Kentucky Derby Entries 2016: Post Positions, Odds for All Horses in the Field

Heading into Wednesday's post draw, Nyquist was the runaway favorite for the 2016 Kentucky Derby. After earning the No. 13 post, not all that much has changed.

Nyquist will be the heavy favorite for Saturday's Run for the Roses, coming in at 3-1 following the post draw. Exaggerator comes in as the second favorite at 8-1, followed by a trio of horses at 10-1.

Post No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Morning-Line Odds
1	Trojan Nation	Patrick Gallagher	Aaron T. Gryder	50-1
2	Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie K. Von Hemel	Luis Quinonez	20-1
3	Creator	Steven M. Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	10-1
4	Mo Tom	Thomas M. Amoss	Corey J. Lanerie	20-1
5	Gun Runner	Steven M. Asmussen	Florent Geroux	10-1
6	My Man Sam	Chad C. Brown	Irad Ortiz Jr.	20-1
7	Oscar Nominated	Michael J. Maker	Julien R. Leparoux	50-1
8	Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	Yutaka Take	30-1
9	Destin	Todd A. Pletcher	Javier Castellano	15-1
10	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	Victor Espinoza	20-1
11	Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	8-1
12	Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	Brian Hernandez Jr.	30-1
13	Nyquist	Doug F. O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	3-1
14	Mohaymen	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Junior Alvarado	10-1
15	Outwork	Todd A. Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	15-1
16	Shagaf	Chad C. Brown	Joel Rosario	20-1
17	Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	12-1
18	Majesto	Gustavo Delgado	Javier Castellano	30-1
19	Brody's Cause	Dale L. Romans	Luis Saez	12-1
20	Danzing Candy	Clifford W. Sise Jr.	Mike E. Smith	15-1

Two of the last three years, the Derby has been won by the horse in the No. 15 post. American Pharoah started his Triple Crown run from that spot, and Orb came through in 2013. Four of the last five winners were double-digit posts, which may be a product of there being less crowding on the outside.

After a half-decade run of non-favorites capturing the year's first Triple Crown race, each of the last two have been taken by the morning line favorite. That's good news for Nyquist, who comes into the race undefeated in seven tries.

The Doug O'Neill-trained colt has set a blistering pace on his way to winning the Florida Derby and San Vicente Stakes this year. Already pegged as a strong contender last year after winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last year, his triumphs over Exaggerator and Mohaymen earlier this year only cemented his case. 

"What makes Kobe Bryant so much better than everyone else is he brings it to every practice, every workout," O'Neill said, per John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times. "He would persevere throughout. Nyquist has days when he doesn't feel like training, but he brings it. He's got a great work ethic. He's competitive to the highest quality."

In an interesting twist, Nyquist's owners are using some off-the-wall motivational tactics to get their horse in a championship mood. The Stanley Cup trophy will be in Nyquist's stable before the race. While there's roughly a 200 percent chance Nyquist has no idea what significance that trophy brings, everyone involved seems to think it's a good idea. 

“How cool is that?” O'Neill said, per Cherwa. “The human Nyquist won’t get to skate around with the Cup this year, but the equine Nyquist gets two white-gloved guards bringing him the Cup to drink from. Life is good.”

Making the event all the more interesting is how Nyquist will be lining up. He's right next to Mohaymen, who was undefeated in six races before a disappointing fourth-place finish at the Florida Derby. Mohaymen, to some, was the early favorite, and his team seems to feel it's a little unfair he's dropped back into dark-horse status.

“(Mohaymen) has had a bad 1:49 his whole life,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, per Tim Wilkin of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s it. He has never missed a day of training. He is a great mover. And he will run in the afternoon.”

Mohaymen also has quite the pedigree going in his favor. He's in the same bloodline as Seattle Slew and Secretariat, two of the most decorated horses in the sport's history. 

"This horse is the best chance we ever had on all figures," McLaughlin said, per David Grening of Daily Racing Forum. "He's just different, and he's so classy. He does everything right and is very sound and great mentally."

Still, two spots away from Nyquist is the horse oddsmakers think has the best chance. Exaggerator came in second at the San Vicente Stakes and was trending downward a bit before turning in an excellent performance en route to a win at the Santa Anita Derby. He won the race by 6 1/4 lengths on a sloppy track, putting himself firmly back in the Derby chase.

For now, though, the entire field is looking up at Nyquist. His 3-1 odds are right on par with the likes of California Chrome and American Pharoah, so all eyes will be on him as we try to see if a Triple Crown can happen for a second straight year.