Kentucky Derby Field 08

Last updated: 4/30/08 9:20 PM

134TH KENTUCKY DERBY

PP	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
1	Cool Coal Man	Nick Zito	Julien Leparoux	20-1
2	Tale of Ekati	Barclay Tagg	Eibar Coa	15-1
3	Anak Nakal	Nick Zito	Rafael Bejarano	30-1
4	Court Vision	Bill Mott	Garrett Gomez	20-1
5	Eight Belles	Larry Jones	Gabriel Saez	15-1
6	Z Fortune	Steve Asmussen	Robby Albarado	15-1
7	Big Truck	Barclay Tagg	Javier Castellano	50-1
8	Visionaire	Michael Matz	Jose Lezcano	20-1
9	Pyro	Steve Asmussen	Shaun Bridgmohan	6-1
10	Colonel John	Eoin Harty	Corey Nakatani	4-1
11	Z Humor	Bill Mott	Rene Douglas	30-1
12	Smooth Air	Bennie Stutts Jr.	Manoel Cruz	20-1
13	Bob Black Jack	James Kasparoff	Richard Migliore	20-1
14	Monba	Todd Pletcher	Ramon Dominguez	15-1
15	Adriano	Graham Motion	Edgar Prado	30-1
16	Denis of Cork	David Carroll	Calvin Borel	20-1
17	Cowboy Cal	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	20-1
18	Recapturetheglory	Louis Roussel III	E.T. Baird	20-1
19	Gayego	Paulo Lobo	Mike Smith	15-1
20	Big Brown	Richard Dutrow	Kent Desormeaux	3-1

Big Brown has been installed as the morning-line favorite in Derby 134
(Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

Unbeaten BIG BROWN (Boundary), an authoritative five-length winner of the
Florida Derby (G1) in his last start, drew the 16th selection in Wednesday’s
Kentucky Derby (G1) post draw, and, with limited options, the bay colt’s
connections opted for post 20 in the 134th Run for the Roses. Big Brown was
already attempting to become the first Kentucky Derby winner with three or less
lifetime starts since 1915, and he’ll make history as the first three-year-old
to win from post 20 if he succeeds on Saturday.

“We would have rather had that than the 1 and 2 (posts), and 18 or 19. He
gets to be loaded last,” trainer Richard Dutrow explained. “You don’t see when
they’re breaking on the outside that you’re going to be looking for trouble.
Actually, we’re kind of glad. I’d rather have this post than a lot of other
ones.

“It might be too far out there, but we were willing to accept that
challenge.”

The outside post did not stop Churchill Downs’ oddsmaker Mike Battaglia
from making Big Brown the 3-1 favorite on the morning line over his 19 rivals.
The Kentucky-bred will break close to the grandstand
rail under regular rider Kent Desormeaux.

“As long as he breaks good and they’ve got that real long straightaway to the
first turn, it’s supposed to just come naturally to him,” said Dutrow about the
colt’s lack of racing experience. “I don’t know how important the experience is
going to be. I don’t see that he’s got to really know a whole lot and learn a
whole lot. He’s just going to break good and put himself right in the game, like
he always does, so I’m not that concerned.”

Colonel John has yet to finish worse than second during his career
(Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) and PYRO (Pulpit), 4-1 and 6-1, respectively, are the
only other runners listed at less than 10-1 on the morning-line. Colonel John
exits a victory in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and is two-for-two this season for
Eoin Harty. Pyro opened his sophomore campaign with impressive wins in the
Louisiana Derby (G2) and Risen Star (G3), stamping himself the winter-book Derby
favorite, but the Steve Asmussen-trained colt will attempt to rebound from a
10th-place finish over Polytrack in the Blue Grass S. (G1).

Colonel John had the third selection in the post draw and wound up in post
10.

“I was lucky enough to choose early on and I wanted a spot somewhere in the
middle,” Harty said. “A lot of winners have come out of the 10-hole, so that was
pretty much it. Nothing more to it.”

Pyro’s connections selected post 9 with the fifth pick.

“The nine post for Pyro, I feel like it’s an excellent draw,” Asmussen
commented. “I didn’t want him to be standing in the gate more than he has to.
He’s a very handy horse and (jockey) Shaun (Bridgmohan) can secure position
under the wire the first time.”

EIGHT BELLES (Unbridled’s Song) will be the first filly to run in the Derby
since 1999, and the Larry Jones pupil will bring a four-race winning streak into
the 1 1/4-mile classic, winning the Fantasy S. (G2) last time out. Unlike
Winning Colors (1988) and Genuine Risk (1980), the last two fillies to win the
Derby, Eight Belles has never faced males or raced at 1 1/8 miles. The gray miss
is well-drawn in post 5 with jockey Gabriel Saez, and Eight Belles is the 15-1
co-fourth choice with four other horses.

Will the bell toll on Saturday for the gray filly?
(Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com)

“The filly is on the improve,” Jones said. “We had a real good chance to draw
(sixth selection). I didn’t want to be the last two (posts 13 and 14 in the
primary starting gate). She’s hopped twice coming out of the gate. This way she
has time to get settled. We wanted a ground-saving trip. She’ll run up behind
the early leaders. She’ll be fine in there.”

GAYEGO (Gilded Time) and Z FORTUNE (Siphon [Brz]), the respective one-two
finishers in the Arkansas Derby (G2), are also 15-1 on the morning line along with
Blue Grass hero MONBA (Maria’s Mon) and Wood Memorial (G1) winner TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat).

Grade 3 winner VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam) had the first post selection and
landed in the 8-hole.

“We had no strategy,” said trainer Michael Matz, who won the 2006 Derby from
post 8. “We picked 8 because we were lucky with eight the last time.”

Louie Roussel, co-owner and trainer of RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run),
didn’t put a happy face on getting post 18 with the 19th selection.

“Eighteen? You’ve got to be facetious asking me what I think about drawing
that,” Roussel lamented. “It’s just miserable that we have such a bad post
position. But what can you do?”