Zandon was installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and will break from the No. 10 spot after post positions were selected Monday.
The post position puts Zandon in the middle of the 20-horse field at Louisville, Ky., for the $3 million opening race of the Triple Crown season, which is exclusively for 3-year-olds.
Epicenter was declared the second betting favorite at 7-2, while drawing the No. 3 post. Messier will be the third favorite at 8-1 and will break from the No. 6 post. Mo Donegal (No. 1 post) and White Abarrio (No. 15) each were given 10-1 odds.
This year’s Derby will proceed without Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who was handed a two-year ban at the track after his horse Medina Spirit won last year’s race only to be disqualified following a drug test.
Baffert originally was the trainer of Messier, with Tim Yakteen taking over that role. Yakteen also has 12-1 choice Taiba in the Kentucky Derby field after the colt won the Santa Anita Derby at Arcadia, Calif., last month.
Nest was installed as 5-2 favorite for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks for top 3-year-old fillies and will break from the No. 4 post. Kathleen O. was selected the 7-2 second betting choice and will break from the No. 10 post.
–Field Level Media
