The 2023 Kentucky Derby revealed the post positions for its 149th edition set to take place on Saturday, May 6. The race will be held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Post positions play an integral role in determining the outcome of the race. What are post positions, and which spots have produced the most winners at the Kentucky Derby?
What are post positions at the Kentucky Derby?
Post Positions and Morning Line Odds for the Kentucky Derby pic.twitter.com/O6VZbjD5QV
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 1, 2023
The post position is the location of the horse at the starting gate. The horse that starts closest to the rail is in the No. 1 post position. The higher the number, the further away the horse is from the inside rail.
Post position matters because it will affect how the jockey guides a horse through a race. The shortest distance on any track is on the rail. However, drawing the No. 1 post position makes the horse susceptible to getting cut off and boxed out by faster horses. If the horse is too far off the rail, it will need to run a longer distance.
The sweet spot tends to be in the middle, where horses can be close enough to the rail, but far enough away to make a move and not get cut off.
Barring any scratches, 20 horses are scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby.
The 2023 Kentucky Derby post positions have been announced. Forte (+325), the favorite at BetOnline, drew post position No. 15. The last horse to win in No. 15 was 2020’s Authentic.
Kentucky Derby 2023: Which Post Positions Have Produced The Most Winners?
The Post Positions are set! Join us LIVE as the Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses hit the track at @ChurchillDowns. https://t.co/IeQ3jzDWVS
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 2, 2023
Which post positions have produced the most winners?
The No. 5 post position at the Kentucky Derby has produced the most winners with 10, the most recent victory coming from Always Dreaming in 2017.
No. 10 has garnered the second-most wins with 9. However, it’s been almost two decades since the victory by 2005’s Giacomo, the last horse to win coming out of Gate No. 10 won. Gates No. 1, No. 7, and No. 8 have all produced eight winners.
Last year’s winner, Rich Strike, won coming out of post position No. 20, the second time a horse won from that spot.
Check out the chart below for the history of post positions at the Kentucky Derby.
| Post | Most Recent Winner | Starts | Wins | Win % | In-The-Money Finishes | ITM % | 2022 Result |
| 1 | Ferdinand (1986) | 93 | 8 | 8.60% | 18 | 19.40% | Mo Donegal, 5th place |
| 2 | Affirmed (1978) | 93 | 7 | 7.50% | 25 | 26.90% | Happy Jack, 14th place |
| 3 | Real Quiet (1998) | 93 | 5 | 5.40% | 20 | 21.50% | Epicenter, 2nd place |
| 4 | Super Saver (2010) | 93 | 5 | 5.40% | 15 | 16.10% | Summer Is Tomorrow, 20th place |
| 5 | Always Dreaming (2017) | 93 | 10 | 10.80% | 22 | 23.70% | Smile Happy, 8th place |
| 6 | Sea Hero (1993) | 93 | 2 | 2.20% | 13 | 14.00% | Messier, 15th place |
| 7 | Mandaloun (2021) | 92 | 8 | 8.70% | 20 | 21.70% | Crown Pride, 13th place |
| 8 | Mine that Bird (2009) | 92 | 8 | 8.70% | 18 | 19.60% | Charge It, 17th place |
| 9 | Riva Ridge (1972) | 89 | 4 | 4.50% | 18 | 20.20% | Tiz the Bomb, 9th place |
| 10 | Giacomo (2005) | 86 | 9 | 10.50% | 25 | 29.10% | Zandon, 3rd place |
| 11 | Winning Colors (1988) | 82 | 2 | 2.40% | 12 | 14.60% | Pioneer of Medina, 19th place |
| 12 | Canonero II (1971) | 78 | 3 | 3.80% | 9 | 11.50% | Taiba, 12th place |
| 13 | Nyquist (2016) | 76 | 5 | 6.60% | 17 | 22.40% | Simplification, 4th place |
| 14 | Carry Back (1961) | 66 | 2 | 3.00% | 14 | 21.20% | Barber Road, 6th place |
| 15 | Authentic (2020) | 61 | 6 | 9.80% | 9 | 14.80% | White Abarrio, 16th place |
| 16 | Animal Kingdom (2011) | 50 | 4 | 8.00% | 10 | 20.00% | Cyberknife, 18th place |
| 17 | N/A | 43 | 0 | 0.00% | 3 | 7.00% | Classic Causeway, 11th place |
| 18 | Country House (2019) | 35 | 2 | 5.70% | 6 | 17.10% | Tawny Port, 7th place |
| 19 | I’ll Have Another (2012) | 30 | 1 | 3.30% | 2 | 6.70% | Zozos, 10th place |
| 20 | Rich Strike (2022) | 18 | 2 | 11.10% | 3 | 16.70% | Rich Strike, 1st place |
Kentucky Derby Betting Guides 2024
- Horse Racing Betting Guide – Discover Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in USA Ranked & Reviewed.
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