![Dornoch, Fierceness join top 10 in world racehorse rankings Dornoch, Fierceness join top 10 in world racehorse rankings](https://image-uploader.horseracingnation.com/resized/615x615/Fierceness_2024_Jim_Dandy_615x400_2.jpg)
Go out and buy those mint leaves now. It’s just about time for the Kentucky Derby.
It’s that time of the year again when horse racing gallops into the national spotlight of the sports world as all eyes will turn to Churchill Downs. The iconic race, which will be having its 150th running, is only a week away.
But before fans can start getting their bets lined up, they have to know which horses are going to be in the running — and where. The post positions were announced Saturday during the gate draw, as well as opening odds for each of the horses.
How will the horses line up for the The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports? Here’s what you need to know about the sesquicentennial edition of the Kentucky Derby.
The draw for the Kentucky Derby was held Saturday, April 27.
Here is where each horse will be starting, including odds for each horse to win the race.
Post Position | Horse | Odds |
1 | Dornoch | 20-1 |
2 | Sierra Leone | 3-1 |
3 | Mystik Dan | 20-1 |
4 | Catching Freedom | 8-1 |
5 | Catalytic | 30-1 |
6 | Just Steel | 20-1 |
7 | Honor Marie | 20-1 |
8 | Just a Touch | 10-1 |
9 | T O Password | 30-1 |
10 | Forever Young | 10-1 |
11 | Track Phantom | 20-1 |
12 | West Saratoga | 50-1 |
13 | Endlessly | 30-1 |
14 | Domestic Product | 30-1 |
15 | Grand Mo the First | 50-1 |
16 | Fierceness | 5-2 |
17 | Stronghold | 20-1 |
18 | Resilience | 20-1 |
19 | Society Man | 50-1 |
20 | Epic Ride | 30-1 |
There is no right answer for the best pole position. The locations have different advantages and disadvantages based on the horses and the races.
Horses have a shorter path to the finish with the lower post numbers, but the fence and all other horses give less room to maneuver on the inside. Higher numbers get out of the gate faster and have more space on the outside, but have longer races to run.
For the most part, the lower numbers have been the best. The most winners have come from the No. 5 gate, nine have come from No. 10 and No. 8, while eight have come each from No. 1 and No. 7. After the 10th gate, the only double digit with more than five wins is No. 15 at six.
Here is the history of how many winners came from at each post position since the starting game was opened in 1930:
Post Position | Kentucky Derby Winners |
1 | 8 |
2 | 7 |
3 | 5 |
4 | 5 |
5 | 10 |
6 | 2 |
7 | 8 |
8 | 9 |
9 | 4 |
10 | 9 |
11 | 2 |
12 | 3 |
13 | 5 |
14 | 2 |
15 | 6 |
16 | 4 |
17 | 0 |
18 | 2 |
19 | 1 |
20 | 2 |
In 2022, Rich Strike made history as the second horse to win coming out of the No. 20 gate. Big Brown, back in 2008, was the first to accomplish the feat.
The only gate to have never produced a winner is No. 17. The No. 19 gate is the only one with just a single winner, which happened back in 2012 with I’ll Have Another taking the derby.
Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1930.