LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- As if this week couldn't get any worse for Unbridled's Song, he drew the extreme outside No. 20 post position in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
In this century, one horse -- Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 -- won from that spot. Nevertheless, Unbridled's Song, who is being treated this week for an injured foot, was made the 8-to-5 morning-line favorite.
Last night's draw was just as harsh on the Derby's second and third choices.
The 7-to-2 second choice, Skip Away, drew No. 17, from where no Derby starter this century has won. The horse is owned and trained by a couple well known in Maryland, Baltimore native Carolyn Hine and her husband, Sonny.
After the draw Sonny Hine blasted the rules of the Derby, which admit up to 20 horses. He said the field should be limited to 14, which is the number of slots in the main starting gate.
The 15th through 20th horses break from an auxiliary gate, usually a severe disadvantage, despite Thunder Gulch's win from the 16th post last year.
Thunder Gulch was only the fourth of 157 starters ever to win from the auxiliary gate.
"It's ridiculous to have two gates," Hine said. "There are a lot of horses in there that don't belong. They're just cluttering up the field.
"Now my horse has to run a little farther than the horses inside just to get good position. That makes it tough. The race is tough enough already."
Also stuck in the auxiliary gate are two of D. Wayne Lukas' five-horse entry, Grindstone in No. 16 and Editor's Note in No. 18. As a coupled entry, they are third choice at 6-to-1.
But Lukas didn't mind -- the more the merrier, he said.
"I don't think you can deny people the ultimate dream of running in the Kentucky Derby," he said. "We've got the greatest two minutes in sports. Why tinker with it?"
Grindstone and Editor's Note are one of four coupled entries -- meaning if you bet one, you get both. The others are the Lukas-trained Victory Speech (No. 2) and Honour and Glory (No. 13); the Bob Baffert-trained Cavonnier (No. 4) and Semoran (No. 6), and the Nick Zito-trained Diligence (No. 3) and Louis Quatorze (No. 11).
The five horses in the mutuel field -- meaning if you bet one, you get all -- are Blow Out (No. 1), Corker (No. 9), Built for Pleasure (No. 14), City by Night (No. 15) and Matty G (No. 19).
Pub Date: 5/02/96
