LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Renegade was among the last of the Kentucky Derby starters to arrive on the  grounds when his van from Florida came through the Churchill Downs gates around 2:45 a.m. Saturday.  About 12 hours later, Renegade was the second name called at the post-position draw, at which he was matched up with post 1. There was no truth to the rumor that his connections planned to put Renegade back on a van headed for Maryland and the Preakness in three weeks.  The 1 post, or the rail, has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner since Ferdinand in 1986. Up until 2020, when two starting gates were used to accommodate the 20-horse Derby field, the rail was deemed a dreaded draw because the horse in that post had to make his way a few feet to the outside to avoid running into the actual rail soon after the start of the race.  In 2020, Churchill Downs began using a 20-stall starting gate and, in theory, the rail draw is deemed to be fairer. Still, the rail is 0 for 6.  When Renegade drew the rail, that prompted Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona to make Further Ado, who drew post 18, the 9-2 morning-line Derby favorite. Before the draw, Aragona had Renegade as the 4-1 favorite. He is now the 5-1 second choice. Aragona made Commandment, who drew post 6, the 6-1 third choice.  :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby day. Nick Tammaro, making the Derby line for the first time for Churchill Downs, kept Renegade the 4-1 morning-line favorite. Tammaro has Further Ado and Commandment the co-second choices at 6-1.  Irad Ortiz Jr., who will ride Renegade, doesn’t think the rail is a bad draw, especially since his horse won both the Sam F. Davis and Grade 1 Arkansas Derby from well off the pace.  “I don’t have too much speed; our horse comes from behind,” Ortiz said. “He never showed too much speed early in the race, so I’m okay with it. Hopefully, with a clean break, I think it should be fine.”  It was in 2022 when Ortiz rode Mo Donegal from the rail for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher - the same connections as for Renegade. Ortiz felt he was getting a good trip aboard Mo Donegal until the top of the stretch, where he got pushed out several paths by horses who floated wide into the lane. That left room for Rich Strike to rally up the rail and upset the Derby at 80-1.  “I thought I had horse and I don’t want to follow Rich Strike and I went around and that was the worst decision I ever made,” Ortiz said.  Speaking of decisions, Ortiz had a big one to make when it came to selecting whom to ride in this year’s Kentucky Derby. He had won graded stakes on a trio of Brad Cox-trained horses, including Blue Grass winner Further Ado, Florida Derby winner Commandment and Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Fulleffort.  Ortiz made the decision about two weeks ago to stick with Renegade.  When Cox was asked about Renegade drawing the rail, his initial reaction was “better him than us.”  However, Cox noted that in 2023  his horse Hit Show drew the rail and Cox felt “my horse got an excellent trip from down inside there, so you can win from down in there if you have the horse,” Cox said. Hit Show finished fifth.  Cox was happy with the post 18 draw for Further Ado, who comes into the race off a monster 11-length win in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes.  “I just think the trip we’re kind of looking for, the outside post would be favorable, we got it,” Cox said. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to win or anything, I think that gives us a great chance.”  Cox was pleased with Commandment’s post 6 draw, but would have liked to have seen Fulleffort draw more inside than his post 20.  The expected speed horses of the race - Litmus Test, Pavlovian and Six Speed - drew posts 6, 16 and 17, respectively.  A total of 24 horses were entered in the Kentucky Derby. The field is limited to 20 starters and horses earn their spots in the field by accruing points in designated stakes race that offer qualifying points in a series that began last September. There are 17 spots reserved for the top points earners in the North America road to the Kentucky Derby. There are two spots reserved for horses who earn points in designated races in Europe or the Middle East and one spot is reserved for the top point earner in a series of races run in Japan.  Wonder Dean, a Japanese-based horse, and Six Speed were the top two point-earners in the Euro/Middle East series as they finished one-two in the UAE Derby. Danon Bourbon, who went 3 for 3, was tied as the top points earner in Japan with Don Erectus but his connections did not nominate him. Litmus Test, one of two horses trained by Bob Baffert, drew into the field Saturday morning after the connections of Chip Honcho elected not to enter the race. Baffert’s other horse, Potente, drew post 14.  Litmus Test will be adding blinkers, as will Chief Wallabee, who drew post 12. Chief Wallabee will be sent out by trainer Bill Mott, who won last year’s Derby with Sovereignty. Mott’s son Riley will send out his first two Derby starters with Albus (post 2) and Incredibolt (post 11).  There are four horses relegated to the also-eligible list. In order, those horses are Great White, Ocelli, Robusta, and Corona de Oro. Those horses can move into the body if there are defections between entry day and Friday at 9 a.m., designated scratch time for the May 2 card.  With increased scrutiny from the regulatory veterinarian, there has been at least one post-draw scratch in each of the last five years, including a whopping five scratches in 2023.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.