Derby News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 3, 2006) - Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek, winner of the Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) and unbeaten in three races this year, has been installed as the 3-1 favorite to win Saturday's 132nd running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at historic Churchill Downs.

Brother Derek was narrowly favored in Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia's morning line odds over Lael Stable's unbeaten Barbaro, the Michael Matz-trained winner of the Florida Derby (GI), and the Estate of James Hines, Jr.'s Lawyer Ron, the Robert Holthus-trained winner of the Arkansas Derby (GII). The two horses are listed as 4-1 co-second choices in the Kentucky Derby morning line.

Brother Derek, a California-bred son of Benchmark, remained the Kentucky Derby favorite despite the fact that he will break from a far outside post in the field of 20 horses entered in the 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-olds. Brother Derek's connections chose post 18 from the handful of post positions that remained when the colt's turn came up in the Kentucky Derby Post Selection Show, which was broadcast live on ESPN on Wednesday evening from Louisville's 4th Street Live! entertainment complex.

Jockey Alex Solis, who has three runner-up finishes in 14 Kentucky Derby mounts in his career, will be aboard Brother Derek in Saturday's "Run for the Roses."

Peacock and trainer Dan Hendricks had to wait until the connections of 15 other horses had chosen their post positions before they selected post 18 for the Derby favorite. The order of post selection had been determined by a blind draw in the track's racing office earlier in the day.

"When I heard this morning when were picking 16th, it got to me a little bit and I was upset, but by the time I got back to the barn and thought about it a little bit, I was fine with it," said Hendricks. "I was afraid that we might wind up in (post) 1, 2, 3 or 20. It didn't work out that way at all. I have to be realistic about this and I can't be complaining. It's the Kentucky Derby. It's the greatest race in the world and I am here with one of the favorites. How can I be upset?"

Hendricks will attempt to become the fourth consecutive Derby rookie to saddle the winner of the famed race. The past three trainers to win the Derby - Barclay Tagg (Funny Cide, 2003), John Servis (Smarty Jones, '04) and John Shirreffs (Giacomo, '05) - all did so in their first attempt.

While the favored Brother Derek will start from a position in Churchill Downs' auxiliary starting gate, so will co-second choice Lawyer Ron, who will start alongside the favorite in post 17. John McKee will be aboard the son of Langfuhr for veteran trainer Robert Holthus, who will participate in his fifth Kentucky Derby.

"He likes to be outside," said Holthus. "The 15 would have been ideal but it was taken. I'm happy. I did not want to be trapped down inside. There is a lot speed to the inside of us and if we can follow somebody we will be in good shape."

Barbaro will break from post eight under jockey Edgar Prado as he attempts to become just the sixth unbeaten winner of the Kentucky Derby. The others that made it through the Derby with a perfect racing record include the great filly Regret (1915), Morvich ('22), Majestic Prince ('69), Seattle Slew ('77) and Smarty Jones (2004).

The son of Dynaformer will also look to overcome a significant bit of Derby history. His Florida Derby win came five weeks before Saturday's Derby and the last horse to win the race off five weeks rest was Needles in 1956.

Other major contenders in Kentucky Derby 132 include Balsamo & Theos' Illinois Derby (GII) winner Sweetnorthernsaint, a Michael Trombetta-trained gelding who is listed at 10-1 in Battaglia's Derby morning line, and a trio of 12-1 contenders trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert. The Baffert runners are Stonerside Stable's Bob and John, winner of the Wood Memorial (GI); Lanni Family Trust's Sinister Minister, a runaway winner of the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland; and the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust's Point Determined, runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby.

Stan Fulton's A.P. Warrior, winner of the San Felipe (GII) and third-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), is next in the morning line at 15-1. Trainer John Shirreffs, who saddled Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss' Giacomo to win last year's Kentucky Derby, chose gate 10 for the A.P. Indy colt with the first spot in the post selection order.

"We got number 10 with Giacomo last year and it worked out very well," Shirreffs said. "So that had something to do with our pick today. In fact, it's hard to predict how a race like this will unfold so the idea is post positions can get a little overrated. It looks like there is a lot of speed in the race but with 20 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles, we've all seen cases where the jocks take a hold and if that happens, who knows what is going to happen going into that first turn. So you just do it as it comes up."

Along with Barbaro, Lael Stables will start unbeaten Coolmore Lexington (GII) winner Showing Up in Derby 132. Lael owners' Gretchen and Roy Jackson will become the first owners to start two unbeaten horses in the Kentucky Derby.

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