Kentucky Derby 2018 horses: Post positions, late odds, trainers, jockeys for all 20 thoroughbreds
Information on every horse in the competition -- their trainers, jockeys, backgrounds and odds to win
•
4 min read
Who wins the Kentucky Derby? And what colossal long shot hits the board? Visit SportsLine to get Jody Demling's Kentucky Derby winner, see which huge long shot contends, and get the finish positions for every single horse, all from the man who's picked 9 straight Derby-Oaks doubles!
The 2018 Kentucky Derby is here. But before you throw on your fancy hat, prepare your mint julep, cast your final bets for a favorite or tune into the "Fastest Two Minutes in Sports," you'd better make sure you know who's racing at Churchill Downs on Saturday. After opening at 3-1, the Bob Baffert-trained Justify remains the favorite. Mendelssohn, looking to become the first European-trained horse to win the Kentucky Derby, and My Boy Jack, who was 30-1 on the morning line, are right behind Justify at 5-1. Audible (6-1), Good Magic (8-1), and Bolt d'Oro (8-1) are also getting lower than 10-1 Kentucky Derby odds.
We've got you covered with a look at all 20 of the horses set to compete in Louisville:
1. Firenze Fire (65-1)
Trainer: Jason Servis
Jockey: Paco Lopez
He hasn't won since January, so he's overdue for a victory. But his post position isn't favorable, and neither is his competition.
2. Free Drop Billy (42-1)
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Robby Albarado
His win drought is even longer than Firenze Fire's, as he last claimed a race in 2017. But he showed promise in two-year-old races.
3. Promises Fulfilled (41-1)
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
He's 3-0-1 in five starts, but he finished ninth at the Florida Derby, so like plenty of others, he's due. And he has the speed to start strong.
4. Flameaway (53-1)
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Jose Lezcano
He's got more experience than most, having run nine different races. And that gives him an edge on a potentially muddy surface, perhaps. But he also finished sixth at his last Churchill Downs competition.
5. Audible (6-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Javier Castellano
The biggest thing he has going for him is Post 5, which has produced more Derby winners than any other spot since 1930. But Audible also has a good trainer and is fresh off a Florida Derby victory.
6. Good Magic (8-1)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
As the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, he's one of the hotter youngsters of the bunch. He's also saved some of his best for the biggest spotlights. You could argue he deserves even better odds.
7. Justify (7-2)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
The odds-on favorite. A physical specimen if there ever was one, he won the Santa Anita Derby by three lengths. But he also has to overcome the Apollo Curse -- no horse who didn't race as a 2-year-old has won since 1882.
8. Lone Sailor (29-1)
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Jockey: James Graham
He's just 1-3-1 in eight starts, so the victories aren't there. He was, however, a runner-up at the Louisiana Derby.
9. Hofburg (24-1)
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
He's one of the popular upset picks, entering the Derby with just three starts under his belt and a strong close to the Florida Derby. He's also got a world-renowned trainer behind him.
10. My Boy Jack (5-1)
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
A third-place finisher at the Louisiana Derby, he's probably more well known just because of his trainer-jockey sibling pair.
11. Bolt d'Oro (8-1)
Trainer: Mick Ruiz
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Second behind Justify in the Santa Anita Derby and No. 1 in his first three starts, he's maybe the safest pick of the bunch. Steady and experienced, his jockey has also won the Kentucky Derby a trio of times.
12. Enticed (52-1)
Trainer: Kieran McLaughlin
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
He's 3-1-1 in six starts, which is a solid track record, but the field is stacked, and his Wood Memorial showing wasn't the most promising.
13. Bravazo (68-1)
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Luis Contreras
He won the Grade 2 Risen Star with long odds, so he's not unfamiliar with overcoming a competitive field. But he's apparently at his best up front, and there will be plenty challenging him there.
14. Mendelssohn (5-1)
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien
Jockey: Ryan Moore
He was a UAE Derby sensation, winning by 18 lengths, and his record (4-1-0 in seven starts) is top notch. Like Justify, though, he's up against history -- no European horse has ever won the Derby.
15. Instilled Regard (99-1)
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke
He's no more inspiring than some of the early-post-position horses in that his recent success -- or lack thereof -- makes him a justified long shot. He's placed in five of seven starts, though.
16. Magnum Moon (13-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
He might be as tempting as Justify, seeing as though he debuted in January and is undefeated in four starts under an esteemed trainer. But he's also got the Apollo Curse to overcome.
17. Solomini (68-1)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Flavien Prat
He's got a great trainer on his side, and he's placed in every one of his six starts, but from Post 17, where no horse has ever won the Derby, he's going to have to find another level of speed.
18. Vino Rosso (18-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velasquez
He's got a winning trainer-jockey combo and a Wood Memorial win to his name, but his post position is less than ideal. And the Wood Memorial field wasn't even close to what the Derby will offer.
19. Noble Indy (49-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Florent Geroux
He might be one of the most underrated upset candidates of the field. Deemed one of the fastest of Pletcher's 2018 horses, he has the speed to overcome a slow start but might need a great one to contend.
20. Combatant (79-1)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
This is a bad post position, and there's no indication that Combatant, with one win in eight starts, can muster much from it.
