By Steve Haskin
If opposing trainers were looking for any holes in the Baffert Brigade, they sure didn't find them this morning, as Point Given and Congaree both turned in brilliant works over a deep track that trainer Bob Baffert described as demanding.
Baffert, always nervous before big works, was looking forward to getting these out of the way. Heavy rains at around 8 p.m. the night before didn't help soothe his nerves any, but morning brought bright blue skies and a drop in the temperature from the previous day.
Baffert arrived in the grandstand during the renovation break and surveyed the scene, then got on his two-way radio with exercise rider Dana Barnes, who was already aboard Point Given. The big chestnut's assigned workmate couldn't make it after suffering a slight injury, and Indy Lead, a one-time Derby hopeful, was chosen to replace him. Point Given pranced by the stands going the wrong way as if he knew all eyes and cameras were on him. "Here comes the big red train," Baffert said.
Indy Lead broke off at the five-furlong pole about three lengths in front, but by the time he passed the three-eighths pole in :24 4/5, the big train was already roaring past him. Baffert was hoping Indy Lead would put up more of a fight and push Point Given after being challenged. "Next time, we'll have to break him off eight lengths in front," he said.
Point Given charged for home, but lost his concentration momentarily, cocking his head toward the grandstand and remaining on his left lead. Barnes snapped her wrists several times and the big chestnut quickly leveled off and really turned it on in the final furlong. He was striding out beautifully as he hit the wire in :59 3/5. Baffert actually caught him a few ticks slower, in 1:00 1/5, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13, and pulling up seven panels in 1:28. Despite his little antics at the head of the stretch, Point Given still closed his last quarter in :23 3/5. "That was the ideal track to work over," he said. "It's deep as hell. That 1:28 pulling up was pretty good on this track."
Barnes told Baffert that even with the deep track, she still had a ton of horse. "That s.o.b. never gets tired," Baffert said.
Congaree came out next for his four-furlong work. Having run 10 days earlier, he didn't need as much. The big, strapping son of Arazi is a real pro in everything he does, and this work was flawless, with the exception of a slight bobble in midstretch when he hit a bad spot on the track. He rattled off his eighths in :12 1/5, :12, :11 4/5, and :11 4/5 to complete the half-mile in :47 4/5, then galloped out so strongly, in 1:00 4/5, the clockers gave him a five-furlong work, although Baffert had them change it. Throughout the work, Barnes sat motionless, as Congaree switched leads perfectly and ran straight as an arrow down the stretch. "He likes this track, doesn't he?" Baffert said, fully knowing the answer. "This is an awesome horse."
So, Baffert's powerful duo have passed their first test with flying colors, and will do it all again next Monday. In the past, Baffert has always given his Santa Anita Derby horses three works at Churchill Downs, but with Point Given he has decided to go with just two works. "He's such a big horse, he doesn't need another work," he said. "This was almost like a six-furlong work anyway, and I had him go out seven furlongs. I've never come in here this strong, and because of that, I feel doing too much will hurt me more than not doing enough."
Despite the abundance of speed in the Derby, Baffert has a great deal of respect for several of the horses who will be on or near the lead. He said he was very impressed with Express Tour in his work yesterday, and likes the way Millennium Wind has been moving over the track in his gallops. The impression here is that Millennium Wind is the horse he fears, although he did say the same thing about Balto Star last week. But watching Millennium Wind galloping, he believes the Blue Grass winner's cracked heels will not hamper him at all.
But Millennium Wind's scheduled Wednesday work has now been pushed back to Friday or possibly Saturday. The allergic fungus is quite noticeable, and there still is some slight bleeding. This morning, he didn't seem to be showing any effects from it, as he galloped a solid mile and five-eighths. Trainer Dave Hofmans is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.
Back to top
By Jennie Rees
This Kentucky Derby features the most solid favorite in years in Point Given, a colt many rival trainers describe as having no weaknesses.
Yet those same horsemen also say Saturday's 127th Derby has an extremely talented supporting cast that shouldn't be overlooked.
