Kentucky Derby 2016 Post Positions: Draw Start Time, Horses Lineup and More

The 2016 Kentucky Derby's post positions draw is Wednesday, which will provide a clearer forecast on what to expect from the contenders for the 142nd Run for the Roses.

According to KentuckyDerby.com, Wednesday's event will start at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

No matter where the horses break from the starting gates at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, this coming Saturday, there's little question Nyquist will be considered the prohibitive favorite to win.

Nyquist has won all seven of his career races. Unless he's pinned against the rail after Wednesday's draw reveal, his status as the colt to beat shouldn't change. OddsShark.com currently lists him at 10-3 to win—far better than the 8-1 odds of co-second favorites Mohaymen and Exaggerator.

Below is a look at the complete lineup of probables expected to be in action for Saturday's Triple Crown opener, followed by a general Kentucky Derby preview.

Standing	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Points
1	Gun Runner	Steven M. Asmussen	Florent Geroux	151
2	Nyquist	Doug F. O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	130
3	Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	126
4	Outwork	Todd A. Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	120
5	Brody's Cause	Dale L. Romans	Luis Saez	114
6	Creator	Steven M. Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	110
7	Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	N/A	100
8	Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	84
9	Mohaymen	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Junior Alvarado	80
10	Danzing Candy	Clifford W. Sise Jr.	Mike E. Smith	60
11	Destin	Todd A. Pletcher	Javier Castellano	51
12	Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie K. Von Hemel	Luis Quinonez	50
13	Oscar Nominated	Michael J. Maker	Robby Albarado	50
14	Shagaf	Chad C. Brown	Irad Ortiz Jr.	50
15	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	Victor Espinoza	44
16	Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	Brian Hernandez Jr.	44
17	My Man Sam	Chad C. Brown	Julien R. Leparoux	40
18	Majesto	Gustavo Delgado	Javier Castellano	40
19	Trojan Nation	Patrick Gallagher	Aaron T. Gryder	40
20	Mo Tom	Thomas M. Amoss	Corey J. Lanerie	32

2016 Kentucky Derby Preview

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Nyquist has never lost, and it would be an inopportune time to buck that trend in "the most exciting two minutes in sports."

The presumptive favorite's trainer, Doug O'Neill, provided an update on Nyquist's status following his stellar workout on Sunday, per BloodHorse.com's Evan Hammonds:

"

(Jockey) Mario Gutierrez flew in to ride him and he was smiling ear to ear after the work and was happy with how he felt and the energy he displayed. He (Nyquist) barely drank any water when he came back to the barn and cooled out super quickly, and that showed to us he was fit and ready to run.

"

All indications are Nyquist is poised to hold onto his designation as the top threat to take the opening leg of the Triple Crown, but the Kentucky Derby field isn't bereft of formidable competition.

Mohaymen was undefeated until a fourth-place finish at the Florida Derby, which Nyquist won. The former has a pedigree featuring Triple Crown champions Secretariat and Seattle Slew in his distant lineage—and Mohaymen has lived up to that history to a large degree with five straight wins before his last outing.

A dominant triumph at the Santa Anita Derby lends credibility to Exaggerator as one of the top contenders, as he pulled away from a class field on a sloppy dirt track beset by severe rain.

But Gun Runner is a sound 10-1 bet, and Brody's Cause is a relative bargain at 12-1 as well. Gun Runner has a fourth-place showing at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes from November 2015 on his resume, followed by Grade 2 wins at the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby.

With perhaps an even more impressive prior record, Brody's Cause found the winner's circle at the Blue Grass Stakes and has another Grade 1 win to his credit at the Breeders Futurity. He also placed third at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, which Nyquist won in October.

Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form was more impressed with Brody's Cause than Exaggerator from what he witnessed in workouts:

Whether bettors like rolling with the clear-cut favorite in Nyquist, a horse riding his very best form to date entering Churchill Downs in Exaggerator, a pedigree darling in Mohaymen or a flat-out proven victor in Brody's Cause, there's no shortage of intriguing, dynamic horses in this year's Kentucky Derby field.

How the post position draw goes will likely determine how the next four horses after Nyquist will be separated. It stands to reason a considerable reshuffling of the quartet will occur, with others having the chance to creep into the top-three conversation as well.

Note: Stats and race history courtesy of HorseRacingNation.com.