LOUISVILLE, Kentucky − Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby six times, but he could do something Saturday that even he’s never accomplished: Win the race from the dreaded No. 1 post position.
Citizen Bull, last year’s 2-year old champion, will try to win from a starting gate that no Derby winner has come from since Ferdinand in 1986. The inside post is considered difficult in this particular race due to the 20-horse field and the heavy traffic that typically occurs around the first turn, meaning the No. 1 horse usually has to either go to the lead or drop way back to stay out of trouble.
‘It is what it is, you can’t worry about once you have the draw, you can’t worry about it right now, the horses have to be ready to roll,’ said Baffert. ‘It will be easy to watch.
‘He does have a lot of speed, and it looks like once you get the one hole, I don’t need to give instructions what he’s going to have to do away from he’s going to have to leave there running and but the horse wants to do that anyway.’
That almost guarantees jockey Martin Garcia will have to send Citizen Bull to the front early and hope he can set a reasonable fraction.
Otherwise, none of the other top contenders appear to be compromised by Saturday’s post position draw.
Derby favorite Journalism drew the No. 8 post, while Sovereignty should be fine coming out of the No. 18 hole given his come-from-behind running style.
Arkansas Derby winner Sandman, another closer who should be near the back early, will try to become the first ever Derby winner out of the No. 17 post.
Here is everything you need to know about the Kentucky Derby post-position.
2025 Kentucky Derby post positions
Here’s where each horse landed, in addition to the horse’s jockey and odds in parentheses:
Citizen Bull, Martin Garcia (20-1)
Neoequos, Flavien Prat (30-1)
Final Gambit, Luan Machado (30-1)
Rodriguez, Mike Smith (12-1)
American Promise, Nik Juarez (30-1)
Admire Daytona, Christophe Lemaire (30-1)
Luxor Cafe, Joao Moreira (15-1)
Journalism, Umberto Rispoli (3-1)
Burnham Square, Brian Hernandez Jr. (12-1)
Grande, John Velazquez (20-1)
Flying Mohawk, Joe Ramos (30-1)
East Avenue, Manny Franco (20-1)
Publisher, Irad Ortiz Jr. (20-1)
Tiztastic, Joel Rosario (20-1)
Render Judgement, Julien Leparoux (30-1)
Coal Battle, Juan Vargas (30-1)
Sandman, Jose Ortiz (6-1)
Sovereignty, Junior Alvarado (5-1)
Chunk of Gold, Jareth Loveberry (30-1)
Owen Almighty, Javier Castellano (30-1)
Also eligible
21. Baeza, Flavien Prat
Kentucky Derby winners, by post position
History shows horses on the inside, starting from positions one to 10, are much more likely to win the Derby than those starting on the outside.
Here are the all-time Derby winners by post position:
Post position – winners
1 – 8
2- 7
3 – 6
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
Sovereignty, a top Kentucky Derby contender, gives Bill Mott another shot at roses
Bill Mott’s lone Kentucky Derby victory came with an asterisk in 2019, but the Hall of Fame trainer didn’t hesitate when faced with a hypothetical question from a stranger.
What do you say to someone at the airport when they ask if you’ve ever won the Kentucky Derby?
“I say, ‘Damn right I did,’” Mott said with a laugh.
Mott’s Country House — a 65-1 long shot — crossed the finish line second but was declared the winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby after the disqualification of Maximum Security.
Mott is back in the Kentucky Derby this year with one of the top contenders in Sovereignty. The Florida Derby runner-up is considered by many handicappers to be the No. 2 choice in the Run for the Roses behind likely favorite Journalism.
Mott made his first appearance in the Kentucky Derby in 1984 with Taylor’s Special (13th) and is 1 for 13 all-time. He finished sixth last year with Resilience. Read more from Jason Frakes here.
Lonnie Briley finally has Derby contender in Coal Battle
Whether you call him stubborn or meticulous, 72-year-old thoroughbred trainer Lonnie Briley knows what he likes.
Robbie Norman has owned horses for 13 years and has come to realize Briley “can break your heart” when attending a sale.