A field of 15 definites -- with Lexington Stakes winner Keats still considered possible and last-minute additions not to be ruled out -- is expected to be entered Wednesday for the 1 1/4-mile classic.
Point Given is 2 for 2 this year and has won three straight, capped by the Santa Anita Derby. But he's praised as much for his last defeat: by a nose to Macho Uno in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile after being last and coming 10 wide on the final turn.
''I honestly believe it's Point Given's race to lose,'' said Steve Asmussen, trainer of Louisiana Derby winner and Lone Star Derby runner-up Fifty Stars.
''He is the horse to beat, no doubt,'' said David Hofmans, trainer of Toyota Blue Grass winner Millennium Wind, who finished second to Point Given in the Hollywood Futurity. ''And I don't think we've seen the best of him. He's going to be very difficult to tackle. I think he has to beat himself.''
Making such statements more forceful is the fact that a trio of horses turned in huge efforts in winning their final preps 13 days ago by open lengths -- Millennium Wind, Congaree (Wood Memorial) and Balto Star (Arkansas Derby). And then there's Monarchos, the impressive Florida Derby winner who closed strongly to be second in the Wood.
''Any number of these horses would be favored any other year,'' said Hofmans, who will be in his first Derby. ''I was looking at last year's field and the Beyers (speed figures) in there. I think Fusaichi Pegasus had a 111 and the rest were 106, 104. There are five or six horses in here that exceed that. We picked the wrong year. Damn Baffert.''
Indeed, trainer Bob Baffert not only has the top choice in Point Given but the expected second choice in Congaree. Asked about the depth of this field, Baffert said: ''Hey, if it wasn't for Congaree, we'd be looking at this Derby as a big East-West showdown between Point Given and Monarchos. See, I saved John Ward all that aggravation.''
Ward, trainer of Monarchos, views the Derby as more wide-open than some suggest.
''I think there are eight or 10 really legitimate horses in there,'' he said.
Joe Orseno is the last trainer to defeat Point Given, having saddled Macho Uno in the BC Juvenile. Macho Uno didn't make the Derby, but Orseno is here with another son of Holy Bull in Flamingo winner Thunder Blitz. Orseno also knows about knocking off horses considered invincible: His Red Bullet upset Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in last year's Preakness.
''I guess we proved last year that any horse is beatable,'' Orseno said. ''There are so many ways to lose in this business, especially in the Derby. You almost have to have everything your way and a lucky trip, too -- not to mention you have to have a horse with talent. Do I think he's beatable? Yes. Is he the horse to beat? I think so. But we beat him once with a gray Holy Bull (Macho Uno), so we'll take another shot.''
Back to top
by Steve Haskin
The setting was the same as past years: Bob Baffert standing in the Churchill Downs grandstand, his white hair glistening in the morning sun like a fresh mound of snow. A two-way radio is held close to his mouth, as he surveys the post-renovation break scene and offers his first set of instructions to exercise rider Dana Barnes. Several minutes later, after watching his two Derby horses work, Baffert takes a deep, relaxing breath and breaks out into a smile and selection of one-liners. His horses once again have left a long line of smoldering hoof prints in the Churchill Downs surface.
That was the familiar scene once again this morning, as Point Given and Congaree sizzled five furlongs in :58 1/5. According to Baffert, Congaree actually worked six furlongs in 1:11 1/5. These were typical Baffert works, where the horses get a chance to pin back their ears and get down to some serious running in order to sharpen them up for the arduous journey they'll be embarking on next Saturday.
Baffert, as nervous as usual, sent Point Given out without his Derby saddlecloth to prevent the "Dawn at the Downs" crowd from applauding as he jogged by. The big chestnut passed the crowd unnoticed, as Baffert had hoped, then turned around and began jogging to the turn, well behind his workmate Saif. "OK, here we go," Baffert said.
