Orb draws post 16 in Derby, Verrazano will break from post
14
Orb and the
undefeated Verrazano headline a stellar field of 20 sophomores entered Wednesday for
Saturday’s 139th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
With 20 starters that feature five Grade 1 winners, the
purse for the Kentucky Derby will be $2,199,800 with $1,439,800 going to the
winner. The Kentucky Derby will be carried by NBC Sports with a three-hour
telecast from 4-7 p.m. (EDT).
The long-range forecast for Saturday calls with
temperatures in the mid-60s and a 40 percent chance of showers.
Trained by Shug McGaughey, Orb comes to Churchill Downs riding a four-race
winning streak and is the 7-2 morning-line favorite. His past two scores came in
the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.
Joel Rosario, the runaway leading rider at the
just-concluded Keeneland meet, has the mount on Orb as he seeks his first
Kentucky Derby victory. Orb will break from post position 16.
The 4-1 second choice is Verrazano, one of five colts
trained by Todd Pletcher who will be in the starting gate. Winner of his initial two
starts by a combined 24 lengths, the More Than Ready colt then won the Tampa Bay
Derby and Wood Memorial, all under jockey John Velazquez.
Velazquez is seeking a second Derby victory to go with his
triumph aboard Animal Kingdom in 2011. Verrazano will break from post position
14.
Pletcher, who saddled Super Saver to win the 2010 Kentucky
Derby, also will send out Overanalyze, Revolutionary, Palace Malice and Charming Kitten.
Overanalyze, who will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano and
break from post position 9, was a 4 1/4-length winner of the Arkansas Derby
in his most recent start. Revolutionary, who will break from post position 3, will bring the same ownership/trainer/jockey
combination to the starting gate from Super Saver’s victory three years ago as
Calvin Borel jumps aboard the WinStar colorbearer for the first time.
Mike Smith has the call on Palace Malice from post 10 while Edgar Prado will ride Charming Kitten
from gate 15.
Trainer Doug O’Neill will send out Goldencents in hopes of
becoming the first conditioner since Bob Baffert to win the Kentucky Derby in consecutive year. O’Neill won
last year with I’ll Have Another.
A three-time graded-stakes winner including the Santa Anita
Derby, Goldencents is the third choice on the morning
line at 5-1. Kevin Krigger, who has ridden Goldencents in his six
starts, has the call Saturday and will break from post position 8.
In addition to Pletcher and O’Neill, one other trainer will
be seeking to add to his multiple victories in the Run for the Roses. D. Wayne
Lukas, who has won the Derby four times, will
send out Will Take Charge and Oxbow.
Winner of the Rebel in his most recent start, Will
Take Charge will break from post position 17 and be ridden by Jon Court. Three-time Derby winner Gary Stevens has the call on Oxbow,
who drew post position 2.
The fifth Grade 1 winner in the field is
Java’s War, who won the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 13 and will be ridden
by Julien Leparoux. Java’s War will break from post position 19 for trainer Ken McPeek.
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