Derby Watchers Focus On Seldom-Raced Pulpit Early Betting Favorite Draws No. 7 Post For Saturday’s Race
Pulpit is on the spot in the Kentucky Derby, and that’s OK with trainer Frank Brothers.
“I like this spot, I really do,” Brothers said Wednesday. “I realize we have 115 years of history to beat, but he looks excellent. He couldn’t be doing any better, but there’s a reason for that statistic.”
There has been only one Derby winner who did not race as a 2-year-old - Apollo in 1882 - and Pulpit was made the 2-1 early favorite after drawing the No. 7 post.
He also could become the first betting favorite to win the 1-1/4-mile Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs since Spectacular Bid in 1979.
Pulpit, a bay colt bred and owned by Claiborne Farm, sustained a stress fracture last year.
“For a young horse to take the kind of pressure he has, sometimes they just fall apart on you physically and mentally,” Brothers said. “But he hasn’t done that.”
Captain Bodgit, the only horse to beat Pulpit in his five starts, was the early 5-2 second choice.
“I think we’ll be the favorite at post time,” said Barry Irwin, who, with Jeff Siegel, is the managing partner of a 32-member syndicate that owns the colt.
Post positions for 13 3-year-olds were drawn Wednesday. It is the smallest Derby field since Spend a Buck beat 12 rivals in 1985. There were 19 starters the last two years and in 1993, 14 in 1994 and 18 in 1992.
The field and post-position order: Crypto Star, Phantom On Tour, Concerto, Captain Bodgit, Silver Charm, Celtic Warrior, Pulpit, Hello, Jack Flash, Shammy Davis, Deeds Not Words, Crimson Classic and Free House.
The field was boosted to 13 when D. Wayne Lukas decided to enter Deeds Not Words, winner of one of four career starts. It had appeared the trainer would not have a Derby starter for the first time since 1980. He won the race with the filly Winning Colors in 1988, with Thunder Gulch in 1995 and with Grindstone last year.
“Whatever you do, please, I’m not running the horse just to have a horse in the Derby,” Lukas said at a news conference Wednesday morning. Deeds Not Words was 50-1.
Other contenders included Concerto, winner of five straight races; Crypto Star and Phantom On Tour, 1-2 in the Arkansas Derby; and Free House, Silver Charm and Hello, 1-2-3 in the Santa Anita Derby. Silver Charm was the third choice at 5-1.
Others entered were Jack Flash and Shammy Davis, trained by Nick Zito, who won the race in 1991 with Strike the Gold and in 1994 with Go for Gin; Celtic Warrior; and Crimson Classic. Jack Flash and Shammy Davis will be coupled in the betting.
“I’d say it is good,” Irwin said of Captain Bodgit’s No. 4 post.
“It’s wonderful,” Brothers said, referring to the small field. “It’s the way it should be… . Twenty-horse fields are crazy. Many times the best horse don’t get there (to the winner’s circle).”
Stevens honored
Gary Stevens, who will ride Silver Charm on Saturday, was elected to the Official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame.
Others elected were trainer Philip G. Johnson, male thoroughbred Easy Goer, female thoroughbred Bold ‘n Determined, and Granville, in the horse of yesteryear category.