Point Given broke off about eight lengths behind Saif and was immediately into the work, rolling through his opening eighth. "Twelve and one, perfect," Baffert told Barnes. By the time they passed the five-sixteenths pole, Point Given had made up the eight lengths, and he roared up alongside his workmate. Barnes kept him wide, and Point Given changed leads smoothly this time and began to draw off with those monster strides. "Poor old Saif," Baffert said.
Point Given charged home his final quarter in :23 flat and final eighth in :11 1/5 to complete the five furlongs in :58 2/5, a fifth slower than the clockers caught him. He then galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 4/5, pulling up seven furlongs in a scintillating 1:25 2/5. A relieved Baffert was feeling much more relaxed now. "Pretty awesome, huh?" he said to Barnes. "OK, one more to go."
This was only the first act. Congaree, coming out several minutes later, had to work over a track that was a bit more chewed up, and possibly a tick slower. But that made little difference to the son of Arazi, who broke off at the five-furlong pole very smoothly. Barnes, trying to slow him down early, had a nice hold of him through an opening eighth in :12 2/5 and quarter in :24. After three-eighths in :36 1/5, he cut the corner beautifully turning for home and really poured it on with a pair of sensational eighths in :11 2/5 and :11 flat to hit the wire in :58 3/5. "Keep going past the wire," Baffert told Barnes. Congaree continued working past the wire to the seven-eighths pole, getting the six furlongs in 1:11 1/5, and out seven panels in 1:25 2/5. That's a :12 3/5 eighth around the turn. "Pretty close," Baffert said. "Hard to separate those two, huh?"
Baffert said he's trying to slow down Congaree early and let him finish up strongly, which was the main difference between the two works. "He needs to relax early," Baffert said. "I don't want him taking on the speed early. Dana loves working Congaree, because he's so handy. The other guy is a big goofball, who likes to look around. But they're both pretty impressive horses, and Point Given was all business today. They know something big is coming."
Back to top
By Jennie Rees
The day after Point Given won the Santa Anita Derby, rival trainer Jim Cassidy said: ''I thought these Derby races were for 3-yearolds only. He made it look like a race for 3-year-olds and up -- and he was the up.''
But the ultimate compliment might have come from Todd Pletcher, who on Saturday will try to beat the strong Kentucky Derby favorite with Arkansas Derby winner Balto Star and Invisible Ink. Asked whether he was concerned about having the hapless maiden Tincin also in the race, Pletcher quipped: ''If we were playing the game of 'Survivor,' I think we'd vote Point Given off before Tincin.''
That's just a sampling of the hyperbole swirling around Point Given. Though last year's preDerby star, $4 million yearling purchase Fusaichi Pegasus, might have attracted more attention from the public, Point Given has garnered hype from a far more cynical source: opposing horsemen -- especially those who already have lost to him.
There's Cassidy, who promptly got out of town after his Arkansas Derby runner-up Jamaican Rum finished third to Point Given in the San Felipe.
There's trainer David Hofmans, whose romping Blue Grass winner Millennium Wind was second to Point Given in the Hollywood Futurity. Hofmans has likened the big red colt to Affirmed and Spectacular Bid.
Howard Zucker, whose Crafty C.T. was second in the Santa Anita Derby, suggested something would be wrong if Point Given doesn't sweep the Triple Crown, a feat accomplished only 11 times and none since Affirmed in 1978.
And what does Bob Baffert say?
''They're trying to put the jinx on me and take the pressure off of them,'' said Baffert, trainer of Point Given and also of Wood Memorial winner Congaree. ''If that's the case, how come 17 other trainers are entering their horses? They're just trying to put the whammy on me.''
Still, he acknowledged: ''Point Given looked great in the Santa Anita Derby and his two races this year. He should be the favorite. I think there have been false favorites here before, but he's a solid favorite.''
Reinforcing what other horsemen say, Baffert says Point Given is the prototype of a Derby horse.
''He's the kind of horse that, if you were going to sit in a lab and put all these concoctions together and say, 'I want to build a Derby horse,' that you'd build,'' said Baffert, who is going for his third Derby victory in five years.
