LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Projected favorites Bodemeister and Union Rags avoided landing post positions to the extreme inside or outside when in Wednesday afternoon’s post draw for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The former, the Churchill Downs morning-line favorite at 4-1, drew post 6, while Union Rags, the 9-2 second choice, has post 4. Daily Racing Form National Handicapper Mike Watchmaker has Bodemeister at 9-2 and Union Rags at 5-1.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Before dawn Sunday morning at Churchill, the wearing of a parka wouldn’t have been entirely absurd. Pockets of truly cold air drifted through the darkness. Three days later, the Downs has turned subtropical. The temperature Tuesday night didn’t drop much below 70 degrees, and the mercury was expected to hit 90 late Wednesday afternoon.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With all the talk that the best horses in this 3-year-old crop made it unscathed through the winter months and will be in the starting gate for the 138th Kentucky Derby, it must be noted that there was one glaring exception: Algorithms, who in mid-February was widely considered as perhaps the preeminent Derby contender along with Union Rags.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gemologist, El Padrino, and Take Charge Indy were on the track for the first time Wednesday, one day after arriving from south Florida.
Gemologist made quite the striking presence galloping 1 1/4 miles, while El Padrino went the same distance though somewhat less enthusiastically.
“Both Derby horses got over the ground really well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Gemologist looked like he was loving it out there. Padrino is not the most enthusiastic galloper of all time, but I thought he showed good energy.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four of the major contenders for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby schooled in the starting gate Wednesday morning following the renovation break.
Bodemeister and Union Rags, who figure to vie for favoritism in the Derby, were well behaved as was Alpha, the Wood Memorial runner-up. Went the Day Well, who was wearing blinkers, was a bit antsy in the gate and had to be backed out and reloaded.
Bodemeister did go in, back out, and reload, but stood still during his session. Union Rags and Alpha also stood quietly.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The cell phone rang while walking the Churchill Downs backstretch and the quiet voice on the other end of the line, before politely asking if it were a good time to converse, identified itself: “This is Aidan O’Brien,” it said.
It was like being telephoned by a mythological figure.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Kentucky Derby wasn’t the only race trainer Kelly Breen entered My Adonis in on Wednesday.
With My Adonis’s status for the Derby still up on the air, he’ll be the first also-eligible in the history of the race, Breen took out a little insurance by also putting his star 3-year-old in Saturday’s $75,000 Canonero II Stakes at Pimlico.
DRF handicappers Mike Beer, Byron King and Kenny Peck hosted a live chat on Thursday to preview the Kentucky Derby. Here are the highlights below. For complete handicapping information on the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, including past performances, expert picks and more, check out our Kentucky Derby All-Access Package.
Byron King: I think Hansen drew favorably outside the other speed; Gemologist good post, too. That said, so much cannot be predicted given the mad scramble
When Bodemeister runs in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, many fans will harbor doubts about him that are based on the race’s history. The fast colt is relatively inexperienced. He did not make his career debut until January, and not since 1882 has a horse won the Derby without running as a 2-year-old.
