Nyquist drew the No. 13 post position for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and was installed as the 3-to-1 favorite on the morning line.
Advertisement
Given the relatively small sample – Churchill Downs’ starting gate dates only to 1930 – No. 17’s 0-for still looks more like a curiosity than a curse.
The most successful post positions in the Kentucky Derby historically have been at No. 5 (13 winners), 1 (12), 4 and 8 (11) and 10 (10).
Watchmaker said of imports, “They’re always going to be up against it in this race”.
Approximate post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:34 p.m. ET. The victor of the 1 ¼-mile first leg of the Triple Crown with 20 starters will receive $1,631,600.
“I do think that you get a lot horses that run their race out of the Arkansas Derby in the Kentucky Derby through history”, Asmussen said.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez who has handled the colt in all of his starts, Nyquist enters the Derby off a 3 ¼-length victory in the Florida Derby (GI).
And while we aren’t insane about his No.18 post position, there is something to like about Florida Derby second-place finisher Majesto and his Venzuelan connections of trainer Gustavo Delgado and jockey Emisael Jaramillo. Trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Kent, a three-time victor of the Derby, Exaggerator is bidding to become the third Santa Anita Derby victor in the past five years to win the Run for the Roses.
He is coming off a win in the Santa Anita Derby. Steve Asmussen saddles a pair of 10-1 shots: Creator and Gun Runner.
Creator, the Arkansas Derby victor, is one of three horses in the field who made their last start in Hot Springs. Blue Grass Stakes victor Brody’s Cause could have issues from the No. 19 gate. He was undefeated in five career starts going into that final prep and was favored over Nyquist.
Baffert said he’s flying under the radar this year as he seeks his fifth Kentucky Derby victory, and he has been pleased with how Mor Spirit has trained.
Mor Spirit, trained by four-time Derby victor Bob Baffert and ridden by three-time victor Gary Stevens, will break from the No. 17 post. Baffert’s other Derby winners are War Emblem in 2002, Real Quiet in 1998 and Silver Charm in 1997.
Starting from the eighth spot is Japanese-owned Lani, the UAE Derby victor aiming to become the first foreign-shipped horse to win the Kentucky Derby since Cannonero II in 1971.
Advertisement
That Mor Spirit is doomed to defeat in Saturday’s feature race at Churchill Downs has yet to be determined.