''He's got the size, has stamina, the power, the body, the mind -- all the ingredients that you'd want in a horse, a Derby horse to go a mile and a quarter. And he's fast.''
The question with a big horse in a big field is what happens if he's stopped in traffic. Gary Stevens has said Point Given is one of the most agile horses he's ridden, and Baffert said the colt ''can stop and go pretty quick.''
Point Given -- a copper-colored son of 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch -- came to Louisville billed as the complete package, with strong 2year-old form and victories in his past three starts. He enhanced his reputation yesterday by cruising five-eighths of a mile in :58.1 seconds -- the fastest of any Derby work. This from a horse who has tended to be more impressive in the afternoons than the mornings.
''He was like a freight train coming down there,'' Baffert said.
The biggest difference between Point Given this year and last -- when he had three wins and three seconds in six starts, including a triumph in Turfway's Kentucky Cup Juvenile -- is that he doesn't seem to wait on horses once he takes the lead.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who will try to beat Point Given with Louisiana Derby winner and Lone Star Derby runner-up Fifty Stars, remembers being in the barn with Baffert's horses for last fall's Breeders' Cup, in which Point Given came flying 10 wide from last place to lose the Juvenile by only a nose.
''What I was amazed at was how soft he looked last November and how great he ran,'' Asmussen said. ''That was the scary part to me. What about when he looks ready?''
Such as now? Baffert says he has trimmed Point Given to 1,254 pounds from the 1,276 he weighed when he won the Hollywood Futurity. He described the Santa Anita Derby winner as so big ''that when you take him out of the stall, he just keeps on coming and coming out.''
''Gary Stevens has to have a special girth (for his saddle) for him because he's so big. Extra, extra large.
''He's always looked soft,'' Baffert added. ''He's a big-barreled horse, looks like he's in foal. But he runs hard and he has the right kind of mind, where he eats. That's the hardest part with these horses. They start getting light when you start putting these races together. But that doesn't affect him at all. At least he's kind. As big as he is, if he were mean, oh, man.''
But that doesn't mean he's not a handful. When Point Given goes out to train, he has to be kept on the move. None of this standing on the outer rail for 10 or 15 minutes before a gallop. He has gotten loose several times, and his first day back at the track after a workout is a time for special precaution.
''When he's out there, we don't give him a chance,'' Baffert said. ''We've got the lip chain on him. Boom, boom, boom. He's on the track, he's off the track. He doesn't stop to pose or nothing. But he likes cameras.''
Asked how many times Point Given has gotten loose, Baffert said, ''A few times. Half the time they (his staff) don't tell me. I hear it from somebody else. I'll ask them, 'What happened?' They say, 'He wasn't gone long. He just ran down to (Richard) Mandella's barn. We got him. No big deal.' ''
One of the more alarming times was when Baffert called his Santa Anita barn while on the runway for a flight to New York, where Congaree was running.
''I'm looking at the phone and thinking, 'I know who it is,' '' said assistant Jimmy Barnes, who was trying to round up Point Given after he had shed his bridle and rider. ''I do not want to answer this call. But I did.''
''He shouldn't have answered the call,'' Baffert said. ''He said, 'Point Given is loose on the track without a bridle.' What! The stewardess is telling me, 'Turn off the phone.' I'm here, 'What? Loose? ----!' She's here, 'Sir, sir, you've got to turn that off.' ''
''Hey, we had him cornered at the time,'' Barnes said nonchalantly.
Rival trainers fear Point Given getting loose again Saturday.
"He's got the size, has stamina, the power, the body, the mind all the ingredients that you'd want in a horse, a Derby horse to go a mile and a quarter. And he's fast."
Back to top
By Jay Privman
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Point Given, the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, landed the outside post in a field of 17 when post positions were drawn on Wednesday night for Saturday's 127th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Bob Baffert, the trainer of Point Given, and Prince Ahmed Salman, whose The Thoroughbred Corporation owns Point Given, had few options when selecting a post, since Point Given had the 14th pick. They could have taken 17, or one of the three inside posts.
