Kentucky Derby 2018 Post Positions: Triple Crown Odds and Predictions for Field
Twenty Triple Crown hopefuls will line up in the starting gate for Saturday's Kentucky Derby with the opportunity to etch their names in history.
When the race at Churchill Downs concludes, one horse will move into the winner's circle and set up the chance to join the illustrious group of Triple Crown champions.
Justify is the primary horse to watch as he tries to replicate American Pharoah's 2015 march to the Triple Crown under the direction of trainer Bob Baffert.
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European-bred Mendelssohn is another contender in the field, and he could become the first European winner of the Derby.
In the last five years, the favored horse came out on top, but that streak could end with plenty of talented three-year-old horses in the running.
Post Positions and Odds (via OddsShark)
1. Firenze Fire (+6,600)
2. Free Drop Billy (+3,500)
3. Promises Fulfilled (+5,000)
4. Flameaway (+4,500)
5. Audible (+650)
6. Good Magic (+800)
7. Justify (+350)
8. Lone Sailor (+5,000)
9. Hofburg (+1,500)
10. My Boy Jack (+1,800)
11. Bolt d'Oro (+850)
12. Enticed (+2,500)
13. Bravazo (+6,000)
14. Mendelssohn (+350)
15. Instilled Regard (+6,000)
16. Magnum Moon (+750)
17. Solomini (+2,200)
18. Vino Rosso (+1,200)
19. Noble Indy (+3,000)
20. Combatant (+6,600)
Predictions
1. Justify
2. Bolt d'Oro
3. Audible
4. Vino Rosso
5. Noble Indy
6. Mendelssohn
7. Hofburg
8. Enticed
9. Magnum Moon
10. Good Magic
11. Free Drop Billy
12. My Boy Jack
13. Combatant
14. Lone Sailor
15. Promises Fulfilled
16. Firenze Fire
17. Flameaway
18. Solomini
19. Instilled Regard
20. Bravazo
Most Of The Favorites Finish In Front of Field
Although plenty of attention has been on Justify in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby, he is far from the lone horse you should watch once the gates drop Saturday.
Mendelssohn, Audible, Magnum Moon, Good Magic and Bolt d'Oro have legitimate chances to come out on top, which could lead to a tremendous finish.
Audible, Good Magic and Justify are lumped together on the starting grid in posts No. 5-7, while Bolt d'Oro is in the more central post No. 11.
Mendelssohn and Magnum Moon will join the pack from the outside, as they start from posts No. 14 and No. 16, respectively.
While each of the six horses come into the Kentucky Derby with a strong track record, only Justify and Bolt d'Oro went head-to-head prior to the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Mendelssohn competed overseas at the UAE Derby and Patton Stakes, Audible won the Florida Derby, Magnum Moon took the top spot at the Arkansas Derby and Good Magic topped the Blue Grass Stakes.
Picking all of the horses with the best odds to finish in the top six is bold since so much can happen in the final part of a major race like the Kentucky Derby.
Expect the favored racers of the group to separate themselves, while a few should fade back into the pack after losing their shot to claim first place.
Don't Be Surprised By Presence of Pace-Makers, Dark Horses
There's a decent chance some part of the top 10 is going to make you rethink how you wagered on the race.
With 20 horses jockeying for position, one or two are bound to end up in a higher place than expected because they either remained in front after setting the pace or made a late surge in open space on the outside.
Vino Rosso and Noble Indy are two intriguing horses to watch from the outside starting gates, They might try to set the pace for Magnum Moon and Audible, as all four horses are trained by Todd Pletcher.
The other side of the post draw features a handful of racers eager to get out in front despite facing long odds.
Don't be alarmed if Promises Fulfilled, Flameaway or another horse beginning on the inside leads after a quarter- or half-mile, as most of the true contenders wait until the halfway point to make their championship surges.
It's not a terrible idea to take a flyer on one of these horses if you're betting a trifecta or superfecta because there's an outside chance they could finish in the top three or four.
There's always the slim possibility that one of the underdogs even wins the race, but those horses are huge betting outsiders for a reason.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
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