Enticed draws ‘excellent 12’ in classy Derby renewal

Godolphin trainer Kiaran McLaughlin best summed up the fall-out from the draw for Saturday’s G1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs with the comment: “Nobody got hurt. All the major contenders got good post positions.”

The McLaughlin-trained Enticed drew 12 in the 20-runner field, which delighted the trainer.

“It’s an excellent draw,” he declared. “There’s going to be speed down near the inside, and Mendelssohn from 14 will probably want to be getting up on to the pace.

“With plenty of speed on, Enticed should be able to be positioned in the middle of the pack. His post position is not a negative,” he stressed.

Fancied runners Audible (5), Justify (7), Hofburg (9), Bolt d’Oro (11) and Magnum Moon (16) all drew acceptable positions at the starting gate.

This 144th Kentucky Derby has all the makings of an epic American Classic, and the draw on Tuesday did nothing to destroy hopes of that being the case.

McLaughlin said Enticed had settled in well to his new surroundings having been vanned in on Sunday.