Kentucky Derby fever is in full buzz and so are all the stats on everything from colours of horses, jockeys, trainers and post positions.
Ah, the post positions. In the Derby, the post and the trip are HUGE parts of the winning formula.
And so web sites had all the little stats on posts after the draw on Saturday evening at Churchill Downs (posts can be seen below).
Here’s one: The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby breaking from Post 1 was Ferdinand in 1986.
Dating back to 1987, it has proven to be nearly impossible to overcome posts 1 thru 3, as all entrants breaking from those gates are a combined 1-for-93 (1.08%).
Woodbine’s leading trainer by wins 16 times, MARK CASSE, is well aware of one gem in Derby and post position lore. And his Arkansas Derby winner SANDMAN drew that post – 17 – for the May 3 classic.
“I don’t mind it,” said Casse. “My son told me the stat about post 17 never having won in 150 years. We’re going to change that.”
Post 17 has only had 45 starters, but also only three have hit the top three.
Sandman is going to be the second or third favourite for the Derby and Casse’s best chance at a Derby win. The handsome grey cost $1.2 million at auction and has improved greatly as three-year-old this year. His rider, Jose Ortiz, seeks his first Derby win, just like Casse.
The Derby favourite is the imposing JOURNALISM, the son of Curlin from the west coast with the big Beyer Speed Figures and an envious running style. Trainer Mike McCarthy looked happy when the colt drew post 8: “Umberto’s very tactical,” McCarthy said of Journalism’s regular rider, Umberto Rispoli. “There will be a good pace going into the first turn. There always is. We’ll just play the break.”
Journalism is owned by a group of partners that includes Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, Robert LaPenta, Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor.
KENTUCKY DERBY POSTS, POINTS and more
Post/Horse/Pts – Owner(s) – Trainer – Non-restricted earnings – Last 3 Beyer Speed Figures from DRF
1. Citizen Bull 71.25 – SF Racing LLC (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf), Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin), Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke), Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables (Matt Dorman), Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC (W. Gregg Slager) & Catherine Donovan – Bob Baffert $1,436,000 87-98-96
2.. Neoequos 40 – C2 Racing Stable LLC (Clint & Mark Cornett), Ian Parsard, Shining Stables LLC & Stefania Farms LLC – Saffie Joseph Jr. $153,250 89,91,825.
3. Final Gambit 100 – Juddmonte (Fahad bin Khalid) – Brad Cox $446,400 90-63-65
4. Rodriguez 121.25 – SF Racing LLC (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf), Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin), Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke), Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables (Matt Dorman), Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC (W. Gregg Slager) & Catherine Donovan – Bob Baffert $476,000 101-90-91
5. American Promise 55 – BC Stables LLC (John Bellinger & Brian Coelho) – Wayne Lukas $335,000 95-88-82
6. $-Admire Daytona (JPN) – Euro/ Mideast RTKD Junko Kondo – Yukihiro Kato $599,044 won UAE Derby
7 . Luxor Café Japan RTKD – Koichi Nishikawa – Noriyuki Hori $323,003 won 4 of 6
8. Journalism 122.5 – Bridlewood Farm (Joan & Leslie Malone), Don Alberto Stable (Liliana Solari Falabella & sons Andrea & Carlos Heller), Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (Aron Wellman), Elayne Stables 5 LLC & Robert V. LaPenta – Michael McCarthy $600,000 102-108-87
9. Burnham Square 130 – Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC (Janis R. Whitham) – Ian Wilkes $927,425 96-91-90
10. Grande 50 – Repole Stable (Mike Repole) – Todd Pletcher $140,000 97-87-83
11. Flying Mohawk 50 – Two Eight Racing (Jayson Werth), Berry Family Racing LLC (Jeff Berry) & Kaleta Racing (Shawn Kaleta) – Whit Beckman $156,800 84-82-79
12. East Avenue 60 – Godolphin LLC (Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum et al) – Brendan Walsh $612,500 96-74-75
13. Publisher 60 – Gus King & Estate of Brereton C. Jones – Steve Asmussen $355,000 95-86-81
14. Tiztastic – Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron Winchell), Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor & Derrick Smith – Steve Asmussen $1,395,800 95-81-89
15. Render Judgement – 39 – Baccari Racing Stable LLC (Chris Barccari), Dream Walkin Farms Inc. (Tonni Covel et al), MJM Racing (Michael J. Makin) & Rocket Ship Racing (Brook T. Smith) – Kenny McPeek $163,172 90-83-79
16. Coal Battle 95 – Norman Stables LLC (Robbie Norman) – Lonnie Briley $1,169,500 88-91-84
17. Sandman 129 – D. J. Stable LLC (Leonard C. Green), St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola), West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley) & CJ Stables (Charles Sonson) – Mark Casse $1,117,99 99-89-92
18 Sovereignty 110 – Godolphin LLC (Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum et al) – Bill Mott $548,800 92-95-87
19. Chunk of Gold 75 – Terry L. Stephens – Ethan West $324,400 92-92-74
20. Owen Almighty 65 – Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC (Travis Boersma) – Brian Lynch $430,935 90-93-83
AE – 21. Baeza 37.5 – C R K Stable LLC (Lee & Susan Searing) & Grandview Estate – John Shirreffs $100,000 2nd Santa Anita Derby 101, 93, 87
KENTUCKY OAKS POSTS
1. Early On (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1)
2 Simply Joking (Florent Geroux, Whit Beckman, 10-1)
3 Fondly (Irad Ortiz Jr., Graham Motion, 30-1)
4 Drexel Hill (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman, 30-1)
5 Quickick (Umberto Rispoli, Tom Amoss, 30-1)
6 Ballerina d’Oro (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 10-1)
7 La Cara (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse, 6-1)
8 Five G (Manny Franco, George Weaver, 12-1)
9 Tenma (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 12-1)
10 Take Charge Milady (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 12-1)
11 Good Cheer (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 6-5)
12 Anna’s Promise (Junior Alvarado, Carlos David, 30-1)
13 Bless the Broken (John Velazquez, Will Walden, 30-1)
14 Quietside (Jose Ortiz, John Ortiz, 8-1)
More News
