- A post position in horse racing is where a horse lines up at the starting gate.
- Where a horse lands at the gate can make a difference in where they finish.
- Kentucky Derby favorite Journalism starts from the No.8 gate out of 20 horses.
It’s Kentucky Derby week, and everyone is getting excited about the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Horse Racing”. Churchill Downs will be home to a thrilling week of horse racing, kicking off with the Kentucky Oaks for the fillies on Friday, then the Derby on Saturday.
The post positions were drawn on Tuesday, April 29, and they definitely affect the outcome of many races.
Journalism Takes No.8 Post Position, Sovereignty, and Sandman Start at End of Gate
The post-position draw took place at Churchill Downs yesterday, and here is how it shook out:
The favorite at horse betting sites is Journalism, which is coming off a win at the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. The Curlin-sired horse will start from the No.8 post on the starting gate, right in the thick of the action.
The next two horses in the odds are Sovereignty and Sandman, and they’ll start out at gate Nos. 18 and 17, respectively. Luxor Café and Burnham Squares will start at Nos. 7 and 9, respectively, meaning they’ll flank Journalism coming out of the gate.
Why Does Post Position Matter?
The post position doesn’t guarantee a winner, but it can help you make your picks. Post-position stats show that the winner has come from post No.5 a total of ten times, which is the most in Kentucky Derby history. Next are post Nos. 8 and 10 with nine times each, followed by Nos. 1 and 7 at eight times each.
Sandman is in a tough spot as he’ll start from the No.17 post position. 45 horses have started from that spot, and none have won yet. It is the only post position that hasn’t had a winner at the Kentucky Derby. Sovereignty is aiming to become the third horse in Kentucky Derby history to win from the No.18 position.
Why is this important? It’s because horses are battling to get to the rail, which is the preferred path around the track at Churchill Downs. If a horse is starting further down the gate, they have to cut across the group to get to the rail, which means they need to explode out of the gate.
That’s something you should keep an eye on as you’re sitting down to watch the race and make your Kentucky Derby predictions on Saturday.
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