Kentucky Derby 2015 Post Positions: Field Predictions, New Odds and Jockey Info

With the post positions officially drawn for the 2015 Kentucky Derby, horse racing fans now have an even better idea of how their picks will break out of the gates and how they might ultimately fare as well.

Posts don't necessarily make bottom feeders contenders or vice versa, but a favorable draw can certainly help a jockey guide his horse into a desired position early in the race. When push comes to shove, though, the talent of the horses is what rules the day.

Jockeys can also come into play, however, and it will be interesting to see how past Kentucky Derby success molds what happens in the 141st running of the race.

Here is a look at everything you need to know about this year's Run for the Roses, including odds and predictions for every horse in the field.

Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky

When: Saturday, May 2, at 6:24 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Kentucky Derby Field and Odds

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Elvis Trujillo	Jim Cassidy	50-1
2	Carpe Diem	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	17-2
3	Materiality	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	14-1
4	Tencendur	Manny Franco	George Weaver	50-1
5	Danzig Moon	Julien Leparoux	Mark Casse	50-1
6	Mubtaahij	Christophe Soumillion	Mike de Kock	12-1
7	El Kabeir	Calvin Borel	John Terranova II	33-1
8	Dortmund	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	7-2
9	Bolo	Rafael Bejarano	Carla Gaines	40-1
10	Firing Line	Gary Stevens	Simon Callaghan	14-1
11	International Star	Miguel Mena	Mike Maker	22-1
12	Itsaknockout	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	33-1
13	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	50-1
14	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin	16-1
15	War Story	Joe Talamo	Tom Amoss	50-1
16	Mr. Z	Ramon Vazquez	D. Wayne Lukas	50-1
17	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	13-5
18	Upstart	Jose Ortiz	Rick Violette Jr.	22-1
19	Far Right	Mike Smith	Ron Moquett	33-1
20	Frammento	Corey Nakatani	Nick Zito	50-1

Kentucky Derby Predictions

Position	Horse
1	Dortmund
2	American Pharoah
3	Materiality
4	Carpe Diem
5	Upstart
6	Mubtaahij
7	International Star
8	Firing Line
9	Frosted
10	Far Right
11	El Kabeir
12	Itsaknockout
13	Ocho Ocho Ocho
14	Mr. Z
15	War Story
16	Bolo
17	Keen Ice
18	Danzig Moon
19	Frammento
20	Tecendur

Top Jockeys to Watch

Victor Espinoza

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Few jockeys in the field are more decorated than Victor Espinoza. Add in the fact that he will saddle favorite American Pharoah and there is no question that he will be extremely difficult to beat at Churchill Downs.

The 42-year-old star from Mexico is already a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, including last year when he guided California Chrome. Espinoza has also won the Preakness Stakes on two occasions, so it is clear that he rises to the occasion on the big stage.

With such high expectations hanging over his head, Espinoza is well aware of the situation he finds himself in, according to Jason Frakes of USA Today:

Pressure never seems to bother Espinoza, though, so that isn't likely a major concern for American Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert.

Espinoza has expertly guided some of the greatest horses in recent memory to huge victories, and the odds suggest that he could do precisely that once again on Saturday.

Although American Pharoah has dominated to the tune of four consecutive victories, Espinoza seems to think he has something left in reserve, per Tim Sullivan of The Courier-Journal:

"I really don't know how good he is," Espinoza said. "I ride him, but the way he does things so easy, I really don't know how good he is. He's an amazing horse. But so far, I never ride him really hard."

The fact that American Pharoah is already this good without going all out is an excellent sign for his Kentucky Derby chances, especially since Espinoza has a penchant for getting the most out of his horses.

Provided American Pharoah is in solid form at Churchill Downs, Espinoza looks like the perfect jockey to pilot him to prominence.

John Velazquez

Harry How/Getty Images

John Velazquez may be nearing the end of an illustrious career, but there is little doubt that he is still among the best in the business. He is always a threat to come through in big races, and that is once again the case in the Kentucky Derby as he will ride Carpe Diem.

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt has won four of his five starts, including a dominant showing in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Following that victory, Velazquez had nothing but good things to say about his horse, although he stopped short of predicting a Derby win, according to Jennie Rees of USA Today: "Listen, he's doing everything right in every race. He's improving every race, so we hope he can do that in the Derby. All the things he's done so far, you've got to be excited going to the Derby. (But) the Derby is the Derby. You could have the best horse and not win it."

Carpe Diem may not quite be the best horse in the eyes of the betting public, but he isn't far off behind the likes of American Pharoah and Dortmund. Add in the X-factor of Velazquez being the jockey, and it can be argued that Carpe Diem has a leg up on the competition.

Velazquez has already won the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and multiple Breeders' Cup races. He can accomplish some special things when he has a talented horse at his disposal, and Carpe Diem definitely fits the bill.

Calvin Borel

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

He may not be among the most highly touted horses in the field, but El Kabeir has a fighting chance Saturday due to the presence of jockey Calvin Borel.

The 48-year-old veteran is a three-time winner of the Run for the Roses, and there is arguably no other jockey who understands Churchill Downs better than him. According to Jonathan Lintner of The Courier-Journal, trainer John Terranova is thrilled to have landed Borel as El Kabeir's Derby mount:

He may not be elite, but El Kabeir is no pushover with four career victories as well as a third-place finish at the Wood Memorial, in which he ran against some other Kentucky Derby horses.

If nothing else, luck could be on his side. Per Travis Webb of KATC, there is something about the No. 7 when it comes to Borel and the Kentucky Derby:

El Kabeir will break from the No. 7 spot Saturday, which means Borel won't have far to go in order to get to his desired spot. He is known by many as Calvin "Bo-rail" since he loves to get to the inside, which is a strategy that has worked quite well for him over the years.

While El Kabeir is a definite long shot, Borel's Churchill Downs excellence could mold him into a threat.

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