Like it is

Whitmore gets advantages aplenty at No. 10

Most likely Harry Rosenblum got the dose of medicine Wednesday afternoon to help him with the terrible stomach virus that's going around.

Rosenblum is part owner, with trainer Ron Moquett, of Whitmore, who is one of three Arkansas Derby graduates running in the 142nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Rosenblum had to be sick to miss the post position draw in Louisville, Ky., for the Derby, but a shout of joy coming from Hot Springs a little after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday might have been him when Whitmore drew the No. 10 post.

If there is a great spot to start the Derby, it is No. 10.

First, you are standing in the gate the least amount of time. The Derby loads two horses at a time, starting with Nos. 1 and 11 and finishing with Nos. 10 and 20.

Secondly, since Churchill Downs started using a gate in 1930, the most winners have come from the 10 hole. The nine winners from that spot are just 11.8 percent of all winners, but that's better than every other spot, especially No. 17, which has never had a winner. The last time a horse won from the No. 14 post was Carryback in 1961.

There have been six winners since 1980 who started in No. 10.

There are no guarantees in thoroughbred racing, especially not in the Kentucky Derby where anything can happen, although this race does seem to have more than enough early speed to set it up for stretch-running closers such as Whitmore, Creator or Suddenbreakingnews -- the three Oaklawn horses.

Nyquist, the undefeated favorite who already has earned $3,322,600, prefers the lead, but Danzing Candy, Destin and even Mohaymen will either challenge for the lead or be right on the 2-year-old champion's heels.

Mohaymen was the odds-on favorite in the Florida Derby, but no one was catching Nyquist that day in the mud, and he won by more than three lengths and picked up a $1 million bonus offered to any winner of that race who had come out of the Fasig-Tipton sale. That million bucks bonus probably explains why Nyquist picked that Derby over Santa Anita on his home field.

Mohaymen, Outwork and Gun Runner are the only horses in the field with one loss. Gun Runner was beaten as a 2-year-old; Outwork lost to Destin in the Tampa Bay Derby but came back to win the Wood Memorial; and Mohaymen finished fourth in the Florida Derby.

Exaggerator, winner of the Santa Anita Derby, will get some play, but he has lost three times to Nyquist. Keep in mind he's the only horse in the race with four 100-plus Beyer speed ratings in his past four races.

Some horses who appear to be improving are Creator, Gun Runner, Whitmore and Oscar Nominated.

Creator was the winner of the Arkansas Derby; Suddenbreakingnews was second after improving from seventh at the head of the stretch; and Whitmore, who was six wide on the turn and bobbled at the start, was third.

Rosenblum and Moquett may have gotten another piece of luck, depending on what you want to believe. It has been written that regular jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. opted to return to the mount My Man Sam, who broke his maiden last year and has two places since.

The owner and trainer, both Arkansas natives, were able to get Victor Espinoza, winner of the past two Kentucky Derbies, who could become the first jockey ever to win three consecutive times at the Derby.

For sure Whitmore and Co. got some breaks before the race. Saturday though, luck can make or break you in the Kentucky Derby.

Sports on 05/06/2016

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