Kentucky Derby 2016 Odds: Post Positions Info and Vegas Lines for All Horses

Saturday marks the beginning of a new legendary pursuit at the Kentucky Derby.

A year removed from American Pharoah capturing the imagination of the globe, a favorite by the name of Nyquist and an underrated field take to the track for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Nobody should enter the first leg expecting another feat like last year. It's borderline impossible, not just because of the quick nature of three races, but because some trainers only target their contenders for the second or third leg.

But one can hope, right? Those in charge haven't held anything back with this field, so here's one last look at the post positions and odds before the gates open at 6:34 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

2016 Kentucky Derby Lineup

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Trojan Nation	Paddy Gallagher	Aaron T. Gryder	+4000
2	Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie Von Hemel	Luis S. Quinonez	+2200
3	Creator	Steven Asmussen	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	+2000
4	Mo Tom	Thomas Amoss	Corey J. Lanerie	+2500
5	Gun Runner	Steven Asmussen	Florent Geroux	+1000
6	My Man Sam	Chad Brown	Irad Ortiz Jr.	+2000
7	Oscar Nominated	Michael Maker	Julien Leparoux	+4000
8	Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	Yutaka Take	+3300
9	Destin	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	+1600
10	Whitmore	Ron Moquett	Victor Espinoza	+2500
11	Exaggerator	J. Keith Desormeaux	Kent J. Desormeaux	+650
12	Tom's Ready	Dallas Stewart	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	+4000
13	Nyquist	Doug O'Neill	Mario Gutierrez	+225
14	Mohaymen	Kiaran McLaughlin	Junior Alvarado	+1000
15	Outwork	Todd Pletcher	John R. Velazquez	+1800
16	Shagaf	Chad Brown	Joel Rosario	+5000
17	Mor Spirit	Bob Baffert	Gary L. Stevens	+1400
18	Majesto	Gustavo Delgado	Emisael Jaramillo	+4000
19	Brody's Cause	Dale Romans	Luis Saez	+1800
20	Danzing Candy	Clifford Sise Jr.	Mike E. Smith	+2500

Expected to Place: Exaggerator (+650)

Can experience win out?

It's a question Exaggerator and the Desormeaux brothers look to answer Saturday. Las Vegas seems to like the idea, which makes sense when one realizes Exaggerator enters the Derby off a win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and has four wins dating back to last summer.

There are a few losses to Nyquist in there, but the brothers seem to even the odds on a big stage. The jockey, Kent, has won this event three times, while brother and trainer Keith makes his big debut.

All involved have lived up to the hype so far, as Nicole Russo of Daily Racing Form pointed out:

Experience is a major factor in the Derby, as is versatility. Starting in the 11th post and letting a three-time winner decide whether to get involved in the sprint on the outside or kick inside puts Exaggerator at an advantage over most of the field.

It's an advantage bettors will want to lean on Saturday.

Risk Worth Taking: Mor Spirit (+1400)

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Most seemed to write off Mor Spirit after the draw, and the odds out of Las Vegas don't seem too kind. 

It's a window bettors might want to consider.

The problem is the winless 17th post. Mor Spirit also only has one Grade 1 victory on the resume (Los Alamitos Futurity in December) and has finished two races in a row as the runner-up behind Derby hopefuls Danzing Candy and Exaggerator.

But Bob Baffert and Gary Stevens could have the answer. Folks know all about the former, a legend whose most recent feat was training American Pharoah. As for the 53-year-old Stevens, he's a member of the Hall of Fame with more than 28,500 starts to his name.

As the Courier-Journal documented, the two seem to like their chances:

Bettors should, too.

If anything, Mor Spirit is one of the more experienced horses in the field. A 17th post means Stevens can keep the pace well ahead of the late-risers, perhaps allowing them to close late on a historic victory.

After last year, would it really be such a surprise?

The Favorite: Nyquist (+225)

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Nyquist has the toughest task of all Saturday.

While by far the favorite, the Doug O'Neill-trained colt has to deal with the expectations and comparisons to American Pharoah. Granted, this isn't as big a deal to a horse as it is to a trainer or jockey Mario Gutierrez, but it's something to keep in mind.

And it seems the globe has gone out of its way to knock Nyquist down a peg before the event, as Pia Catton and Jim Chairusmi of the Wall Street Journal explained:

"

Critics point to Nyquist’s bloodline to show he isn’t bred to run the 1 1/4 -mile Derby distance (his sire Uncle Mo never won a race further than 1 1/16 miles). Others say he isn’t fast enough because his highest Beyer speed figure (a metric used by handicappers to compare the speeds of different horses) was recorded in a sprint race. 

"

Yet here's Nyquist, a winner in all seven starts, four of those Grade 1 events and many Derby hopefuls left in the dust.

The 13th post doesn't hurt, either. Like Exaggerator, Gutierrez can decide how he wants to run the race once things develop, and he'll get to do so atop the best and winningest horse in the field.

Sometimes the favorite isn't a bad option. This would be one of those cases no matter how much folks want to compare Nyquist to past names. Saturday, the trio will look to forge the beginning of their own tale and the hype alongside it.

Stats and information via KentuckyDerby.com, unless otherwise specified. Odds via Odd Shark.