Bob Baffert’s Arkansas Derby (G1) winner American Pharoah has been installed as the morning-line favorite in Saturday's $2,203,000 Kentucky Derby (G1) going 1 ¼ miles on the main track. An overflow field of 22 was entered in the race. Nick Zito’s Frammento and a late entry of Tale of Verve from Dallas Stewart being the two also-eligibles. If a horse defects from the race before 9 a.m. Friday morning, one of this pair could draw into the race.
In a blind pill-pull, American Pharoah, with jockey Victor Espinoza to ride, drew post 18. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby from post 18 was Gato Del Sol in 1982.
“Outside doesn’t really bother me,” said trainer Bob Baffert of American Pharoah’s post 18. “He’s a fast horse.”
American Pharoah's stablemate in the Baffert barn, Dortmund, will break from post 8 under the guidance of jockey Martin Garcia. Post eight has delivered eight Kentucky Derby winners. The last being 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird in 2009.
Churchill Downs odds-maker, Mike Battaglia, installed American Pharoah as the slight morning-line favorite at odds of 5-2, and Dortmund as the second choice at odds of 3-1. If American Pharoah were to win the race, he'd be the third favorite to win the race in as many years.
Installed as the third choice on the morning-line is Todd Pletcher’s Carpe Diem, who will break from post two under jockey John Velazquez. Co-fourth choice, at odds of 12-1, is Todd Pletcher’s Materiality and Simon Callaghan’s Firing Line.
James Cassidy’s Ocho Ocho Ocho drew the dreaded rail, post number one, while Ron Moquett’s Far Right drew to the far right, post 20. No horse has ever won from post 17, where D. Wayne Lukas’s Mr. Z will start the Kentucky Derby.
The full field with jockeys and morning-line odds is below.
Horse Jockey Morning-Line Odds
Ocho Ocho Ocho Elvis Trujillo 50-1
Carpe Diem John Velazquez 8-1
Materiality Javier Castellano 12-1
Tencendur Manny Franco 30-1
Danzig Moon Julien Leparoux 30-1
Mubtaahij Christophe Soumillon 20-1
El Kabeir Calvin Borel 30-1
Dortmund Martin Garcia 3-1
Bolo Rafael Bejarano 30-1
Firing Line Gary Stevens 12-1
Stanford Florent Geroux 30-1
International Star Miguel Mena 20-1
Itsaknockout Luis Saez 30-1
Keen Ice Kent Desormeaux 50-1
Frosted Joel Rosario 15-1
War Story Joe Talamo 50-1
Mr. Z Ramon Vazquez 50-1
American Pharoah Victor Espinoza 5-2
Upstart Jose Ortiz 15-1
Far Right Mike Smith 30-1
Photo: J. Oswald
