Ready, Set, Handicap
Post positions for the 2009 Kentucky Derby:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | ML |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Side Bernie | Stewart Elliott | 30-1 |
| 2 | Musket Man | Eibar Coa | 20-1 |
| 3 | Mr. Hot Stuff | John Velazquez | 30-1 |
| 4 | Advice | Rene Douglas | 30-1 |
| 5 | Hold Me Back | Kent Desormeaux | 15-1 |
| 6 | Friesan Fire | Gabriel Saez | 5-1 |
| 7 | Papa Clem | Rafael Bejarano | 20-1 |
| 8 | Mine That Bird | Calvin Borel | 50-1 |
| 9 | Join in the Dance | Chris DeCarlo | 50-1 |
| 10 | Regal Ransom | Alan Garcia | 30-1 |
| 11 | Chocolate Candy | Mike Smith | 20-1 |
| 12 | General Quarters | Julien Leparoux | 20-1 |
| 13 | I Want Revenge | Joe Talamo | 3-1 |
| 14 | Atomic Rain | Joe Bravo | 50-1 |
| 15 | Dunkirk | Edgar Prado | 4-1 |
| 16 | Pioneerof the Nile | Garrett Gomez | 4-1 |
| 17 | Summer Bird | Chris Rosier | 50-1 |
| 18 | Nowhere to Hide | Shaun Bridgmohan | 50-1 |
| 19 | Desert Party | Ramon Dominguez | 15-1 |
| 20 | Flying Private | Robby Albarado | 50-1 |
Early impressions of the draw: All the trainers claim to be pleased, and I can see why — no one appears to be compromised by stall assignment. As for the morning line, I have no serious complaint, although 4-1 on Dunkirk seems a tad low — really, isn’t he more of an 8-1 shot? — and 30-1 on Regal Ransom a little high. Several horses, such as Atomic Rain and Nowhere to Hide, will almost certainly go to post higher than 50-1. (The Crist Blog line puts those two at 80-1 and 60-1 respectively.) I’m feeling a little cavalier, so I’m going to agree with Alan that I Want Revenge is an easy play against, especially if he’s anywhere near 3-1 at post. As impressive as he was in the Wood (and that was an extremely good performance), the New York-prepped contingent looks the weakest, with the spring’s key races all taking place points south and west. Before I commit myself to any (more) premature stands, though, I should probably take a look at the past performances — free from DRF and BRIS.
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