Kentucky Derby 2020 Horses: Odds and Post Positions for Contenders and Sleepers

Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law headlines the field for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Although Tiz the Law has enjoyed a dominant three-year-old season, including a runaway victory in August's Travers Stakes after winning the Belmont in June, the post position draw complicated his bid to win the Run for the Roses by placing his two closest rivals next to him in the starting gate.

Let's check out the complete look at the field and the morning-line odds after Tuesday's draw. That's followed by a closer look at a trio of horses worth watching when the Triple Crown slate resumes Saturday.

2020 Kentucky Derby Field

1. Finnick The Fierce (50-1)

2. Max Player (30-1)

3. Enforceable (30-1)

4. Storm the Court (50-1)

5. Major Fed (50-1)

6. King Guillermo (20-1)

7. Money Moves (30-1)

8. South Bend (50-1)

9. Mr. Big News (50-1)

10. Thousand Words (15-1)

11. Necker Island (50-1)

12. Sole Volante (30-1)

13. Attachment Rate (50-1)

14. Winning Impression (50-1)

15. Ny Traffic (20-1)

16. Honor A. P. (5-1)

17. Tiz the Law (3-5)

18. Authentic (8-1)

All odds via Vegas Insider

Horses to Watch

Favorite: Tiz the Law

Tiz the Law's only career defeat came at Churchill Downs last November when he finished third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He's been unstoppable ever since, winning all four of his races in 2020 by a combined 16.5 lengths, and now returns to Louisville seeking another trademark victory.

While he would be the Derby favorite regardless, the extended time off between races bolsters that status. What makes the Triple Crown difficult isn't necessarily the opponents but the schedule. Three races in five weeks is a challenge for horses who are lightly raced early in their careers.

The bottom line heading into Saturday is it's hard to see Tiz the Law losing if he's anywhere close to top form. He's the best horse in the field, and it'd take a truly off day to open the door for other horses.

Contender: Honor A. P.

Honor A. P. has finished no worse than second in five career starts. He's won twice, including a triumph in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in June. It would have been nice to see him take another step forward in the Shared Belief Stakes last month, but he finished behind Derby rival Thousand Words.

That said, it wasn't a poor performance but rather a breakout showing from Thousand Words that prevented him from reaching the winner's circle. Outside of Tiz the Law, no other Triple Crown horse has matched the combination of performance and consistency that Honor A. P. has so far in 2020.

The early pace among the three outsider starters will be crucial. It'll likely be a race to the rail because if either Honor A. P. or Authentic gets stuck outside amid the crowded pack, it could doom their chances. Tiz the Law has a little more leeway, but even he can't get stuck in the middle of the track too long.

Honor A. P. hasn't necessarily shown the elite top-end speed of the Tiz the Law, but he's best suited to emerge amid a slower pace if the Belmont winner falters.

Sleeper: Sole Volante

There are a lot of long shots in the field because of the dominant favorite. The question is whether any of them have a legitimate chance to pull off the upset.

Sole Volante was generating some buzz heading into the Belmont after two wins over his previous three starts that were sandwiched around a second-place showing in the Tampa Bay Derby. King Guillermo, another fringe Derby contender, won that race.

Unlike Tiz the Law, Sole Volante hasn't raced since the Belmont in June. The extra rest should benefit him after his disappointing sixth-place result in New York, and that gives him a chance to regain the form he'd shown during the Triple Crown run-up, especially in the Sam F. Davis Stakes in February.

He's the horse with the highest peak among those with odds of 30-1 or higher.