Kentucky Derby Prep: Instant Coffee draws Post 2 for 110th Louisiana Derby (Full List)

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Members of the horse racing community gathered on Saturday at the Fair Grounds for the drawing of the official post positions and morning line odds for the 110th running of the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). This prestigious Kentucky Derby prep race runs this coming Saturday, March 25, and is worth 100-40-30-20-10 points to the top five finishers.

Instant Coffee drew Post 2. The Louisiana Derby favorite is one of three horses for Trainer Brad Cox in this Kentucky Derby prep race.

Cox has swept the trio of local preps leading up to the 2023 Louisiana Derby, winning the Gun Runner with Jace’s Road, the Lecomte (G3) with Instant Coffee and the Risen Star (G2) with Angel of Empire. Both Jace’s Road and Instant Coffee are expected back for the Louisiana Derby, along with Tapit’s Conquest. Cox won the 2020 edition of the Louisiana Derby with Wells Bayou.

Last year’s Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen, finished second in the Kentucky Derby and was eventually voted the Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top 3-year-old of 2022. This year Asmussen is expected to run a pair of upstarts in Shoppers Revenge and Disarm.

Joe Kristufek, senior producer and racing analyst at Churchill Downs, hosted the post-draw from the paddock and was joined by morning line odds maker Mike Diliberto and racing analyst Kevin Kilroy.

Trainer Neil Pessin, a hands-on horseman who maintains a stable of about 15 racehorses, spoke with WGNO sports reporter Jack Culotta after the post-draw. His horse, Baseline Beater, drew the not-so-favorable Post 12.