'Anna' will have to gun it from the rail

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Wednesday's post-position draw may or may not have affected the outcome of Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs, but it likely influenced strategy for at least one key contender in the $2 million, 1 1/16-mile race.

The unbeaten Dreaming of Anna drew the rail in the 14-horse Juvenile Fillies, which may force her jockey, Rene Douglas, to call upon her speed to secure position heading into the first turn. Otherwise, she could get boxed in or smothered by the speed to her outside, led by Lilly Carson in post 8.

Douglas said the inside did not concern him, noting that Dreaming of Anna won her debut from the inside post at Arlington Park. But trainer Wayne Catalano acknowledged that her post was not what he wanted, adding that they had no choice but to "live with it."

Mike Battaglia, oddsmaker at Churchill Downs, said the inside draw solidified his opinion to make the Oak Leaf Stakes winner, Cash Included, the morning-line favorite, rather than Dreaming of Anna. Cash Included, drawn in post 3, was listed at 3-1 on the line, followed by Dreaming of Anna at 4-1.

Cash Included's trainer, Craig Dollase, had not wanted to be drawn outside because of the large field and the relatively short run to the first turn.

"I'm real pleased with the draw," he said. "I like that Dreaming of Anna is inside of us."

From post 3, Corey Nakatani, aboard Cash Included, can seemingly track Dreaming of Anna, and try to move at an opportune time. That is, if her trip falls into place. Several starters could run into traffic difficulties in a large, congested field of

2-year-olds.

Two other favorites, Octave and Bel Air Beauty, appeared to draw well. Octave, who dead-heated for second in the Grade 1 Matron in her last start, drew post 4, and Bel Air Beauty, upset winner of the Alcibiades, landed in post 6. Battaglia made them 6-1 and 8-1, respectively.

Perhaps the unluckiest entrant at the draw was 30-1 longshot Gatorize, who ended up in post 14. Trainer Helen Pitts is hopeful that the far outside post will not compromise the chances of her late-running filly. The post "sounds worse than it is," she said.

At least Gatorize gained a starting position. Twenty-four horses were pre-entered for the race last week, and the connections of at least two of the alternates, Cohiba Miss and Awesome Ashley, held out faint hopes early in the week that defections would provide them with opportunities to start. In the end, that did not happen.