DERBY NOTEBOOK From Churchill Downs

Castledale draws popular post: Castledale trainer Jeff Mullins arrived in Louisville on Wednesday afternoon and promptly nabbed the Kentucky Derby post position he coveted. The Santa Anita Derby winner will break from No. 16, the second stall in the auxiliary gate. The 16 post has produced three winners in the last nine years: Thunder Gulch in 1995, Charismatic in 1999 and Monarchos in 2001. "That was the spot we wanted all along," Mullins said. "We've got a little horse and we didn't want to be stuck down inside. On the outside, he'll be free to make his run." Jose Valdivia will ride Castledale, 15-1 in the morning line. The rest of the auxiliary gate isn't as desirable. Pro Prado (30-1) will break from 19 and Pollard's Vision (20-1) will start from 17, the only two posts which have never produced a Derby champion. In the case of Pollard's Vision, the outside post might be an advantage -- the Illinois Derby winner is blind in his right eye. John McKee will ride Pro Prado and John Velazquez is aboard the Todd Pletcher-trained Pollard's Vision. Pletcher also trains Limehouse (30-1), who got the pole position. The last horse to win from the No. 1 was Ferdinand, in 1986. Pletcher had little choice -- he picked 19th out of 20 entries. The last stall remaining, the No. 20, went to Steve Asmussen's Quintons Gold Rush (20-1). Asmussen said he saw advantages to starting from the far outside. "I expect he will show quite a bit of speed from out there," Asmussen said of his colt, who will be ridden by Corey Nakatani. "And if it rains this weekend, I hope he can throw some mud back in their faces. We certainly weren't looking for the 20, but there are benefits."
Touch of gray: Four gray or roan colts -- Imperialism, Pro Prado, Tapit and Wimbledon -- are entered. Wimbledon trainer Bob Baffert would have had two grays in the Derby, but pulled out Preachinatthebar after a flat workout last week. Preachinatthebar is a son of the gray colt Silver Charm, who won the Derby for Baffert in 1997. "I like gray horses. I have a lot of gray," said the silver-haired trainer. "I happen to have them because I like the way they look." Eight gray or roan horses have won the Derby. The last was Monarchos in 2001.
Happy day: Pat Day will compete in his 22nd Derby aboard Minister Eric, moving past Eddie Arcaro and Laffit Pincay on the list of career mounts. Only Bill Shoemaker, with 26 appearances, has ridden in more Derbies than Day, Churchill Downs' all-time winningest rider. Day, 51, hasn't sat out a Derby since 1983. His only win came in 1992, aboard Lil E. Tee. "It's the greatest thrill I've had in racing, by far," Day said of his victory.
Just getting here: Song of the Sword and trainer Jennifer Pederson arrived at Churchill Downs on Wednesday morning after an 80-mile van ride from Keeneland. The Illinois Derby runner-up breezed four furlongs in 49.4 seconds under exercise rider Kevin Grau. Pederson and Imperialism conditioner Kristin Mulhall are the only two female trainers in the Derby. They will become the 11th and 12th women with entries. Pederson, 41, has been around horses since she was 16, even though her parents had no connections to the sport. "I don't exactly have the right pedigree," she said Wednesday. "I'm by an artist, out of a housewife. But if you have passion and drive, you can do anything. Nothing can keep me out of the barn in the morning."
Early forecast: The National Weather Service is predicting mostly cloudy skies and a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms in Louisville on Saturday. The high temperature was expected to reach the mid-70s.
-- Associated Press
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