THE DRAW | Journalism the 3-1 favorite for Kentucky Derby, draws Post No. 8 | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The business of journalism may have fallen upon hard times in some ways, but at Saturday’s draw for the 151st Kentucky Derby, he was the favorite.

The unbeaten Mike McCarthy-trained son of Curlin drew the No. 8 post in a presentation under sunny twilight skies at Churchill Downs’ Paddock Terrace and was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite, one of just three colts in the field with odds of lower than 10-1. Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, was the second-choice at 5-1 and Sandman, conditioned by Mark Casse, is 6-1.

"I would’ve been happy wherever we drew," McCarthy said. "My horse is fast and tactical. But obviously that is a good spot with plenty of speed inside of us."

As for having the Kentucky Derby favorite, McCarthy said his colt is deserving. He comes into the Derby off a win in the Santa Anita Derby.

"It’s where that horse belongs," he said. "I believe his body of work, his resume has been exemplary this year. He trains like a horse that should be the favorite."

Umberto Rispoli, who will ride Journalism in the Derby, says he's calm now, but knows that will change. He said the draw was welcome news.

"Everybody’s happy with that, right in the middle with speed inside and outside," Rispoli said. "The horse is doing well. I’m just happy, quiet, relaxed. Obviously the adrenaline will come up when we walk into the paddock, but I feel when Micahel legs me up, I’m going to be in the spot where I want to be, on top of my horse. . . . He has the right to be favorite, but there are others that have the right. . . . You have to respect everybody. It’s a messy race, a wide open race."

McCarthy will saddle his fourth Derby starter and second straight if Journalism makes it to the gate. He has sounded confident all week, though he did scrub a scheduled work on Saturday morning in hopes of better weather and track conditions on Sunday.

“This is what we're here for, right?” McCarthy said earlier this week. “You always dream of having a horse of this caliber, and seems things seem to be going the right way here. . . . I'd say my confidence level is high. I think that's kind of the way you'd want to be coming into this with a horse like him. Last year, we kind of got in here through the back door, winning the Jeff Ruby Stakes with a turf horse running on the dirt for the first time (Endlessly, his colt, finished a credible ninth). But this is a totally different animal altogether.”

Bob Baffert, in his first Derby back after a three-year suspension, got some unwelcome news right off the bat. His Citizen Bull, one of two he will saddle in the Derby, drew the No. 1 post.

"We drew it. I wasn’t thrilled about it," he said. "But a lot of times I wasn’t thrilled about the draw and we still won. . . . Once you’re inside like that, you’re committed. So we’re committed. If it happens, it happens. He’s a fast horse. He’s going to have to break well. Once you’re in that position, you can’t really worry about it. As long as your horse is doing fine and they break well, then you can’t worry about it. The whole Derby is about the break. If they get going too fast, that’s when some long shots can come and get you."

Baffert's other Derby entry, Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez, will break from Post. No. 4 at odds of 12-1.

Full post position, name, jockey, trainer and odds for the Kentucky Derby: