Kentucky Derby post positions 2022: Epicenter, Zandon get favorable draws

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 04: Epicenter during the morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 04: Epicenter during the morning training for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 04, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Three horses earned excellent draws ahead of the Kentucky Derby after pole positions were drawn.

Before donning the most oversized hat and pouring a mint julep to sit down and watch the 148th Kentucky Derby, it’s important to know which horses saw favorable position draws for Saturday’s big race.

What makes a strong position? That result can depend on the track, and at the Kentucky Derby, since 1930, the two posts with the most wins are the No. 5 post with 10 victories and the No. 10 post with nine.

Last year saw the No. 7 post win when Mandaloun won, giving that position its eighth victory. Always Dreaming was the last No. 5 post to win in 2017, and the last No.10 post was Giacomo in 2005.

Kentucky Derby 2022 post positions

On Monday, the 20 horses competing find out where they will line up for the race as No. 3 Epicenter and No. 10 Zandon claimed two strong positions. That  No. 7 post is also an excellent place to be, so Crown Pride would be the third horse that should be happy with their draw.

The No.3 post has seen five victories, six-second places, and eight third places since 1930. Real Quiet was the last to win in 1998, and Golden Soul finished runner up in 2013.

While it hasn’t seen a winner in over 20 years, Epicenter is highly favorable and a horse that has a lot of momentum coming into the Derby.

Zandon is also highly favorable, and with them running out of the No. 10 post, it’s safe to say he won the draw on Monday.

1: Mo Donegal

2: Happy Jack

3: Epicenter

4: Summer Is Tomorrow

5: Smile Happy

6: Messier

7: Crown Pride

8: Charge It

9: Tiz The Bomb

10: Zandon

11: Pioneer of Medina

12: Taiba

13: Simplification

14: Barber Road

15: White Abarrio

16: Cyberknife

17: Classic Causeway

18: Tawny Port

19: Zozos

20: Ethereal Road

For Kentucky Derby, avoiding being right against the wall is the way to go, while the higher post numbers tend to have a lot of ground to cover, so they aren’t as likely to win.

In the 16-20th posts, there have only been eight winners since 1930.

Being right in the middle seems to be the sweet spot, so drawing No.5 to No.10 usually is when owners will get excited.

dark. Next. When is the Kentucky Derby 2022: Everything you need to know for Triple Crown’s first leg

Anything could happen, but one of the biggest advantages can be where the horse starts, and ahead of the draft, those three are the ones who should feel confident.