Post Positions Not Favorable To Favorites

Eighteen colts and one fast filly were entered Thursday in the Kentucky Derby, but the filly, her stablemates and most of the other quality horses drew post positions in the far reaches of two starting gates at Churchill Downs.

For the trainer with the most, D. Wayne Lukas, the random selection of starting assignments proved to be no luck of the draw. Serena’s Song, aiming to become the fourth filly to win the Derby, drew the No. 13 slot; Timber Country, the juvenile champion of last year, drew No. 15.

So much for his power entry, the 5-2 early choice to win the race. And his third horse, Thunder Gulch, winner of the Florida Derby and running as a solo betting interest because of different ownership, drew No. 16.

To complicate life at the top, two stalls to the left of Serena’s Song, blocking her path to the inside, will stand the Canadian juvenile champion, Talkin Man. The speed merchant swept the Gotham Stakes and the Wood Memorial in New York by nearly 16 lengths.

“Serena’s going to have to make some adjustments,” said Jeff Lukas, the trainer’s son and deputy. “She’s the fastest of the three. We’ll just try to give her a natural start. It’s not a bad position for her. She may not be right on the lead, but she’ll be somewhere in the first four when they pass the grandstand. We don’t want her to get drawn into any speed duels.”

The likeliest speed duel might develop with Talkin Man on her inside, the second choice to the Lukas entry at 7-2. His trainer, Roger Attfield, reacted with some pleasure.

“No. 11 is fine,” Attfield said. “He won’t have any excuses from there. We’ll see how they pop out of the gate, and then Mike Smith can do what he wants with this horse because he doesn’t get rank.”

Regardless of any early jousting, there was speculation that the draw tended to favor horses with closing speed such as Tejano Run and Jumron, who might get their chance in the homestretch when the leaders wearied. But even that might depend on whether the pace was fast enough and tiring enough.

The draw ceremony was staged with fanfare on national television in the Kentucky Derby Museum on the grounds of Churchill Downs, where the Derby will be run on Saturday with an international tone supplied by two horses from England, one from Japan and the powerhouse from Canada.

They will be running a mile and a quarter for a role in American racing history and for the first prize of $707,400 from the purse of $957,400.