The event was transformed in 1998 from a blind draw to a two-step process that allowed the connections of Derby horses to ultimately select the starting positions of their horses.
Edited press releaseRacing fans and Derby Week visitors will get a close-up look at the nationally televised post position selection for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) as the "post draw" will be held this year in downtown Louisville's Fourth Street Live! The post selection will be telecasted live from 5 to 6 p.m. EDT May 3 as part of ESPN's "SportsCenter at the Kentucky Derby." The show will be followed by a celebration at Fourth Street Live! to include a concert by a nationally known recording artist to be announced at a later date. The new location for this year's show is the result of a partnership between Churchill Downs, Fourth Street Live! the City of Louisville, ESPN, and the Greater Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Churchill Downs is excited to bring the Kentucky Derby Post Selection Show to Derby fans, downtown workers and residents, and visitors to our community at Fourth Street Live!," said Steve Sexton, president of Churchill Downs. "We thank Fourth Street Live! and Louisville Metro government for their enthusiasm and support in making this idea a reality."The process of determining post positions for Kentucky Derby entrants was conducted for years as a blind draw known as the "Pill Pull." Under that process, entry forms were pulled at random and matched with numbers on balls, or "pills," drawn from a special bottle to determine the starting positions for Derby horses.
