Click Here for the Post Positions and Kentucky Derby Field for 2008.

Imagine if the NBA Draft had a lottery to determine the order in which teams got to choose their draft position. No, I didn't say have a lottery to determine the order of their picks. We already have that. But instead, imagine that the lottery determined and order for the teams to CHOOSE what number they wanted to draft.

Bizarre, I know. But that's pretty much exactly how Kentucky Derby post positions are determined. On Wednesday morning the field for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby was finalized. After that, a random drawing determined the order in which each trainer or jockey could decide where they would like their horse to start in the Run For The Roses. Visionaire drew first, and elected to take the No. 8 position. The favorite, Big Brown, had the 16th selection and chose to start from post No. 20.

With such a strong, full field, and with at least 10 true contenders to win the Run For The Roses, something like post position can make all of the difference in the world. Last year Curlin, the consensus favorite at post time, drew the inside and the No. 2 post prior to the race. As a result, the eventual Preakness winner was pinned against the rail on the break and couldn't open up in time to be a real threat.

This year we have a similar situation with Big Brown, the favorite entering this year's running. However, instead of starting in the tricky No. 2 post, Big Brown will have to start from the furthest outside position, No. 20. No horse has won from the No. 20 post in nearly 80 years and I'm not sure that Big Brown will be able to sacrifice the extra distance it will have to cover by starting that far out.

Also, only one winner in the last 51 years has won the Kentucky Derby starting further out than the No. 16 post position. And over that time period only 12 winners (23.5 percent) have started outside of the Top 10. However, four of the last 11 winners and six of the last 13 have started at post No. 13 or worse.

The most beneficial post position over the last half-century has been the No. 10 spot. That post has produced seven of 51 winners (13.7 percent) and is occupied by Colonel John, one of the top two favorites in the field, in this year's Derby. The No. 8 and No. 2 posts came in second over that span with five winners apiece. Visionaire and Tale of Ekati, respectively, will fill those positions this Saturday.

The No. 2 position boasts the most all-time winners, with 29 of 134 champions starting in that slot. Twelve winners have come from No. 1, and 10 apiece have won from posts No. 4 or No. 5.

If we break the posts down into quadrants - No. 1-5, No. 6-10, No. 11-15, and No. 16-20 - we find that over the last half century horses starting between No. 6 and No. 10 have a slight advantage. The winner has come from that post in 21 of the last 51 Derbys. Eighteen winners have started between No. 1 and No. 5. Eight of 51 winners started between No. 11 and No. 15 and just four winners in the last half-century have started outside of post No. 15.

Big Brown did receive a stroke of luck based on which horses are starting immediately to his inside. Recapturetheglory is set at No. 18 and Gayego will start at No. 19. Both of those horses are speed mounts that like to get out of the gate fast. If Big Brown can get a clean break then it may be able to follow the pace of those horses as they make an immediate break to the inside. In a sense, it's as if Big Brown could have a pair of blockers to his inside. He can maneuver for position and then try to break free somewhere near the second turn.

Conversely, the top post positions - No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, and No. 10 are - are all occupied by "closers", or horses that usually start slowly and then make a strong final kick to pass inferior, winded horses. If these four mounts start slowly they could let the speedy outside pace setters beat them to the inside and easily make up the extra distance they have to travel. There is also the possibility of getting squeezed by horses on the inside and on the outside, and that could definitely squeeze any potential running lanes down.

Interestingly, Big Brown had the option of post No. 1 or No. 2, but elected for the outside. Apparently the fear of getting pinned against the rail on the first turn was more of a deterrent than any extra ground to cover.

For more info on Robert's members picks, check out his Insider Page here.