Kentucky Derby 2018: Post Time, TV Schedule, Post Positions Info

There is nothing quite like the Kentucky Derby, and the 144th edition is set to be as enthralling as always.

Once again, the venue will be Churchill Downs, Louisville, and the 10-furlong contest will be fast and furious.

The Bob Baffert-trained Justify is the lead contender to prevail in this year's Run for the Roses, but it is far from a foregone conclusion.

Post positions can often be vital—famously no horse has ever won from Gate 17—and they are set to be drawn on Tuesday.

Here are the all the crucial details for the first leg of the Triple Crown:

Date: Saturday, May 5

Post Time: 6:34 p.m. ET

TV Info: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports

Kentucky Derby Contenders (odds courtesy of OddsShark) 

Justify +300

Mendelssohn +400

Audible +650

Magnum Moon +800

Bolt d’Oro +900

Good Magic +1100

Vino Rosso +1600

Hofburg +1800

Noble Indy +2000

Solomini +2200

My Boy Jack +2500

Enticed +2500

Promises Fulfilled +3300

Free Drop Billy +3300

Flameaway +3300

Restoring Hope +4000

Firenze Fire +4000

Lone Sailor +4000

Quip +4000

Combatant +4000

Reride +5000

Snapper Sinclair +5000

Bravazo +5000

Dream Baby Dream +6600

Post positions in the Derby should not make a huge amount of difference. 

They are drawn completely at random, and the 20 horses competing are all released simultaneously and should have an equal chance of winning.

But a bad draw could end even a hot favourite's chances before the gates open.

Ahead of last year's race, Christina Moore of America's Best Racing did some number crunching and discovered that the "conventional wisdom" that somewhere between post No. 5 and No. 15 is best may not be accurate.

She found that the trend in recent years was for winners to come, more regularly, from outside posts, pointing to 2016 champion Nyquist (Gate 13), 2015's winner American Pharoah (Gate 15), I'll Have Another (Gate 19, 2012), Animal Kingdom (Gate 16, 2011) and Big Brown (Gate 20, 2008) to back up her claim.

However, Always Dreaming then went and won the 2017 Kentucky Derby from Gate 5.

Perhaps a more intriguing trend to consider is the fact that when John Velazquez rode Always Dreaming to glory last year, he became the fifth jockey in a row to steer the favourite to victory.

In the last half a decade, the bookies have got it right when it comes to winners in the Kentucky Derby, which means Justify could well be the one to watch, even if he is drawn in the dreaded Gate 17.