“If you don’t break well, you find yourself behind 10 or 12 horses real quick.”BOB BAFFERT
LOUISVILLE – Trained by Bob Baffert, who is going for a record third victory in a row, the entry of General Challenge and Excellent Meeting tops an overflow field of 20 3-year-olds entered yesterday for Saturday’s 125th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The 11/4-mile Run for the Roses, with a $1 million pot, will be televised live by ABC from 4:30-6 p.m. Post time is set for 5:27.
Under a system instituted last year, post positions for the Derby are not drawn in the traditional manner. Instead, a selection order is drawn, and the owners and trainers must then pick their posts from what is left.
As a result, such longshots as Desert Hero, Aljabr, Answer Lively and Valhol got prime spots in the gate while top contenders like Menifee and Vicar got parked outside.
General Challenge, a giant gelding who romped in the Santa Anita Derby, will break from post 15 under three-time Derby-winning rider Gary Stevens.
Excellent Meeting, a filly who’s earned $1.2 million, comes from post 6 and will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who won the Derby last year on Real Quiet.
The entry is favored at 3-1 to become the first betting choice to win the Derby since 1979.
“I don’t care,” Baffert said. “There is no jinx. I’d rather be the favorite than 80-1.”
Baffert also will saddle 7-2 second choice Prime Timber, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, whose jockey is David Flores. Prime Timber breaks from post 14.
Post 14 is the far outside stall in the main starting gate and 15 is the first stall in the auxiliary gate. There is a gap between the two gates, lessening the chance of a bumping incident at the start. Baffert picked those posts because both horses have had problems in the gate before.
“The break is so important in this race,” Baffert said. “If you don’t break well, you find yourself behind 10 or 12 horses real quick.”
Baffert did not decide to enter Excellent Meeting until “commiticizing” for 20 minutes yesterday morning with her owner, John Mabee, who felt General Challenge was up to the job without her.
Baffert wanted Excellent Meeting in the Derby as insurance in case the gelding drew a bad post. Mabee would sooner run her against fillies in tomorrow’s Kentucky Oaks but admitted, “I’m willing to gamble [the $15,000 fee for entering Excellent Meeting in the Derby]. If General Challenge drew 18, 19, 20, that would be a disaster.”
Although Baffert said Excellent Meeting would run in the Derby, he left the door open to start her in the Oaks against stablemate Silverbulletday. If she scratches, Prime Timber and General Challenge will move to posts 13 and 14, respectively.
Blue Grass winner Menifee is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line despite being stuck in post 19. Trained by Elliott Walden and ridden by Churchill’s all-time leading rider Pat Day, he could lose valuable ground from his outside stall. That’s exactly what happened last year to Walden’s Victory Gallop, who was second in the Derby by a half-length.
Vicar, the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby winner, is next in the odds at 6-1. With jockey Shane Sellers looking for his first Derby victory in 10 tries, he breaks right inside Menifee from post 18.
“I wasn’t happy about it,” said trainer Carl Nafzger, who won the Derby in 1990 with Unbridled. “But he has enough speed where he can go ahead and get our position in the long run to the first turn and get in the heat of it.”
Two surprise selections were made by Nick Zito, trainer of Adonis, who picked post 1, and trainer Eddie Plesa, who put his filly Three Ring in post 2. Many horsemen don’t like the inside posts in the Derby because their horses can get trapped along the rail by the large field.
“We could have taken the 12 post,” Zito said, “but in the history of the Derby the 1 has done rather well. Adonis doesn’t have world-class speed and he can save ground from there.”
Zito also sends out Stephen Got Even from post 4 with Chris McCarron.
‘Post 2 was the best one available for us,” said Plesa, whose filly is expected to set the early pace. “We’re confident she will show enough speed to get good position going into the first turn.”