The two top choices on the morning-line will start from posts at different sides of the gate when an expected field of 20 horses lines up for the 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at about 6:57 p.m. Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Fierceness, winner of the Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite and is scheduled to start from post 17, while Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone will start from post 2 as the 3-1 second choice. The field will start from a single gate of 20 stalls.

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"I'm fine with it," said Fierceness's trainer Todd Pletcher, who will be seeking his third career Derby win. "We were hoping to draw outside somewhere. Of the numbers that were left at that time (of the draw), it was one of the better ones. It gives enough time to get loaded and set up without having to hopefully stand in the gate too long."

Pletcher said in the days ahead he'll go over race strategy with three-time Derby-winning rider John Velazquez. In winning last year's FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Fierceness rated just off the pace early. He enters off a front-running score last time in the Florida Derby where he drew off to a record 13 1/2-length victory in the prep race that has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners (25).

"It looks like most of the speed is inside of them," Pletcher said. "So hopefully they break cleanly and then let Johnny make a decision on how fast he wants to go and survey things inside."

If there are no changes to his inside in the field, Repole Stable homebred Fierceness will start from Post 17, the only post that has never produced a Derby winner. While owner-breeder Mike Repole has had his share of bad luck Derby week, he wasn't sweating this oddity. Instead, he embraced the challenge.

"I love it," he said.

Morning-line favorite Fierceness drew post 17. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire)

While Fierceness will be looking for a good start from the outside, late-running Sierra Leone figures to be looking to save ground while avoiding traffic when he starts from Post 2. The son of record-breaking sire Gun Runner rallied from ninth to win the Blue Grass Stakes April 6 at Keeneland.

"It's a touch further in than I had wanted if I was able to pick the post, but I wouldn't want him way on the outside," said trainer Chad Brown, who is looking for his first Derby victory after twice previously placing in the classic. "I think for a closer if you draw outside, you'd have to grab them guide them over before the turn comes; that's challenging when you're way outside. So, with that said I'd rather be inside."

Sierra Leone will try to become the first Blue Grass winner since Strike the Gold in 1991 to win the Kentucky Derby and the first Derby starter to break from Post 2 to win the classic since Affirmed in 1978. Ahead of this year's Blue Grass, Sierra Leone acted up a bit as he was being loaded in post position 10.

"I took him to the gate this week a couple of times. He did great. I'm really confident that he'll be able to load and so is the crew at Churchill led by the starter Scott Jordan. I don't anticipate the gate being a determining factor. If he wins or loses, it's really going to come down to the trip and if he's good enough."

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Brown also will saddle Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product, who is 30-1 on the morning-line and drew Post 15.

While the two top choices in the field will have an expected 14 gates between them, that divide is not as wide as the gulf between trainer Danny Gargan's two Derby starters, who drew the far inside post with Dornoch, and the far outside post with Society Man in the field of 20.

Post 1 has been the kiss of death in recent years — no horse has won from the inside post since Ferdinand in 1986 — but with Churchill now using a 20-stall gate in recent years, the post could be kinder than the auxiliary gate years.

"Dornoch is going to come out of there running so it's not the end of the world," Gargan said. "It's the new gate so a lot of people are saying the one hole is not what it used to be. So. we're not breaking into that funny turn and that will help too. I don't think it's the kiss of death.

"There's no speed on our outside so hopefully he'll break running and we'll put him on the front end and see how it goes. We planned on keeping his face clean, now we'll keep it real clean. And Society Man is a closer, so he'll just break and get over and sit mid-pack, maybe 10th, and hopefully make a big run."

Trainer Brad Cox will try to land his second Derby win when he sends out Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom from Post 4, Blue Grass runner-up Just a Touch from Post 8, and Stonestreet Lexington Stakes winner Encino from Post 9.

Cox liked the post positions for his runners and said he hopes late-running Catching Freedom can get away well.

Kentucky Derby post positions and morning-line odds.

"He needs to find his stride," Cox said. "He's going to be in the second half of the field and (jockey Flavien Prat) will navigate a good trip and we'll see what happens."

The two Japan-based runners in the field, UAE Derby winner Forever Young and T O Password, who topped the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings, will break side by side from posts 10 and 11, respectively.

D. Wayne Lukas will send out his 50th Derby starter in Just Steel, who enters off a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby. Four-time Derby winner Lukas noted that after the start, it's key for all runners to get position into the first turn of the 1 1/4-mile race. Just Steel is scheduled to start from Post 6.

Tarifa and Leslie's Rose Favored after Kentucky Oaks draw

Fair Grounds Oaks winner Tarifa and Ashland Stakes winner Leslie's Rose were pegged as the respective 7-2 and 4-1 morning-line favorites when an overflow field was drawn April 27 for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The post position draw, taking place in an evening ceremony that preceded the draw for the Kentucky Derby, saw Tarifa land post 8 and Leslie's Rose get post 14 in the 14-horse Oaks field.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher was not enthused with the draw for Leslie's Rose on the far outside. "Not ideal," he said.

Twice in the past six years, Oaks winners have started from post 14 — Pretty Mischievous in 2023 and Monomoy Girl in 2018. Another winner, the speedy Serengeti Empress, won from post 13 in 2019.

Informed of this, Pletcher, a four-time Oaks winner, quipped, "I feel better already."

The Kentucky Oaks will be run for a record purse of $1.5 million before an anticipated Friday crowd at Churchill Downs of more than 100,000 fans. Post time is 5:51 p.m. ET, and television coverage will be on USA Network from 1 to 6 p.m. ET. -- Byron King