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Kentucky Derby 2012 Post Positions, Field and Race Preview

Kentucky Derby 2012 Post Positions – The Kentucky Derby is just two days away, and the expectation grows by the minute. The post position draw was completed yesterday and the 20-horse field—plus an also eligible (AE)—is set.

Wednesday morning was the deadline for the entries, with 21 horses being officially added to the race. That is one above the limit, meaning that, for the first time in Derby history, there would be an alternate entry; My Adonis.

It was required that all horses entered had to be on the grounds by entry time and that was the case. My Adonis arrived yesterday by van to Churchill Downs.

The only way My Adonis can get in the starting gate on Saturday is if any horse is scratched before the official wagering for the Saturday card starts on Friday at 9:00 a.m. ET. He would move into slot 20 and the rest would slide down one slot up to where the scratched horse was.

Bodemeister was made the morning line favorite at 4/1. Union Rags at 9/2 and unbeaten, Todd Pletcher-trainee Gemologist at 6/1 are the next two choices.

Bodemeister is looking to become the first horse in 130 years to win the Derby without having raced as a two-year-old. Apollo was the last one to do so in 1883.

He has post six on the gate. In posts five and four, he will have two of his closest opponents in Dullahan and Union Rags respectively. Unfortunately for him, Trinniberg and Hansen are to his outside, so he will have to wait for them to clear him before taking the outside.

This may or may not happen depending on what two-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Ramon Dominguez chooses to do with Hansen from post 14. He might look to stalk Trinniberg and put Hansen to Bodemeister’s outside, potentially boxing him in traffic.

Union Rags is looking to silence his critics and from that fourth post, jockey Julien Leparoux will have to make sure he doesn’t get boxed-in like he did in the Florida Derby. There is no way he places if he gets a bad trip here.

Dullahan could be taken back by jockey Kent Desourmeax. He traveled well through traffic at the Wood Memorial but Desormeaux might be looking to have him on the clear earlier, so look for him to be spotted in the back stretch before making his move.

Kentucky Derby 2012 Post Positions

Gemologist has post 15, which is the first spot on the auxiliary gate and gives him a clear shot to his inside. He looks very good from that post and Todd Pletcher looked pleased when he they called the post for him.

The nation’s leading jockey, Javier Castellano is aboard, and he will know how to use it properly.

Take Charge Indy and jockey Calvin Borel have the third post. With Daddy Long Legs and Optimizer to his inside, expect Bo-rail to take his favored spot on the rail early and try to maximize his preferred use of the shortest path to the wire.

Expect Take Charge Indy to have lower odds come Saturday also.

Creative Cause has the perfect post for him at number eight. He has Bodemeister and Union Rags to his inside, so expect jockey Joel Rosario to have him in tracking position behind those two. He will run with them and could have a lane to run in the stretch.

The horse that has all the buzz in the mornings at the track is Steve Asmussen’s Daddy Nose Best. He has been turning heads working impressively and the mount of money rider Garrett Gomez only improves his chances.

Last year’s winning connections are with Went the Day Well from post 13. Along with Liaison, Went the Day Well will have the blinkers on for this race so he should break alertly on Saturday.

One thing he will also look to correct is his uneven run like the one he had in the stretch when he won the Spiral. This horse at 30/1 is an intriguing proposition since his connections look confident on him having a big run.

When Optimizer made the field on Wednesday, it will be nine of the 13 horses that ran in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on the field. It’s almost like a rematch with higher stakes—and much longer distance.

With 20 starters the Derby will be worth $2,219,600. This means that the winner will take home a whooping first prize of $1,459,600. Second place takes $400,000; third place $200,000; fourth place $100,000 and  fifth place $60,000.

Don’t think for a second is a breeze to get in the field for that money. There is a matter of being in the Top 20 in graded earnings and pay $25,000 to enter and another $25,000 due to start—start using your calculators.

Post time for the 138th running of the most exciting two minutes in sports will be at 6:24 p.m. ET. The race is the 11th of the 13-race card and NBC will have the coverage of the Derby from 4:00-7:00 p.m ET.

Kentucky Derby 2012 Post Positions