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.
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Two Ram ProMaster vans will transport the traditional “Garland of Roses”, to be worn by the winning horse, and the winning jockey’s bouquet to Churchill Downs from the Kroger store where the large floral arrangements are created each year. This means their jockeys can place them anywhere in the race and move to the lead whenever the pace dictates. He was the first horse to finish the race in under 2 minutes.
Nyquist is getting most of the attention, and the horse got a bit of help on Wednesday evening when he drew the No. 13 post.
“The post draw didn’t matter to us a ton, but we’re happy being more toward the outside for sure”, Nyquist trainer Doug O’Neill told reporters after the draw.
“He’s a lovely mover, has a great mind, and we think that’s very important on Derby Day”.
Unlike Nyquist, Mohaymen and Exaggerator’s odds did change slightly after the post positions were announced.
Exaggerator drew gate 11 and is the second favourite at 8-1.
The outside slot went to Danzing Candy, fourth in the Santa Anita Derby.
The Kentucky-bred Lani has three victories in six starts for earnings of $1,366,618 for his owner, Koji Maeda, with all of his wins coming on dirt.
Both won stakes in their final preps.
Brody’s Cause, trained by Louisville’s Dale Romans, also got a tough post at No. 19.
Bob Baffert, who last year trained American Pharoah to the sport’s first Triple Crown in 37 years, will saddle Mor Spirit.
Inclusion of Mohaymen, Brody’s Cause, Arkansas Derby victor Creator and Mo Tom in an exacta box on Saturday requires a willingness to draw a line through at least one disappointing performance by each horse and the conviction that the Churchill Downs surface can be quirky.
No horse has ever won from the 17th starting position.
Unless there is a freakish development, 20 runners will break from the gate and a poor trip is guaranteed for one or more of the supposed contenders.
Brown sends out My Man Sam, the Blue Grass Stakes runner-up, and Shagaf, seeking to rebound from his first career defeat in the Wood Memorial.
Danzing Candy and Outwork, who will start from the 15th hole, were widely considered to be the likely pacesetters in Saturday’s opening leg of the Triple Crown for three year olds, but they will now need to come from wide out to get the lead. Race fans can take their own or get commemorative souvenir pictures taken and share their Derby experiences virally with friends and family using hashtag #RamDerby. Javier Castellano has the mount and will break from post position nine.
Cinderella stories such as 2014 Kentucky Derby Winner California Chrome, who cost his connections about $10,000 (6,910 pounds) and has since earned more than $12.5 million, highlight that with horses, initial cost doesn’t always equate to financial results.
Other Grade II winners in the field are Shadwell Stable’s Mohaymen and Halo Farms and Jim and Dianne Bashor’s Danzing Candy.
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Mohaymen, starting alongside Nyquist from the 14th gate, is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. In fact, he’s only won three of seven graded races. We broke from 9 out of 10. O’Neill is 1-for-4 in the Derby, winning with I’ll Have Another in 2012.