“You might love the way a horse moves or the speed it has,” Norman said. “But Lonnie’s going to tell you what problem it has. When he does, I just draw a line through it and go to the next one. It happens all the time. There might be 100 at the sale, but there might only be three we can end up buying.”
Briley and Norman found one they both liked at a yearling sale in Texas in 2023, and two years later, Coal Battle has them headed to the Kentucky Derby for the first time. Read more from Jason Frakes here.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah enjoys life in Kentucky as stallion
Ten years since winning the Triple Crown, American Pharoah is enjoying life at Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud.
There’s the North American breeding season from mid-February to mid-June. There was the birthday party in February that saw the 15 tickets available to the public sell out in 53 seconds.
And don’t forget all the carrots.
“I think our carrot bill has gone up,” said Adrian Mansergh Wallace, who works in sales for Coolmore. “Maybe we should have a carrot patch over here to grow our own.”
Wallace said fans from all 50 states and several countries visit Ashford Stud annually, with American Pharoah the top attraction. The bay colt captivated horse racing fans in 2015 by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Read more from Jason Frakes here.
Built to skip Kentucky Derby, will be replaced by Neoequos
The prospective field for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby changed Friday morning when owner Aron Wellman announced that Built will skip the Run for the Roses.
Built, coming off a fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby on March 22 at Fair Grounds, will run instead in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby Day undercard May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Wellman said a good showing in the Pat Day Mile could propel Built to a start in the Preakness Stakes on May 17 at Pimlico.
“In his last couple of races as the distances have increased, it seems as though he’s regressed a little bit in terms of his form,” Wellman said. “Hasn’t been polishing off his races as effectively as we’d want to see. Needless to say, the Kentucky Derby at a mile and a quarter is a huge test of stamina. … (Built) has told us in so many ways — at least at this stage of his career — a mile and a quarter is probably a bit outside of his scope.”
The defection of Built means Neoequos — coming off a third-place finish in the Florida Derby — will move into the field for the Kentucky Derby. Read more from Jason Frakes here.
Bob Baffert returns to Kentucky Derby after three-year absence
It was just like old times at Churchill Downs on Friday, with Barn 33 the hub of backside buzz and Bob Baffert the center of attention.
“You guys planning on interviewing somebody?” Baffert joked with the assembled media as he headed to the track to watch one of his horses train on a rainy morning.
Indeed, Baffert is back and has his sights set on a chance at Kentucky Derby history. Baffert has two hopefuls for the Run for the Roses on May 3 at Churchill Downs — Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez and 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull.
Tied with Ben Jones with a record six Kentucky Derby victories, Baffert appeared to have No. 7 when Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Run for the Roses. A week later, Baffert announced Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone, ultimately leading to a disqualification, three years of suspensions and numerous lawsuits.
Baffert and Churchill Downs made up last July, and Baffert returned to the track for the first time in November with Barnes, who won a maiden race.
But Friday marked Baffert’s first appearance at the track since 2021 in preparation for a Kentucky Derby. Baffert said he was pleased Churchill Downs had replaced the signs on Barn 33 that celebrated his most notable victories at the track. Read more from Jason Frakes here.
What time is the Kentucky Derby draw?
The post-position draw will start at approximately 7:25 p.m. on April 26.
Where is the Kentucky Derby draw?
The draw will take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the second-floor terrace.
What time is the Kentucky Oaks draw?
The Kentucky Oaks draw will start at approximately 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Downs.
How many horses race in the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby has 20 horses lined up for the race each year.
When is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 3. The 151st Run for the Roses will be race No. 12 of the 14-race slate. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles will give the iconic “Rider’s Up” command ahead of the race.
How to watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby
The 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby will be broadcast on NBC, which has served as the home of the annual “Run for the Roses’ since 2001. NBC Sports signed a multi-year extension with Churchill Downs last year to carry the Kentucky Derby through 2032.
You can also stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Fubo and Peacock.
Watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Peacock
How to livestream the 2025 Kentucky Derby
Streaming options include the NBC Sports app (Apple Store/Google Play), NBCSports.com and Peacock.
Catch all the horse racing action from the Derby on Fubo
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