Kentucky Derby 2020 Contenders: Horses, Jockeys with Best Chance to Win

The 2020 Kentucky Derby will be a race unlike any in history, with no one knowing what to expect. All the pageantry and big hats and mint juleps will be gone, replaced by the eerie sound of silence in a Churchill Downs track without fans.

That said, all socially distanced eyes will be fixated on race favorite Tiz the Law. The Belmont winner dominated in his warmup race last month at the Traveler's Stakes and looks primed to make it two-for-two in Triple Crown races.

"He seems to terrorize the competition when he makes his move," trainer Barclay Tagg said. "Every race I've seen, even the first one, has been great. He came off that turn, and I thought 'They're going to run by him like he's standing still' and then I look again and he's three in front. It was the same way yesterday. I thought, 'Get into him, Manny [Franco]' and he just kept running, running, running."

Post Positions and Odds

1. Finnick the Fierce (50-1)
Jockey: Martin Garcia

2. Max Player (30-1)
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.

3. Enforceable (30-1)
Jockey: Adam Beschizza

4. Storm the Court (50-1)
Jockey: Julien Leparoux

5. Major Fed (50-1)
Jockey: James Graham

6. King Guillermo (scratched)

7. Money Moves (30-1)
Jockey: Javier Castellano

8. South Bend (50-1)
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

9. Mr. Big News (50-1)
Jockey: Gabriel Saez

10. Thousand Words (15-1)
Jockey: Florent Geroux

11. Necker Island (50-1)
Jockey: Miguel Mena

12. Sole Volante (30-1)
Jockey: Luca Panici

13. Attachment Rate (50-1)
Jockey: Joe Talamo

14. Winning Impression (50-1)
Jockey: Joe Rocco Jr.

15. Ny Traffic (20-1)
Jockey: Paco Lopez

16. Honor A. P. (5-1)
Jockey: Mike Smith

17. Tiz the Law (3-5)
Jockey: Manny Franco

18. Authentic (8-1)
Jockey: John Velazquez

Tiz the Law will start at the No. 17 post, which is historically considered unlucky. That post has never won a Kentucky Derby, carrying an ugly 0-41 record into Saturday. While there is something of an advantage to being on the inside and getting to the inside rail early, there is no actual No. 17 curse. Posts 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 have all taken home the race since 2008; winning from the outside is exceedingly possible, especially for a special horse like Tiz the Law.

A winner coming from the outside will be especially likely in 2020 because all three favorites are in the 16-18 positions. Honor A. P., coming in as a 5-1 second favorite, looks like a strong contender coming out of the No. 16 post. 

"You know, he is just so light on his feet," trainer John Shirreffs said, per Tim Wilkin of the Times Union. "He has a very big stride. I think he is really going to like the 1¼ miles. Just being around him and watching him run has been very special."

Authentic will come in on the outside with famed jockey John Velazquez looking to bring home his third Kentucky Derby win.