Post Positions Drawn for Derby
Five of the last 10 Kentucky Derby winners have started from the auxiliary gate, which was the place to be during yesterday’s post position draw. Trainer Nick Zito put likely favorite Bellamy Road in post 16. Trainer Todd Pletcher had first pick, and put third-favorite Bandini in post 15:
“We wanted to be toward the outside … We wanted to stay clear of the inside traffic. Plus, if there’s a scratch you go to 14 and you’re in the same position,” said Pletcher. (Blood-Horse)
Second-favorite Afleet Alex is on the far end of the first gate, in post 12; for those harboring a dislike of trainer Jeff Mullins, there’s a bit of schadenfreude to be had in noting that he had the last draw, and so Buzzards Bay is starting from post 20.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | BB | ML |
| 1 | Sort It Out | Blanc | Baffert | 96 | 50-1 |
| 2 | Andromeda’s Hero | Bejarano | Zito | 94 | 50-1 |
| 3 | Sun King | Prado | Zito | 104 | 15-1 |
| 4 | Noble Causeway | Stevens | Zito | 100 | 12-1 |
| 5 | Coin Silver | Valenzuela | Pletcher | 99 | 20-1 |
| 6 | High Limit | Dominguez | Frankel | 105 | 12-1 |
| 7 | Flower Alley | Chavez | Pletcher | 95 | 20-1 |
| 8 | Greater Good | McKee | Holthus | 95 | 20-1 |
| 9 | Greeley’s Galaxy | Desormeaux | Stute | 106 | 15-1 |
| 10 | Giacomo | Smith | Shirreffs | 98 | 50-1 |
| 11 | High Fly | Bailey | Zito | 102 | 8-1 |
| 12 | Afleet Alex | Rose | Ritchey | 108 | 9-2 |
| 13 | Spanish Chestnut | Bravo | Biancone | 94 | 50-1 |
| 14 | Wilko | Nakatani | Dollase | 98 | 20-1 |
| 15 | Bandini | Velazquez | Pletcher | 103 | 6-1 |
| 16 | Bellamy Road | Castellano | Zito | 120 | 5-2 |
| 17 | Don’t Get Mad | Baze | Ellis | 98 | 30-1 |
| 18 | Closing Argument | Velasquez | McLaughlin | 98 | 30-1 |
| 19 | Going Wild | Valdivia | Lukas | 104 | 50-1 |
| 20 | Buzzards Bay | Guidry | Mullins | 98 | 20-1 |
The auxiliary gate winners in recent years are: Monarchos, Fusaichi Pegasus, Charismatic, Grindstone, and Thunder Gulch. All started from post 15 or 16.
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