Baffert landed a far more desirous post - eight - for his other entrant, Congaree, whose selection came second.
With a field of 17, Churchill Downs will have to use two gates to accommodate all the 3-year-old runners for the 1 1/4-mile classic. The main gate will hold 14, with three in the auxiliary gate. If all 17 start, the purse will be $1,112,000, with $812,000 going to the winner.
The draw is a two-step process. First comes what was supposed to be a traditional draw, in which entry cards are selected simultaneously with numbered pills.
This year, however, it was obvious the deck of entry cards was cut once. So, when the entry cards were pulled, the names were selected in reverse alphabetical order, beginning with Monarchos, though the pills came out in random order. That, however, merely determined the order in which trainers or owners picked their horse's posts, which followed.
A P Valentine had the first selection. Trainer Nick Zito, who made the selection, took post nine, saying it was inspired by both his and co-owner Rick Pitino's passion for the New York Yankees. "We wanted seven or nine. We took nine, for Roger Maris," Zito said.
The trainers began by picking toward the middle of the gate, then focused toward the outside. Jim Cassidy, a first-time Derby trainer, showed wisdom by picking post 15 for the longshot Jamaican Rum. He is the first horse in the auxiliary gate, and there is a large gap between posts 14 and 15 because of the positioning of the two gates, giving Jamaican Rum room to break cleanly. Speed horses ended up with the three inside posts. Songandaprayer, Millennium Wind, and Balto Star (in that order) are stuck inside. Their proximity could produce a sharp pace, since they will have to get out quickly to avoid getting trapped early.
The other speed horse, Keats, took post 14.
Back to top
By Jay Privman
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Point Given, the favorite, landed the outside post in a field of 17 when positions were drawn on Wednesday night for Saturday's 127th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Bob Baffert, the trainer of Point Given, and Prince Ahmed Salman, whose The Thoroughbred Corporation owns Point Given, had few options when selecting a post, since Point Given had the 14th pick. They could have taken 17, or one of the three inside posts.
"I didn't want to be in 17," Baffert said. "I wanted to be outside somewhere. But we really didn't have a choice. You can't worry about it. I've picked perfect and been wiped out," he said, referring to General Challenge, who finished 11th from post 14 in 1999.
"If I'd have had the one, I'd be throwing up right now," Baffert added. "I'd rather be in the 17 than the one."
Baffert landed a far more desirable post for his other entrant, Congaree, whose selection came second. He is in post eight.
With a field of 17, Churchill Downs will have to use two gates to accommodate all the 3-year-old runners for the 1 1/4-mile classic. The main gate will hold 14, with three in the auxiliary gate. The runners are double loaded, meaning posts one and nine are loaded first, followed by two and 10, etc. Point Given will be the last to load, which may be an advantage.
If all 17 start, the purse will be $1,112,000, with $812,000 going to the winner.
The draw is a two-step process. First, a card for each horse is selected along with a numbered pill. Those numbers determine the order in which trainers or owners pick their horses' posts.
A P Valentine had the first selection. Trainer Nick Zito, who made the pick, took post nine, saying it was inspired by both his and co-owner Rick Pitino's passion for the New York Yankees. "We wanted seven or nine. We took nine, for Roger Maris," Zito said.
The trainers began by picking toward the middle of the gate, then focused on the outside. Jim Cassidy, a first-time Derby trainer, picked post 15 for the longshot Jamaican Rum. He is the first horse in the auxiliary gate, and there is a large gap between posts 14 and 15 because of the positioning of the two gates, giving Jamaican Rum room to break cleanly.
Speed horses ended up with the three inside posts. Songandaprayer, Millennium Wind, and Balto Star are stuck inside. Their proximity could produce a sharp pace, since they will have to get out quickly to avoid getting trapped early. The other speed horse, Keats, is in post 14.
