2015 Kentucky Derby Draws

2015 Kentucky Derby Draws

An exceptionally strong line-up for the 141th ‘Run For The Roses’ ensured that the draw ceremony, held on Wednesday, 29 April 2015, was a highly anticipated affair.  Gate 1 is considered the toughest of the draw, with gates 5 – 8 the most favourable and with a 20 horse line-up, the draw could have more of a hand in the eventual outcome than usual this year.

The draws are listed below:-

South Africa has two interests this year.  Ocho Ocho Ocho, a son of Darley stallion Street Sense, is out of Winner, a daughter of our late, great Horse Chestnut.  Ocho Ocho Ocho was bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms and will be partnered by Elvis Trujillo for trainer Jim Cassidy.  Unfortunately they drew the dreaded no 1 starting gate.  Our other contender is in the training ranks, with the globe-trotting Mike de Kock saddling Mubtaahij, the Irish-bred son of Dubawi for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.  They drew gate no 6.

Trainer Comments

Ocho Ocho Ocho (1) – Jim Cassidy

“It is what it is. It’s a tough spot but what are you going to do? My plan, to be honest with you, is still to take hold and sit in the second flight. I’ve got to think Carpe Diem and a couple of those others are going to go but I don’t want to go with them, or sit behind. That’s what I’m going to talk to Elvis [Trujillo] about.”

Carpe Diem (2) / Materiality (3) / Stanford (11) / Itsaknockout (13) – Todd Pletcher

“In a perfect world, I would have liked to have been more toward the middle with Carpe Diem (and Materiality). But he’s a good gate horse and he’ll have to get away from there quickly. That’s pretty much true whatever your draw is in this race. Materiality is a good gate horse, too, so if he gets out he ought to be fine. My other two (Stanford and Itsaknockout), I like their draws. Good spots right in the middle.

Tencendur (4) – George Weaver

“I would have preferred to be outside further. The further you are inside the more subject you may be to some bottlenecking going into the first turn. It’s very hard to predict everything that’s going to happen after that gate opens. It’s an OK post. We’ll deal with it.”

Danzig Moon (5) – Mark Casse

“Post position five isn’t the middle but with this post position we can sit in the back of the pack and come from behind. We’re not unhappy with the post.”

Mubtaahij (6) – Mike de Kock

“I suppose we’ve got to be happy with that. One isn’t a good one, 20 isn’t a good one. I said we’d be happy with seven or eight and we drew six so we’ve got to be happy.”

El Kabeir (7) – John Terranova

“I’m fine with it. I think we drew great. We got speed on the inside of us. We’ve got speed outside of us. I actually glad about the post because we’d be in a position not to lose ground hopefully on the first turn or get pushed out. We’ll sit back and see how the race unfolds from there.”

Dortmund (8) / American Pharoah (18) – Bob Baffert

Dortmund – “He’s a horse that gets going. He’s quick. He’ll be right there in the mix. It will be tougher to watch one in there, so whichever one breaks the best I’m going to key on him.”

American Pharoah – “It’s OK. It’s good. Anything but being down there. We talked about being on the outside. I feel like 20 would have been great for me. Out there at least you have a little bit of an option. He’s fast. American Pharoah is fast.” Jockey Victor Espinoza on post 18 — “I love my post, 18. I feel lucky with that number.”

Bolo (9) – Carla Gaines

“I like it. Not too far inside, not too far out. We get options this way.”

Firing Line (10) – Simon Callaghan

“I’m very happy with the draw. I believe we’re last to load, which is an advantage. And with the No. 10, you’ve got options.”

International Star (12) – Mike Maker

“It was pretty straightforward. I’m glad we didn’t have the one but that’s about all. I don’t think we’ll be forwardly placed so [the horses around us] are really not an issue.”

Keen Ice (14) – Dale Romans

“It’s one of the best spots of all of them. It might have been what I would have picked if I could.”

Frosted (15) – Kiaran McLaughlin

“We’re very happy with it. We’re the first one in the auxiliary gate, so we have a little room at the break. There’s plenty of speed outside us; there’s plenty of speed inside us. The one hole is just the one that you feared. Other than that, we’re fine and we like the post.”

War Story (16) – Tom Amoss

“I was a little ambivalent but my daughter texted me and said that 16 has had more success than any other post so I’m excited about that. I’m not worried about the post at all.”

Mr. Z (17) – D. Wayne Lukas

“I love it. Great post. Just being out there, not being in the gate very long, being able to just pop in there and leave. That’s a good spot, great spot.”

Upstart (19) – Rick Violette

“The way I look at it is: my job the next three days is to convince Jose Ortiz it’s the best spot in the gate. My job the next three days is to convince Jose Ortiz that it’s the exact post position we wanted.”

Far Right (20) – Ron Moquett

“For us it is actually OK because our running style won’t be affected. We’ll let everybody do that voodoo that they do and we’re just going to sit behind and watch them and come get them later.”

The field for 141st Kentucky Derby will face the starter at 6:25 p.m. ET (approximately 00:25 local time) on Saturday, 2 May 2015 under the famed twin spires of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

(source: Kentuckyderby.com)