Eight Belles & Proud Spell

[Linny]

The post draw for the Derby is a joke. People play games, taking the spot at the outside of the main gate in the inside of the extra gate to get more room etc. Then a scratch occurs and they are shift anyhow. A random draw works for every other race, why not the Derby? From there, add AE's in graded earnings order. If scratches occur, the AE's are automatically outside. Remember, those outside posts have yielded plenty of on the board finishes and a few wins in the last decade.

The idea makes some sense esp as in this era, it's possible for a huge barn 9owner or trainer) to "stuff the entry box" then scratch all the "deadwood" leaving their best horse to run against 14 rivals rather than 19. Think Zayat. They could enter every one of their qualifiers then scratch all but say Z Fortune. This approach could be an effective way to get a shot field for a very strong frontrunner for example.