Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Get ready thoroughbred horse racing fans, the storied Kentucky Derby is back and it’s just a few days away, which means there’s a new chance for a potential Triple Crown winner.
In preparation for the greatest two minutes in sports, the post position draw was held on Monday, revealing which horses should be considered as the favorites to win.
The 148th annual Run for the Roses will be held at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday, May 7 with a post time of 6:57 p.m ET. Fans not in attendance can catch the action live on NBC or stream it on NBCSports.com.
Coming into Derby 148, the Chad Brown-trained Zandon is the favorite in this year’s field of 20 with 3-1 odds. Rounding out the top 3 is Epicenter (7-2) and Messier (8-1).
All horses will race down the 1¼ mile track to compete for the $3 million purse and the first win needed in the trio of races to secure the next Triple Crown.
Here’s a look at the post positions and the latest odds for the Derby.
Kentucky Derby 2021 Post Positions and Odds
1. Mo Donegal (10-1)
2. Happy Jack (30-1)
3. Epicenter (7-2)
4. Summer Is Tomorrow (30-1)
5. Smile Happy (20-1)
6. Messier (8-1)
7. Crown Pride (20-1)
8. Charge It (20-1)
9. Tiz The Bomb (30-1)
10. Zandon (3-1)
11. Pioneer Of Medina (30-1)
12. Taiba (12-1)
13. Simplification (20-1)
14. Barber Road (30-1)
15. White Abarrio (10-1)
16. Cyberknife (20-1)
17. Classic Causeway (30-1)
18. Tawny Port (30-1)
19. Zozos (20-1)
20. Ethereal Road (30-1)
Odds via KentuckyDerby.com as of May 3.
Pre-racing buzz is important for any big race, but it’s especially crucial for the Kentucky Derby.
After the post position draw, all of the focus is on favorite Zandon, who has a No. 10 post position and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.
Prat won the Derby back in 2019 while riding Country House.
Zandon won the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland last month and had an impressive workout this past Friday at Churchill Downs, so trainer Chad Brown is optimistic.
“He had a fabulous work Friday, and he’s been so impressive just galloping these two weeks here,” Brown told Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier Journal. “Everyone’s on it.”
Unlike last year with Essential Quality, there is no true favorite in this race, which can be a good thing.
A truly competitive field only makes things more exciting for the fans and, of course, the bettors.
One widely known name that will be missing from the conversation this year is trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Derby six times.
Baffert was suspended when last year’s winner Medina Spirit was stripped of its title after testing positive for the banned substance betamethasone .
Not surprisingly, Messier, who drew the No. 6 post and is the third favorite to win, is a former Baffert horse.
Now trained by Tim Yakteen, Messier came in second at the Santa Anita Derby last month, behind Taiba, which is another former Baffert colt that will run the Derby.
Messier trained in California most of last month before heading to Louisville.
“I feel he came out of the Santa Anita Derby in great shape,” part owner Tom Ryan told Joey Kenward of SportsNet. “His appetite has been great. His energy and attitude have been great. Everything is clicking at the moment … which gives you confidence that we’re going there with the right horse and that we’re legitimate.
“We have a Grade 1 horse that, in my personal opinion, I would not choose to swap for anybody else in the race. We definitely haven’t seen the best of this horse yet. I think there’s bigger and better things to come.”
As for the second-ranked Epicenter, who will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, the Steve Asmussen colt drew the inside post, but the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Famer isn’t worried.
“I’ll be surprised if he gets beat,” Asmussen told Frakes. “The rest I have nothing to do with.
“Joel’s very confident in the rhythm of the horse. If he’s away cleanly, Joel will let him be who he is and I think he’ll stay on beautifully. … I’ve always said about post positions: ‘You don’t know to complain about them until after the race is run.’”
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.