Here are the post positions for the 2022 Kentucky Derby originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Where horses stand in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby is just as important as all their training, impacting performance and determining the odds of winning.
The post positions for the 2022 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs were set via a drawing on Monday afternoon.
They are as follows:
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
1. Mo Donegal
2. Happy Jack
3. Epicenter
4. Summer Is Tomorrow
5. Smile Happy
6. Messier
7. Crown Pride
8. Charge It
9. Tiz The Bomb
10. Zandon
11. Pioneer of Medina
12. Taiba
13. Simplification
14. Barber Road
15. White Abarrio
16. Cyberknife
17. Classic Causeway
18. Tawny Port
19. Zozos
20. Ethereal Road
More Kentucky Derby Coverage:
Since the starting gate was first introduced at the Derby in 1930, the post positions that have seen the most success are No. 5 (wins in 10.9% of 92 starts), No. 10 (wins in 10.6% of 85 starts) and No. 15 (wins in 10% of 60 starts). Smile Happy (No. 5), Zandon (No. 10) and White Abarrio (No. 15) are in those positions this year.
Meanwhile, the 17th post position, which Classic Causeway will race out of, has never produced a Derby winner in 42 starts.
After the post positions were set, Zandon was listed as the morning-line favorite to win the Derby with 3-1 odds. Epicenter is right behind Zandon at 7-2, followed by Messier (8-1), Mo Donegal (10-1), White Abarrio (10-1) and Taiba (12-1).
A horse has won from Epicenter's third post position five times in 92 all-time starts (5.4%), with the most recent winner being Real Quiet in 1998. The last winner from Zandon's 10th position was Giacomo in 2005.
The 148th Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, with the post time set for 6:57 p.m. ET. The race will air on this NBC station and stream on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.
