DERBY DRAW GETS REDRAWN; LOTTERY GETS NEW FORMAT.Byline: Ed Schuyler Jr. Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. A new numbers game will take place today at the post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. . A horse's name will be drawn, and then a number. But the number won't be the post position, as in the past. Instead, it will signify the order in which the horse's trainer and/or owner will select a post-position. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently - ``Mr. Ed, No. 6,'' means Mr. Ed's connections will go sixth in choosing a post position for him. ``It's still luck,'' said Bob Baffert, trainer of unbeaten Indian Charlie and Real Quiet, who won the Derby last year with Silver Charm. ``You get a chance to maybe handle it better.'' ``It's still the luck of the draw to a certain extent,'' said Bill Mott, who was elected to thoroughbred racing's Hall of Fame on Tuesday and is the trainer of Favorite Trick. In the opinion of Nick Zito, trainer of Blue Grass winner Halory Hunter, ``The No. 1 thing is it helps racing get attention. On the other hand, I don't think it matters.'' ``There was no reason to go to the draw before,'' Baffert said. ``This adds some life to it.'' The draw will be televised by ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network at 2 p.m. and will take place in the Kentucky Derby Museum The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby, it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1984. at Churchill Downs. A field of 15-17 3-year-olds is expected to contest the 1-1/4-mile Derby on Saturday. The winningest post-position since 1900 is No. 1. Twelve winners have come out of there. But only two have done so in the past 25 years - Chateaugay in a nine-horse field in 1963 and Ferdinand in a 16-horse field in 1986. ``If I had one of my two horses go in the one-hole, I would want it to be Real Quiet,'' Baffert said. ``He's not quick, and they just leave him. He's a one-pace horse. The draw will have a real impact on Real Quiet. I don't want him on the outside. Indian Charlie is a push-button (electronics) push-button - A roughly fingertip-sized plastic cover attached to a spring-loaded, normally-open switch, which, when pressed, closes the switch. Typical examples are the keys on a computer or calculator keyboard and mouse buttons. horse. You can put him anywhere in the race.'' ``I'll take from six to 14, that's a lot of holes'' said D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. , trainer of Cape Town, the Florida Derby winner. 124th KENTUCKY DERBY Post-position drawing: Today, 2 p.m., ESPN Race: Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Channel 7, 1540 AM Favorites: Indian Charlie Favorite Trick Halory Hunter CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO (Color) Derby favorite Indian Charlie. Associated Press BOX: 124th KENTUCKY DERBY (see text) |
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