Will eight be great for Visionaire?

The Bruce Zoldan-owned horse drew the same spot as Derby winner Barbaro.

Vindicator staff/wire reports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby is still days away but Visionaire trainer Michael Matz already has a win.

Matz, the former trainer of Derby winner Barbaro, won the draw for the first pick for post position, choosing the No. 8 spot for Sunday’s race at Churchill Downs.

Youngstown-area businessman Bruce Zoldan owns a share of Visionaire. which will be ridden by jockey Jose Lezcano.

Matz’s selection of the No. 8 spot is based on karma — Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby from that post in 2006.

Visionaire, a 20-1 shot in the Derby, has a race record of 6-3-1-1 and has earned more than $200,000. Most recently, the 3-year-old colt was gaining on his competition in the late stages of a fifth-place finish at the Toyota Blue Grass stakes on April 12 in preparation for the Derby. Visionaire has three wins since November and a third place showing back on February 9.

Unbeaten in three career starts, Florida Derby winner Big Brown was stamped the 3-1 favorite for Saturday after drawing the far outside No. 20 post position. Eight Belles, taking on the boys for the first time, drew the No. 5 post and was 20-1 on the morning line set by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.

“I feel that if we run our race, and he breaks clean, I don’t see a horse as of yet that can beat Big Brown,” trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said Wednesday. “I just don’t see it. I don’t want to see it, either.”

The only Derby winner to leave from the No. 20 post was Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.

“We prefer just to break on the outside,” Dutrow said. “We get assured of a clean trip. If he breaks good, we figure it’s to our advantage. We had a few choices and felt we took the best shot.”

Colonel John, the best 3-year-old in the West, was the second betting choice at 4-1. Pyro, a one-time Derby favorite, was next at 6-1 in the full 20-horse field. Every other horse was 15-1 or higher.

Pyro leaves from the No. 9 post and Colonel John from No. 10.

Big Brown and Eight Belles each have their own history to overcome if they are to win America’s greatest race.

For the lightly raced Big Brown, it’s inexperience: The last Derby winner with just three previous career starts was the filly Regret in 1915; and only two winners in the past 60 years have overcome just two 3-year-old preps, Sunny’s Halo in 1983 and Street Sense last year.

For Eight Belles, it’s the competition: A filly hasn’t run in the Derby since 1999, and only three have won, with Winning Colors the last to do so in 1988.

“We’re going to give it a whirl,” said Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, who finished second in last year’s Derby with Hard Spun. “If she runs her race against the colts and doesn’t get intimidated we feel like she can be right there.”

Big Brown will be ridden by two-time Derby winner Kent Desormeaux; Derby rookie Gabriel Saez has the call on Eight Belles, who brings a four-race winning streak into the Run for the Roses.

Big Brown burst onto the Derby scene with a 123‚Ñ4-length romp in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5. A five-length win in the Florida Derby made it 3-for-3. Last year, Curlin arrived for the Derby with a 3-0 record and finished third.

“I do think the people are going to bet on Big Brown, even though he is from the 20 post,” Battaglia said. “He’s undefeated. He looked awful ly good in Florida. There are plenty of knocks on Big Brown, like the fact he has only raced three times.”