A potential trouble spot is Talk Is Money, a bad actor at the gate who is in post 11. Dallas Stewart, who had picked post 10 for his Dollar Bill before Talk Is Money's connections selected 11, sighed and said, "I didn't have any choice."
All starters carry 126 pounds. Each horse runs as a separate betting interest, so, barring any late scratches, numbers will coincide with post positions. Baffert has the top two choices in the race, according to Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form, who made Point Given 8-5 and Congaree 5-1. Watchmaker has six horses as the longest shots in the field, all at 50-1, though with 17 starters, and no mutuel field, there are likely to be a couple of horses who go off at more than 100-1.
The Derby is the eighth race on a 10-race program that begins at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. The Derby will be televised live by NBC Sports in a 90-minute telecast that begins at 5 p.m. Post time is 6:04 p.m., a half-hour later than in recent years.
The race should be run in ideal conditions. The National Weather Service is predicting that the sensational weather will continue through Saturday, with a high temperature of 78 degrees, about five degrees cooler than what is forecast for Friday's Kentucky Oaks.
Most of the Derby runners had completed their serious training earlier in the week, but Talk Is Money waited until Wednesday for his final drill. He breezed three furlongs in 37.80 seconds, then, after being examined by noted veterinarian Dr. Alex Harthill, had a new set of horseshoes put on all four hooves. The shoes have toe grabs, which offer more traction than the Queen's plates that Talk Is Money had been wearing.
Point Given was up early on Wednesday and went to the track just after sunrise. He usually goes out after the mid-morning renovation break. But since Point Given can be a handful following a day off - he walked Tuesday after working Monday - Baffert wanted to get him to the track early, mimicking the routine he had last Thursday.
Baffert said he was concerned the dizzying crush of fans that Churchill Downs allows to wander through the stable area during Derby Week might have made Point Given even more anxious than usual. So, in addition to going out early, Baffert also did not let Point Given wear the Derby saddle towel that he has worn most mornings. Point Given galloped one mile with exercise rider Pepe Aragon.
Congaree, who is far more controllable than Point Given, merely jogged a mile after the renovation break. He wore his saddle towel.
Back to top
By Jennie Rees, The Courier-Journal
In one regard, recent history is smiling on heavy favorite Point Given, who will start from the auxiliary gate in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Four of the past six winners -- including the past two -- have started from the outside gate, which is used when more than 14 horses start.
But the Santa Anita Derby winner and 9-5 morning-line choice also has some statistical history to buck: Point Given's No. 17 post position -- on the extreme outside of the field -- has never produced the Derby winner in the 29 times that America's most famous race has had at least 17 starters.
For the fourth straight year, Derby post positions were determined last night at the Kentucky Derby Museum by a process that combines a conventional luck of the draw injected with an element of strategy. After a traditional draw is held to determine the order of selections, agents for the Derby horses pick their posts from the remaining spots.
In the initial draw, Point Given drew the 14th selection. When it was his connections' turn to select a post position, trainer Bob Baffert had a choice between posts 1, 2, 3 and 17. Without hesitation he chose 17.
Later Baffert said he'd probably have picked 16 anyway, if he'd had more choice.
"If I'd had the No. 1 (post), I'd be throwing up right now," he said. "I'd rather be in the 17 than the 1. He's such a big horse. If he was on the inside, it would mean you'd have to gas him away from there (to avoid heavy traffic as outside horses move toward the rail). But basically they win the race because they have the heart and stamina, and they're good horses. It's not the perfect post, but the main thing is the horse is training well. That's the important part."
Baffert did get the second pick for Wood Memorial winner Congaree, the 5-1 second choice. He took post No. 8. That means Baffert's two horses will be among the last to be loaded, which is considered an advantage in a large field, when horses can get impatient and act up while waiting in the gate's stall.
Churchill loads two horses at a time, starting with posts 1 and 9 simultaneously, followed by 2 and 10 on out. If all 17 entrants start, the favorite will be loaded last and by himself. Baffert said he picked post No. 8 because Congaree wouldn't have to stand in the gate long.
