KENTUCKY DERBY : Summer Squall Made Favorite at 7-5; Frisky No. 2 Choice at 8-5

Summer Squall, the Jim Beam and Blue Grass stakes winner, drew the No. 14 post position today and was made the 7-5 favorite for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Unbeaten Mister Frisky, winner of the Santa Anita Derby, was the second choice at 8-5 and drew the fifth post in a field of 16 3-year-olds entered for the Derby.

The post position draw went well for the top prospects.

Thirty Six Red, at 10-1, got the No. 12 post. Silver Ending, at 12-1, was No. 11, and Unbridled, also 12-1, drew the No. 9 spot.

“Anything from 3 to 14 is OK,” Silver Ending’s trainer, Ron McAnally, said. “You don’t want the rail, and you don’t want the far outside.”

The three-horse entry of Land Rush, Real Cash and Power Lunch, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was made the 8-1 third choice.

The field, in post position order, with jockeys and odds: Dr. Bobby A., Nick Santagata, 50-1; Killer Diller, James Bruin, 50-1; Pendleton Ridge, Laffit Pincay, 20-1; Video Ranger, Ron Hansen, 30-1; Mister Frisky, Gary Stevens, 8-5; Real Cash, Alex Solis, 8-1; Fighting Fantasy, Shane Sellers, 50-1; Country Day, Jose Santos, 50-1; Unbridled, Craig Perret, 12-1; Pleasant Tap, Kent Desormeaux, 30-1; Silver Ending, Chris McCarron, 12-1; Thirty Six Red, Mike Smith, 10-1; Burnt Hills, Pat Valenzuela, 20-1; Summer Squall, Pat Day, 7-5; Land Rush, Angel Cordero, 8-1; Power Lunch, Randy Romero, 8-1.

All will carry 126 pounds. The No. 15 and 16 horses will start from the auxiliary gate.

Seventeen were expected to be entered, but the owners of Shot Gun Scott, Jean Friedberg and Scott Hamilton Jr., decided at the last minute to skip the race.

“He was not entered on the advice of Dr. Alexander Harthill,” said Hamilton, who would not elaborate.

Shot Gun Scott, winner of the Fountain of Youth, worked out poorly at Churchill Downs this week.

Summer Squall, criticized here for looking drawn and underweight, put in his final Derby workout Wednesday, going half a mile in a quick 48 2/5 seconds and five-eighths in 1:02.

“We were looking for anything on the underside of 49,” trainer Neil Howard said. “It got his blood pumping. He’s looking good; he’s eating good; he’s training good.”

Mister Frisky is the 14th undefeated Kentucky Derby starter. The last was Private Terms in 1988, and he finished ninth. Only four have won the Derby--Regret in 1915, Morvich in 1922, Majestic Prince in 1969 and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew in 1977.

Despite his perfect record, Mister Frisky is the second choice of the odds makers because he won the first 13 of his 16 races in Puerto Rico.

Since trainer Laz Barrera brought Mister Frisky to California in January, he’s won three stakes races, including the Santa Anita Derby. Three of the last four Kentucky Derby winners have prepped in the Santa Anita Derby, including Sunday Silence last year.

“I’m through defending Mister Frisky,” jockey Gary Stevens said. “If people don’t believe him now, that’s their fault.”

Mister Frisky went five-eighths of a mile in 1:01 4/5 Tuesday in his final workout before the Derby. He went the last quarter in a quick 23 2/5 and the final eighth in 11 2/5. His half-mile time was 50 2/5.

“Really, nobody knows how good he is,” Barrera said. “He won many of his races easy. Until the Santa Anita Derby, he never was hit with the whip before. He wants to win.”

KENTUCKY DERBY FIELD

Post time for the Kentucky Derby, first leg of the Triple Crown, is Saturday at 2:32 p.m. PDT. Sixteen horses carrying 126 pounds will run for 1 1/4 miles for a share of the $766,00 purse. The entries:

Horse Jockey Odds Trainer 1. f-Dr. Bobby A. Santagata 50-1 Stephen Di Mauro 2. Killer Diller Bruin 50-1 Frank Alexander 3. a-Pendlton Ridge Pincay 20-1 Bobby Frankel 4. Video Ranger Hansen 30-1 Ian Jory 5. Mister Frisky Stevens 8-5 Laz Barrera 6. b-Real Cash Solis 8-1 D. Wayne Lucas 7. Fighting Fantasy Sellers 50-1 John Churchman Jr. 8. f-Country Day Santos 50-1 John Parisella 9. Unbridled Perret 12-1 Carl Nafzger 10. Pleasant Tap Desormeaux 30-1 Chris Speckert 11. Silver Ending McCarren 12-1 Ron McAnally 12. Thirty Six Red Smith 10-1 Nick Zito 13. a-Burnt Hills Valenzuela 20-1 Bobby Frankel 14. Summer Squall Day 7-5 Neil Howard 15. b-Land Rush Cordero 8-1 D. Wayne Lucas 16. b-Power Lunch Romero 8-1 D. Wayne Lucas

Owner 1. Sue Kat Stable 2. Barry Schwartz 3. Bruce McNall 4. Cho Myung-Kwon 5. Solymar Stud 6. Overbrook Farm 7. Ray Cottrell 8. Joe Scibelli 9. F.A. Genter Stable 10. Buckland Farm 11. Debbie McAnally/ Angelo Costanza/ Nick Nickolas 12. B. Giles Brophy 13. Edmund A. Gann 14. Dogwood Stable 15. Overbrook Farm/ D. Wayne Lucas/ 16. Calumet Farm

a-Bobby Frankel trained entry; b-D. Wayne Lucas entry; f-mutuel field.