Kentucky Derby 2019 Post Positions: Field Info, Horses Odds and Predictions

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The 145th edition of the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 6:50 p.m. at Churchill Downs, and this year's race is wide-open.

The early betting favorite, Omaha Beach, was scratched from the race on Wednesday evening because of a trapped epiglottis:

The three-year-old male was favored at 4-1 and was coming off three consecutive wins, including victories at the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby after transitioning from turf to dirt.

Game Winner, one of three horses trained by Bob Baffert in this year's Kentucky Derby, is now the favorite, with his odds having improved to 4-1.

Baffert, who trained the past two Triple Crown winners in American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018), is looking to join trainer Ben Smith for the most Kentucky Derby victories with six.

His other horses, Improbable and Roadster, are also among those with the best odds at 5-1 and 9-2, respectively.

Here is how the field looks for this year's Run for the Roses.

Odds and Post Positions

1. War of Will 20-1

2. Tax 20-1

3. By My Standards 20-1

4. Gray Magician 50-1

5. Improbable 5-1

6. Vekoma 20-1

7. Maximum Security 6-1

8. Tacitus 8-1

9. Plus Que Parfait 50-1

10. Cutting Humor 20-1

11. Haikal 30-1

12. Code of Honor 10-1

13. Win Win Win 14-1

14. Master Fencer 60-1

15. Game Winner 4-1

16. Roadster 9-2

17. Long Range Toddy 30-1

18. Spinoff 30-1

19. Country House 30-1

20. Bodexpress 40-1

Odds via Action Network.

Prediction

The Kentucky Derby has gone six consecutive years with the favorite winning the race, and this year Game Winner will be tasked with continuing that trend.

The colt has the pedigree; he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was named American Champion two-year-old Male last year.

His biggest challenge may be the weather, though.

Rain is in the forecast in Louisville for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which means there is a strong chance for a sloppy track and Game Winner is inexperienced on a wet track:

War of Will (20-1), By My Standards (20-1) and Plus Que Parfait (50-1), are the only contenders who have raced on a wet Churchill Downs track.

War of Will won his dirt debut with a five-length victory in the mud, while By My Standards and Plus Que Parfait both had second-placed finishes.

Plus Que Parfait is intriguing because he has mostly trained in Dubai, but that wet experience could be worth keeping in mind.

Tacitus (8-1), who has the most qualifying points, also has a win on a wet track (Aqueduct) and is in a favorable No. 8 post, which has produced the second-most winners in Kentucky Derby history (eight).

Maximum Security (6-1) is undefeated and has a wet-track win in a starter race at Gulfstream Park under his belt.

Baffert's only horse that did well on a wet track was Improbable, who finished second to Omaha Beach at the Arkansas Derby.

If the track is as wet as expected, then this could be the year the trend of the favorite winning ends. While it is tough to bet against a Baffert-trained horse, Tacitus will cross the finish line first to give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his first Derby win, while Improbable and Maximum Security finish second and third, respectively.