LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Necker Island, the horse with majority ownership held by Wagner’s Wayne Scherr, will start in the middle of the starting gate in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Necker Island drew the No. 11 gate position in Tuesday morning’s post position draw. The horse’s initial odds for the race were 50-to-1, with Necker Island as one of eight horses opening with the longest initial odds. Necker Island, who was claimed in June for $100,000 by Scherr and two other Kentucky connections, is Scherr’s first Kentucky Derby horse.
“We’re good with it,” said trainer Chris Hartman regarding the post position for the race, according to Churchill Downs media services.
The race is 1 1/4 miles with a $3 million purse. Miguel Mena will ride Necker Island in the race, his second saddle in the Kentucky Derby and first since 2010.
Art Collector, which was projected to be one of the primary contenders in Saturday’s race, dropped out of the race early Tuesday with a foot issue.
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South Bend, trained by Mobridge native Bill Mott, took Art Collector’s spot in the field and drew the No. 8 post position with 50-to-1 odds in the race.
The field will have 18 runners, down from the traditional 20 in the Kentucky Derby. Tiz the Law, which drew post position No. 17, is the leading favorite at 3-to-5 (meaning a $2 win bet would pay $3.20 for a victory). Tiz the Law is the lowest-priced morning line favorite since 1989.
The most-favored horses find themselves on the starting gates furthest to the outside, with second choice Honor A.P. in the No. 16 hole at 5-to-1 odds, and third choice Authentic on the other side of Tiz the Law on the far No. 18 gate at 8-to-1.
The 146th Kentucky Derby field, from the rail out with odds, includes: Finnick the Fierce, 50-1; Max Player, 30-1; Enforceable, 30-1; Storm the Court, 50-1; Major Fed, 50-1; King Guillermo, 20-1; Money Moves, 30-1; South Bend, 50-1; Mr. Big News, 50-1; Thousand Words, 15-1; Necker Island, 50-1; Sole Volante, 30-1; Attachment Rate, 50-1; Winning Impression, 50-1; Ny Traffic, 20-1; Honor A.P., 5-1; Tiz the Law, 3-5; Authentic, 8-1.
Post time for Saturday’s race is scheduled for 6:02 p.m. Central.