The Derby trainers shunned the extreme inside posts, which they feel is a much bigger disadvantage than extreme outside posts. The thinking is that a speed horse drawing the inside is forced to commit to going for the lead. And horses who don't break well or who don't have much early speed can get shuffled back amid the dash as other horses and riders seek to secure position.
As it turned out, three classy speed horses had the final three selections. So Blue Grass runner-up Songandaprayer (who had the last choice) will break from the rail, Blue Grass winner Millennium Wind will have post No. 2 and Arkansas Derby and Spiral winner Balto Star will be in post No. 3.
For the second time in the four years of the Derby's nationally televised two-tiered draw, there were questions about the procedure.
When the format was first used in 1998, all but one selection spot had been taken in the traditional pill pull (where a horse's entry form is drawn, followed by a numbered pill shaken out of a cup), when a number came out that already had been awarded to another horse. Kentucky state steward Bernie Hettel ordered that the entire selection order be redrawn under the administrative rules of racing covering a correctable error.
Yesterday, reporters were left asking Hettel to explain the way the horses' entry forms were drawn, which produced a statistically mind-boggling sequence. However, this time it did not affect the randomness of the pill pull, and the draw was declared legal.
Here's what happened: As entry blanks were being pulled from a slotted box by Churchill racing secretary Jerry Botts, it became clear that instead of coming out in an apparently random order, they were coming out in reverse alphabetical order. The first name pulled was Monarchos, followed in order by Millennium Wind, Keats, Jamaican Rum and Invisible Ink until reporters -- who had a preprinted sheet listing the horses in alphabetical order -- were accurately predicting which horse's name would come out next.
After the names went up to A P Valentine -- the first on the alphabetical list -- they dropped to the last on the alphabetical list (Thunder Blitz), then worked their way back up, ending with Point Given.
This sequencing had nothing to do with the numbered pills, which followed no pattern. For instance, A P Valentine, whose name was pulled 12th, got the No. 1 pill to earn the first choice. Congaree, whose name was pulled ninth, drew the second choice.
Botts was not made available to the press, but Hettel said Botts told him he recalled shuffling the entry blanks six to 10 times.
While the past draws under this format showed no such pattern of names being drawn, Hettel said under Kentucky rules it wouldn't have mattered had the entry forms not been shuffled at all. The random aspect hinges on the pills, which were shaken out by assistant racing secretary Ben Huffman.
Hettel said he didn't watch Botts shuffle the entries. "He's one of the people I don't have to watch," Hettel said. "He's a superb racing official. I'd put him up there with the all-time greats."
Many of the Derby trainers were unaware of the unusual sequencing of names being called until being informed by reporters. None complained.
"I had a feeling Point Given would be last," Baffert said. "They're supposed to shuffle 'em (the entry blanks) around. But the pills came out (randomly). So what are you going to do?"
Todd Pletcher, who trains Invisible Ink and Balto Star, sought to quell any controversy, saying the integrity of the draw remained intact.
"The last pill (drawn for Point Given) could have been No. 1. It happened to be 14."
Invisible Ink got the ninth selection and Balto Star the 15th choice.
The 17 betting interests will be the most ever for the Derby because of a rule change that allows for the elimination of owner couplings and the parimutuel field.
Previously, any horses that had common ownership had to run as a single betting interest. However, a Kentucky regulation put into effect for last year's Breeders' Cup at Churchill allows stakes worth at least $1 million to separate such horses. In this case, the only horses with common ownership involve John Oxley, who owns 100 percent of Monarchos and 24 percent of Invisible Ink.
Under last year's scenario, when there was a maximum of 14 betting interests, there would have been a three-horse mutuel field, along with Oxley's entry.
If all 17 horses start, the purse will be worth $1,112,000, with $812,000 going to the winner. NBC, which is broadcasting the Derby for the first time, has moved the post time from the 5:32 vicinity in place for years to 6:04 p.m. The telecast will be 5-6:30 p.m. EDT.
Back to top
