Bellamy Road Gets Top Billing for Kentucky Derby

5-2 Favorite Will Start in No. 16 Position

LOUISVILLE, May 4 -- Wowed by Bellamy Road's stunning 17 1/2 -length victory in the Wood Memorial, Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia on Wednesday made Nick Zito's colt the 5-2 morning line favorite to win the 131st Kentucky Derby on Saturday. But after the post positions were drawn and odds revealed, Battaglia admitted his choice didn't reflect who he thinks will win the race.

"If you look at what Bellamy Road has done, this horse is coming into the Kentucky Derby stronger than any horse I've ever seen," Battaglia said. "If this was a regular race, he'd be 4-5, but since it's the Derby and there's questions on whether he can get the distance, I made him 5-2. Publicity horses get play.

"I think it's going to be a very fast pace. It's going to help a horse like Noble Causeway, who might be my top pick."

The two dominant questions in the first half of Derby week have been how Zito handles the five horses he will send out, and if Bellamy Road is for real.

The dark colt, who races for New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, has won four of five starts, the past two by a combined 33 1/4 lengths. The horse, however, has never won a serious battle, mostly because he has just run from the competition. The one time he did have horses challenge him, in the Breeders' Futurity in October at Keeneland, he finished seventh.

That was before Steinbrenner transferred him to Zito's barn.

Zito, who also sends out Florida Derby winner High Fly and runner-up Noble Causeway, as well as Sun King and Andromeda's Hero, appeared testy at times during the draw.

Asked how he is handling the gathering pressure, Zito said: "It's good pressure. It can't be bad. I stole that line from Billy Turner with Seattle Slew. They said, 'Billy, how can you handle the pressure?' He said, 'There's more pressure without Seattle Slew.' "

With the 10th pick in the draw, Zito placed Bellamy Road in the No. 16 post position in the auxiliary gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher, choosing first, put his 6-1 third choice, Bandini, in No. 15, the first slot in the auxiliary gate.

"I felt strongly you want to be toward the outside," said Pletcher, who also entered Flower Alley and Coin Silver. "Being first in the auxiliary gate gives you a little room and a margin for error. The auxiliary gate in the past few years has produced a fair number of winners."

Five of the past 10 winners have broken from the auxiliary gate in the 1 1/4 -mile Derby, the last being Monarchos in 2001. Smarty Jones won last year from post position 13.

Trainer Tim Ritchey chose post position 12 for 9-2 second choice Alex Afleet, and said he liked the spot for both his horse and jockey, Jeremy Rose.