Kentucky Derby 2023: How many horses have won from each post position at Churchill Downs?
When it comes to picking winning horses ahead of the Kentucky Derby, position matters.
Since the race began using a starting gate in 1930, more winners have come from Post 5 — 10 victories, including two winners in the past six years in Always Dreaming (2017) and California Chrome (2014) — than any other position.
And the 10th post has turned out more in-the-money showings than any other with 25, including Secretariat in 1973.
But there’s always room for surprises during the Derby. Rich Strike’s 2022 victory was only the second time a horse has won from Post 20. In 2012, I’ll Have Another became the first horse from the 19th post to win a Derby. Only the 17th post has yet to produce a winning horse.
Before you place your bets on the 149th Kentucky Derby, here’s a look where the most winners and in-the-money horses come from:
Post No. 1
Fastest winner: Hill Gail, 2:01 3/5 (1952)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-8-5-5
Win percentage: 8.6%
In-the-money percentage: 19.4%
Max Player finished top 5 from the post in 2020, but there hasn’t been a horse that's placed in the money since Lookin at Lee (second) in 2017, finishing in the money in 19.4% of the 93 races.
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Post No. 2
Fastest winner: Affirmed, 2:01 1/5 (1978)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-7-5-13
Win percentage: 7.5%
In-the-money percentage: 26.9%
Boasts the second-best rate (26.9%) of horses finishing top 3 among the 20 post positions. Four of the seven wins from this spot came in the 1970s: Dust Commander (1970), Cannonade (1974), Bold Forbes (1976) and Affirmed (1978). There have been no winners since.
Post No. 3
Fastest winner: Foolish Pleasure, 2:02 (1975)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-5-7-8
Win percentage: 5.4%
In-the-money percentage: 21.5%
Two of the five wins from this post came in the 1970s — 1975 (Foolish Pleasure) and 1979 (Spectacular Bid) — and no horse has won a race from this post since 1998 (Real Quiet). Epicenter finished second in 2022 from this spot.
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Post No. 4
Fastest winner: Decidedly, 2:00 2/5 (1962)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-5-6-4
Win percentage: 5.4%
In-the-money percentage: 16.1%
Super Saver’s 2010 Derby victory was the last for the post. There have been five winners in 93 races, giving it a 5.4% winning rate, and 16.1% have finished in the top 3.
Post No. 5
Fastest winner: War Emblem, 2:01.13 (2002)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-10-8-4
Win percentage: 10.8%
In-the-money percentage: 23.7%
The winningest position with 10 champions (10.8%). Four have come since 2000 in War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), California Chrome (2014) and Always Dreaming (2017).
Post No. 6
Fastest winner: Iron Liege, 2:01 1/5 (1957)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 93-2-8-3
Win percentage: 2.2%
In-the-money percentage: 14.0%
Has the least number of wins of the first 10 posts with two but has eight second-place finishes, tied with Post 5 for the most. Good Magic finished second in 2018 from the sixth post.
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Post No. 7
Fastest winner: Northern Dancer, 2:00 (1964)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 92-8-6-6
Win percentage: 8.7%
In-the-money percentage: 21.7%
A horse has placed in the money from this post in 22% of the 92 races the post has been occupied. The most recent winner to come from the seventh starting post was Mandaloun in 2021.
Post No. 8
Fastest winner: Lucky Debonair, 2:01 1/5 (1965)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 92-8-5-5
Win percentage: 8.7%
In-the-money percentage: 19.6%
Barbaro (2006) and Mine That Bird (2009) won from the eighth post. No winners have come out of this position since. Tacitus placed third in 2019.
Post No. 9
Fastest winner: Riva Ridge, 2:01 4/5 (1972)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 89-4-6-8
Win percentage: 4.5%
In-the-money percentage: 20.2%
Tomy Lee and Venetian Way posted back-to-back wins in 1959 and 1960 from the ninth post, which has four winners total. A horse hasn’t won from here since 1972 (Riva Ridge).
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Post No. 10
Fastest winner: Secretariat, 1:59 2/5 (1973)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 86-9-6-10
Win percentage: 10.5%
In-the-money percentage: 29.1%
The greatest horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat, did so from this post 50 years ago. And four horses won in the 1980s: Genuine Risk (1980), Sunny’s Halo (1983), Spend a Buck (1985) and Sunday Silence (1989). This post owns the second best win percentage (10.5%) behind Post 5 and the best in-the-money percentage (29.0%).
Post No. 11
Fastest winner: Winning Colors, 2:02 1/5 (1988)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 82-2-6-4
Win percentage: 2.4%
In-the-money percentage: 14.6%
Brokers Tip (1933) and Winning Colors (1988) are the lone winners to come out of the 11th post. Code of Honor finished as runner-up in 2019.
Post No. 12
Fastest winner: Kauai King, 2:02 (1966)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 78-3-3-3
Win percentage: 3.9%
In-the-money percentage: 11.5%
Afleet Alex was the last horse to get close to a win, finishing third in 2005.
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Post No. 13
Fastest winner: Nyquist, 2:01.31 (2016)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 76-5-5-7
Win percentage: 6.6%
In-the-money percentage: 22.4%
The unlucky number has been just that of late. Nyquist is the most recent winner and top-5 finisher in 2016.
Post No. 14
Fastest winner: Middleground, 2:01 3/5 (1950)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 66-2-6-6
Win percentage: 3.0%
In-the-money percentage: 21.2%
The only winners to come from the 14th position were Middleground (1950) and Carry Black (1961). But a solid 21.2% of the 66 horses to run from this post have finished in the money, including Essential Quality’s third-place showing in 2021.
Post No. 15
Fastest winner: Authentic, 2:00.61 (2020)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 61-6-2-1
Win percentage: 9.8%
In-the-money percentage: 14.8%
The new millennium has seen horses from the 15th post have some success with Authentic winning the 2020 Derby, preceded by wins from American Pharaoh (2015), Orb (2013) and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000).
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Post No. 16
Fastest winner: Monarchos, 1:59.97 (2001)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 50-4-3-3
Win percentage: 8.0%
In-the-money percentage: 20.0%
One of the fastest times ever recorded at the Derby came from this post in 2001, with Monarchos winning in 1:59.97. All four horses that have won from this post have done so in the last 30 years, including Animal Kingdom (2011), Charismatic (1999) and Thunder Gulch (1995).
Post No. 17
Fastest winner: N/A
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 43-0-1-2
Win percentage: 0.0%
In-the-money percentage: 7.0%
The only post to never produce a winner, Forty Niner came the closest after crossing the finish line second in 1988.
Post No. 18
Fastest winner: Gato Del Sol, 2:02 2/5 (1982)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 35-2-4-0
Win percentage: 5.7%
In-the-money percentage: 17.1%
Country House was only the second-ever horse to win from the 18th post after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference — for the first time in Derby history — in 2019. Gato del Sol was the only other winner in 1982.
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Post No. 19
Fastest winner: I'll Have Another, 2:01.83 (2012)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 30-1-1-0
Win percentage: 3.3%
In-the-money percentage: 6.7%
I’ll Have Another (2012) is the only horse to win from the 19th stall, though Wicked Strong finished fourth from the position two years later.
Post No. 20
Fastest winner: Big Brown, 2:01.82 (2008)
Record (Entries-win-place-show): 18-2-0-1
Win percentage: 11.1%
In-the-money percentage: 16.7%
Before Rich Strike, Big Brown was the only horse to win from the 20th post with Practical Joke adding a fifth-place finish in 2017.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 2023 Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs winners from each post position
