Morning-Line Derby Favorite Omaha Beach Lands Post 12

Fox Hill Farms' Omaha Beach drew a favorable spot for the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The son of War Front , winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1), drew post 12 of 20.

Post-time for the $3 million Derby is slated for 6:46 p.m. and will air nationally on NBC. Scratch time is Friday, May 3, at 9 a.m.

Twenty-one were entered for the Run for the Roses, with Bodexpress listed as the lone also-eligible.

The Richard Mandella-trained Omaha Beach enters the Derby off a strong :59 five-furlong drill April 27. Omaha Beach has won his past three outings, a maiden win at Santa Anita Feb. 2, and then went on the road to take the second division of the Rebel Stakes (G2) before the Arkansas Derby. He's the 4-1 morning-line favorite to win the Derby.

Trainer Bob Baffert, a five-time Derby winner and trainer of two Triple Crown winners, will have three runners in the Derby: Game Winner, champion 2-year-old male of 2018 who drew post 16 and was made the 5-1 second choice; Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Roadster (6-1) will break from post 17; and Improbable (6-1) will be in post 5.

Baffert said he was pleased with all his posts.

"Anything but the one or two or three, I'm fine with that," he said. "And I think the good horses all drew well, so there was no really shockers in there."

With two of his runners next to each other, he said: "they'll be easy to watch."

Post 17 is 0-40 historically. Baffert compared it to the "Curse of Apollo" broken by Triple Crown winner Justify last year.

"I'm OK, it's not the end of the world," he said.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has two runners for the Derby in Tacitus and Country House. Juddmonte Farms' Tacitus drew post eight and was listed at 10-1. Country House (30-1) was not as lucky, drawing the outside 20 post.

Gary Barber's War of Will, winner of the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2), was the unfortunate one, drawing the rail. He's 20-1 on the morning line.

Historically, the rail has proved fruitful, but of late it is the toughest spot to win from. Ferdinand (1986) is the last winner from Post 1. Post 2 is perhaps just as tough, as 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed is the last Derby winner to break from that spot where Tax will begin his journey this year.

The outside 20 post has produced one winner, Big Brown  in 2008.

This will be the seventh Derby run under Churchill Downs' Road to the Kentucky Derby points system. The post-time favorite has won all six previous runnings.

This year's top point producer is Tacitus with 150 based on his scores in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Omaha Beach was second in the points race with 137.5. Spinoff, with 40 points, is the last main Road to the Kentucky Derby horse to get in the field. Master Fencer won Japan's Road to the Kentucky Derby and is the first Japan-bred horse to run in the Derby.

Spinoff is 30-1 and Master Fencer is tied with Gray Magician as the longest shots on the morning line at 50-1.

The draw was conducted by Ben Huffman, vice president of racing and the racing secretary for Churchill Downs, and Dan Bork.

Post Positions, ML

1 - War of Will, 20-1

2 - Tax, 20-1

3 - By My Standards, 20-1

4 - Gray Magician, 50-1

5 - Improbable, 6-1

6 - Vekoma, 20-1

7 - Maximum Security, 10-1

8 - Tacitus, 10-1

9 - Plus Que Parfait, 30-1

10 - Cutting Humor, 30-1

11 - Haikal, 30-1

12 - Omaha Beach, 4-1

 13 - Code of Honor, 15-1

14 - Win Win Win, 15-1

15 - Master Fencer, 50-1

16 - Game Winner, 5-1

17 - Roadster, 6-1

18 - Long Range Toddy, 30-1

19 - Spinoff, 30-1

20 - Country House, 30-1

Greg Hall, Ron Mitchell, Christine Oser, and Lenny Shulman contributed to this story.