown contenders in an average year, but this field isn't doing them any favors. 

It's not a bad thing that they go head-to-head Saturday at Churchill Downs. California Chrome made last year special because he was clearly better than the other horses on the track in every race except the Belmont Stakes. 

Sports get a certain jolt when there is a great head-to-head rivalry that everyone can take sides on. Horse racing's last great rivalry during the Triple Crown season was Animal Kingdom vs. Shackleford in 2011.

American Pharoah and Dortmund can join that group starting on Saturday, but the loaded field may have something to say to the two favorites before anything can blossom.