The 2011 Kentucky Derby's post position draw presented a few of the field's contenders with strong advantages. Matt Gardner of And Down The Stretch They Come, SB Nation's horse racing community, likes the posts granted Pants on Fire, Midnight Interlude and Soldat, but cautions against overlooking Calvin Borel's No. 3 post atop Twice the Appeal.
Much is made of middle post positions being highly advantageous, but it's really more about trying to pick horses that are likely to succeed in their posts given their unique attributes. For instance, Gardner likes Soldat's draw because it will give that team a chance to avoid congestion, which, based on previous races, should provide a boost.
Post positions and morning line odds for all 19 remaining contenders (click a horse's name to read a profile):
The 2011 Kentucky Derby post time is at 6:24 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 7th and SB Nation has everything you need to prepare for it - current Derby odds, contender profiles, field updates and more. You can find all of that and more at our 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Derby fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.