Kentucky Derby post positions: Most wins from each spot at Churchill Downs starting gate
Over the course of an exhilarating two minutes on Saturday, horses will jockey (no pun intended) for position over 1 1/4 miles of Kentucky dirt, with the winner of that frenetic sprint earning a place in history as the champion of the world’s most storied race.
The winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, though, won’t just be determined by whoever crosses the finish line first at Churchill Downs. Historically speaking, it will be influenced by where the winning horse began the race.
Among the dozens of factors that go into prognosticating the Run for the Roses is the race’s post position — that is, where on the track’s 20-horse starting gate each competitor is before they take off.
For those who closely follow the sport and try to correctly bet on the winner of the race, last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby post position draw was an event of significant interest. Where a horse starts the race doesn’t foretell whether they’ll win it. But based on nearly a century’s worth of results, it can prevent even a top contender from galloping into the famed Winner’s Circle.
To get a better sense of what horses might be well-positioned to win the 2024 Derby, here’s a look at post positions of previous winners since the starting gate was first used in 1930, how many winners have come from each post position and more:
Kentucky Derby best post position
Post position No. 5 has produced the most Derby winners, with 10 wins in 94 starts, along with eight second-place finishes and four third-place showings.
The last winner from the No. 5 post position came in 2017, when Always Dreaming came in first by 2 3/4 lengths. For all of its historic success, however, the post position hasn’t had a top-three finisher since Audible came in third in 2018.
This year, Catalytic will occupy the No. 5 post position, though the horse isn’t among the race’s favorites. As of Thursday morning, Catalytic was at 42-1 odds to win.
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Kentucky Derby wins by post position
While the No. 5 post position has been the home to the most Derby winners, it doesn’t hold that distinction by a wide margin.
Post position Nos. 8 and 10 have each produced nine Derby winners, just one behind the lead. Mage, the 2023 Derby champion, came out of No. 8. Post position Nos. 1 and 7 have each been home to eight Derby victors.
Beyond post position No. 10, a horse’s chances of winning the Derby decrease noticeably. Only one gate from Nos. 11 through 20 has produced more than five Derby winners, while six of those 10 spots have been home to two or fewer champions, including post position No. 17, which has never been the starting spot for a Derby winner.
Here are the number of Derby champions that have come from each post position:
Post No. 1: 8 winners
Post No. 2: 7 winners
Post No. 3: 5 winners
Post No. 4: 5 winners
Post No. 5: 10 winners
Post No. 6: 2 winners
Post No. 7: 8 winners
Post No. 8: 9 winners
Post No. 9: 4 winners
Post No. 10: 9 winners
Post No. 11: 2 winners
Post No. 12: 3 winners
Post No. 13: 5 winners
Post No. 14: 2 winners
Post No. 15: 6 winners
Post No. 16: 4 winners
Post No. 17: 0 winners
Post No. 18: 2 winners
No. 19: 1 winner
No. 20: 2 winners
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Kentucky Derby post positions 2024
What might that history of finishes from various spots on the starting gate mean for the 2024 Derby?
Here’s a look at which horse is starting from which post position:
No. 1: Dornoch
No. 2: Sierra Leone
No. 3: Mystik Dan
No. 4: Catching Freedom
No. 5: Catalytic
No. 6: Just Steel
No. 7: Honor Marie
No. 8: Just a Touch
No. 9: Encino (Scratched)
No. 10: T O Password
No. 11: Forever Young
No. 12: Track Phantom
No. 13: West Saratoga
No. 14: Endlessly
No. 15: Domestic Product
No. 16: Grand Mo the First
No. 17: Fierceness
No. 18: Stronghold
No. 19: Resilience
No. 20: Society Man
No. 21: Epic Ride
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2024: Best post positions from Churchill Downs starting gate
