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As the highly anticipated 151st Kentucky Derby approaches, the buzz surrounding the event intensifies. Legendary trainer Bob Baffert, returning to Churchill Downs after a three-year suspension, showcases two notable entries this year. His horse, Citizen Bull, drew the rail position at the post position draw, while his other contender, Rodriguez, landed the fourth spot. Both horses will indeed face a challenging race filled with heavy traffic right from the start.
Leading the pack in early odds is Journalism, the favorite at 3-1, trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli. This horse has been placed in the 8-hole, with closest competitors Sandman and Sovereignty positioned in stalls 17 and 18, carrying odds of 6-1 and 5-1, respectively. Before we dive deeper into what their starting positions may entail, here’s a look at the full draw of the participating horses.
(Post Position, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line)
1. Citizen Bull, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, 20-1
2. Neoequos, Saffie Joseph Jr., Flavien Prat, 30-1
3. Final Gambit, Brad Cox, Luan Machado, 30-1
4. Rodriguez, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, 12-1
5. American Promise, D. Wayne Lukas, Nik Juarez, 30-1
6. Admire Daytona, Yukihiro Kato, Christophe Lemaire, 30-1
7. Luxor Café, Noriyuki Hori, Joao Moreira, 15-1
8. Journalism, Michael McCarthy, Umberto Rispoli, 3-1
9. Burnham Square, Ian Wilkes, Brian Hernandez Jr., 12-1
10. Grande, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 20-1
11. Flying Mohawk, Whit Beckman, Joe Ramos, 30-1
12. East Avenue, Brendan Walsh, Manny Franco, 20-1
13. Publisher, Steve Asmussen, Irad Ortiz Jr., 20-1
14. Tiztastic, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 20-1
15. Render Judgment, Kenny McPeek, Julien Leparoux, 30-1
16. Coal Battle, Lonnie Briley, Juan Vargas, 30-1
17. Sandman, Mark Casse, Jose Ortiz, 6-1
18. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 5-1
19. Chunk of Gold, Ethan West, Jareth Loveberry, 30-1
20. Owen Almighty, Brian Lynch, Javier Castellano, 30-1
Also Eligible
21. Baeza, John Shirreffs, Flavien Prat, 12-1
(Source: Churchill Downs, 4/26/2025)
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