Kentucky Derby 2015 Lineup: Post Positions for All Entries of 141st Race

The 141st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs—featuring the deepest field in quite a long time—now touts official post positions after Wednesday's draw.

Dortmund proved to be the big winner by taking the eighth post.

More important is the staggering depth of the field this year with 20 horses in the running. Even taking post positions into consideration, there are three major contenders to watch, a few can't-miss jockeys and two legendary trainers with perhaps their deepest set of contenders to date.

It's a lot to digest, so here's a closer look at the field and contenders for the special event set for Saturday, May 2.

2015 Kentucky Derby Lineup

Post Position	Horse	Trainer	Odds
1	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Jim Cassidy	50-1
2	Carpe Diem	Todd Pletcher	8-1
3	Materiality	Todd Pletcher	12-1
4	Tencendur	George Weaver	30-1
5	Danzig Moon	Mark Casse	30-1
6	Mubtaahij	Mike de Kock	20-1
7	El Kabeir	John Terranova II	30-1
8	Dortmund	Bob Baffert	3-1
9	Bolo	Carla Gaines	30-1
10	Firing Line	Simon Callaghan	12-1
11	Stanford	Todd Pletcher	30-1
12	International Star	Mike Maker	20-1
13	Itsaknockout	Todd Pletcher	30-1
14	Keen Ice	Dale Romans	50-1
15	Frosted	Kiaran McLaughlin	15-1
16	War Story	Tom Amoss	50-1
17	Mr. Z	D. Wayne Lukas	50-1
18	American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	5-2
19	Upstart	Rick Violette Jr.	15-1
20	Far Right	Ron Moquett	30-1

Top Contenders After Post Positions Draw

Carpe Diem, Post No. 2

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Carpe Diem remains the close third behind Dortmund and American Pharoah after Wednesday's draw.

This is what happens when a Todd Pletcher-trained horse sits Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez up top, who just so happens to own the most all-time winnings at more than $323 million

It's also what happens when early reviews from Churchill Downs are great, as Alicia Wincze Hughes of Kentucky.com captures:

Patience and maturity continues to be the main storyline surrounding Carpe Diem, an explosive young colt who took care of business at the Tampa Bay Derby and the Blue Grass Stakes, the latter a victory against big names such as Danzig Moon and Ocho Ocho Ocho.

Dortmund, Post No. 8

Garry Jones/Associated Press

A draw of No. 8 for Dortmund works wonders for trainer Bob Baffert's second-best contestant.

There's little doubt about Dortmund's contending status. Sired by Big Brown, a near-Triple Crown winner, the massive horse touts six wins, including a recent triumph at the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert noted before the draw what Dortmund's size does to the opposition.

"He's a big tall horse with his stride, and he has speed," Baffert said, per Mike Farrell of The Associated Press. "He's really, really fast early. Smaller horses that try to keep up with him, they give up. He has a lot of determination and a lot of heart. He'll need that."

Dortmund loves to get out of the gates fast and distance himself from the pack, an approach heightened by the presence of seasoned jockey Martin Garcia up top.

American Pharoah, Post No. 18

Hey, it's better than post No. 1.

American Pharoah remains the favorite to begin a Triple Crown pursuit with a win this weekend. Forget dominant performances at the Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby. Forget that Victor Espinoza is up top after riding California Chrome to victory in the same race last year.

Just understand the wow-worthy work American Pharoah continues to put in at Churchill Downs, as Churchill Downs PR captures:

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time winner at Churchill Downs who will race Mr. Z, explains why American Pharoah is so impressive, per Gary Mihoces of USA Today: "He has that length and he has that turn of foot. You see American Pharoah walk by, he doesn't grab you. He's not a Secretariat where you just say, 'Wow, look at this.' But he when he's moving, he damn sure impresses you.''

In short, American Pharoah shouldn't encounter many issues out of the 18th slot.

Stats and information via KentuckyDerby.com unless otherwise specified.