Kentucky Derby 2020 Odds: Post-Positions Info and Vegas Lines for All Horses

The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby figures to be one unlike any other, but one thing will remain unchanged: It will be one of the biggest days on the race betting calendar. 

Because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the race has been rescheduled from its traditional date in May to a September date. It also means that the Derby will serve as the second leg of the Triple Crown with the Belmont already in the rearview. 

The New York race served to establish the odds-on favorite at Churchill Downs in Tiz the Law. The colt smashed the field at the Belmont by 3 3/4 lengths and moved to a perfect 4-for-4 as a three-year-old. 

He'll see a much different field in the Derby, and although it has been hit with some scratches throughout the week, it will be much bigger than the 10-horse field he beat in New York. 

Here's a look at the morning line odds and post positions as we head toward the race. 

2020 Kentucky Derby Post Positions 

(Morning line odds via Twin Spires)

1. Finnick the Fierce (Scratched)
2. Max Player (30-1)
3. Enforceable (30-1)
4. Storm the Court (50-1)
5. Major Fed (50-1)
6. King Guillermo (Scratched)
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)

Predictions

Tiz the Law to Win

This is a boring pick, but sometimes boring is profitable. Tiz the Law isn't just the favorite, he's the biggest favorite since 1989 and has the potential to have the line move even further in his direction by post time. 

With the Belmont shortened this year because of the lack of prep races, the Derby is the longest race he'll see this year. He's already proved the 1¼-mile distance shouldn't be a big deal. He won the Travers Stakes at the same distance just under a month ago. 

One of the lone drawbacks to the Barclay Tagg-trained horse is his post position of 17. The gate has never produced a winner in the Derby, but given the new starting gate the race will employ and the dwindling field, it's hard to be too concerned about that. 

Short of a poor trip from his jockey or some other unforeseen circumstances, it's hard to envision him getting beat. He's already proved he's good for the distance, and his speed figures are better than anyone else in the field. 

He's simply the best horse in the Derby and a solid bet to win. 

Honor A. P. is the Best of the Rest

The outside horses are the three to keep an eye on. All three of the best horses, according to the lines, are going to be starting on the outside. 

If anyone is going to give Tiz the Law trouble, it should be Honor A. P. Authentic is getting love from the oddsmakers at 8-1, but we've had an opportunity to see these two go head-to-head in the past.

Honor A. P. edged out Authentic in the Santa Anita Derby, which was the longest race of the year for both horses at 1⅛ miles. 

Honor A. P. followed up that performance with a disappointing second-place in the Shared Belief, but trainer John Shirreff's explained they weren't necessarily focused on the race that week. 

"Going into the Shared Belief, we were working on other things than cranking him up for the race," the trainer said, per Paulick Report. "We were working on his attitude a little bit, trying to get him to behave a little bit better. He was starting to feel really good, and he was starting to be a little difficult to handle. So we wanted to do everything we could to quiet him, calm him down, get him to relax, and not crank him up and get him stressing."

This is the biggest race of Honor A. P.'s career. It's unlikely they'll be holding him back the same way they did at Del Mar, and he's a strong, fast horse when he's at his best. 

Expect him to be the best of the rest at the finish line. 

Thousand Words or Max Player to Show

This field is short on middle-of-the-road odds. Once you get past the top three, the board goes to 30-1 pretty fast. The only value in the middle of the pack lies with Thousand Words, while Max Player might be the best longshot to play. 

Thousand Words has been extremely inconsistent, but he has two things going for him: One, he's already beaten one of the favorites in this field—he beat Honor A. P. in the Shared Belief. The second thing is that he's a Bob Baffert-trained horse. 

Baffert has been highly successful in the Derby. He won it with Justify in 2018, trained the fourth- and fifth-place winners last year and won in 2015 with American Pharoah. 

Max Player is the longshot to watch thanks to his closing speed down the stretch. If he can stay near the pack in the early parts of the race and avoid the pitfalls of being closest to the rail from the gate he showed at the Travers Stakes, he has the ability to finish strong. 

He lost to Tiz the Law in that race and the Belmont, so he isn't likely to hit big as a winner, but it shouldn't be shocking if he repeats his third-place performance from the first leg of the Triple Crown.