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Kentucky Derby 2018: Horses, post position and jockey list

By Zoe West

Jockey Calvin Borel looks back as he rides Rachel Alexandra to victory in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924 and Borel has won two legs of this year's Triple Crown on two different horses. (Photo by George Bridges/MCT/MCT via Getty Images)
Jockey Calvin Borel looks back as he rides Rachel Alexandra to victory in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16, 2009, in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924 and Borel has won two legs of this year's Triple Crown on two different horses. (Photo by George Bridges/MCT/MCT via Getty Images) /
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The post position draw for the 144th Kentucky Derby took place on Tuesday, giving us the first real look at the final field.

The point accumulation qualifying system for the Kentucky Derby means that people who take the time and pay attention can keep up with that part. However, there can always be last minute changes, and not all the horses who qualify based off points will run. One example of that, just this year, was the horse Gronkowski. Though he was kind of purchased for, and definitely pointed towards, the Derby earlier in the year, an illness derailed his plans.

That said, the field, barring any unforeseen injuries, took its final shape on Tuesday. That was when, presumably in an office at Churchill Downs, the post positions for the race were drawn.

The final look of the field, listing horse and (jockey) is:

  1. Firenze Fire (Paco Lopez)
  2. Free Drop Billy (Robby Alberado)
  3. Promises Fulfilled (Corey Lanerie)
  4. Flameaway (Jose Lezcano)
  5. Audible (Javier Castellano)
  6. Good Magic (Jose Ortiz)
  7. Justify (Mike Smith)
  8. Lone Sailor (James Graham)
  9. Hofburg (Irad Ortiz Jr)
  10. My Boy Jack (Kent Desormeaux)
  11. Bolt d’Oro (Victor Espinoza)
  12. Enticed (Junior Alvarado)
  13. Bravazo (Luis Contreras)
  14. Mendelssohn (Ryan Moore)
  15. Instilled Regard (Drayden Van Dyke)
  16. Magnum Moon (Luis Saez)
  17. Solomini (Flavien Prat)
  18. Vino Rosso (John Velasquez)
  19. Noble Indy (Florent Geroux)
  20. Combatant (Ricardo Santana Jr)

The favorite for the race at this point is Justify, with odds of 3-1. Justify is trying to break a precedent that has held for over 100 years. You see, he never raced as a two-year-old. His first race was in February of this year. The last time a horse won the Derby without racing as a two-year-old was a long time ago. A very long time ago. It was all the way back in 1882 when a horse named Apollo won without racing at two. Since then, a fairly significant number of horses have entered the Derby without racing at two, but none have won it. Both Justify and Magnum Moon (6-1 odds) will try to break the so-called Apollo curse this year.

Next: 20 short stories about the 2018 Kentucky Derby horses

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