Key keywords: 2024 Kentucky Derby Week, American Turf Stakes, Final Score racehorse, wide post draw, off-the-bench racing form, Churchill Downs turf course, graded stakes turf contenders, horse racing post position advantage As one of the most anticipated undercard stakes during 2024 Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs, the Grade 2 $500,000 American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds running 1 1/16 miles on the grass has drawn a stacked field of 14 contenders, with the lightly raced but highly touted Final Score emerging as one of the most talked-about entrants despite a major barrier to victory: a wide post 14 draw. A son of top turf sire Into Mischief, Final Score has not raced since a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland last October, making this start his first off the bench after a six-month layoff. Trained by champion conditioner Brad Cox, the colt won his debut maiden race at Saratoga last summer by 4 lengths before stepping up to graded company, and Cox has repeatedly praised his progress through the winter and spring at Churchill Downs’ training center. “He’s grown a lot physically during his time off, and his turf workouts over the last four weeks have been as sharp as any trainee in my barn,” Cox told reporters during Tuesday’s post-position draw press conference. “We were obviously hoping for an inside draw to give him an easier trip, but the 14 hole is what we’ve got, and we’re not making any excuses.” Post position is a widely documented advantage in turf races at Churchill Downs, where the tight inner turf course turns mean horses breaking from posts 12 or higher run an estimated 3 to 5 extra lengths over the course of the 1 1/16-mile distance. Historical data backs up the challenge: over the last 10 editions of the American Turf Stakes, only 2 winners have broken from posts outside of 11, with 7 of the 10 winners breaking from posts 1 through 5. The current race favorite, Prairie Hawk, drew post 3 and holds morning line odds of 2-1, while second choice Webslinger drew post 5 at 4-1 odds. Final Score is listed at 8-1 on the morning line, making him the fifth choice in the field. Cox and his team have tapped Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat to ride Final Score, a move widely seen as an effort to offset the bad draw. Prat, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby and has a track record of winning from wide post positions on Churchill’s turf course, said he plans to keep Final Score relaxed through the first quarter mile before looking for a spot to tuck in mid-pack as the field moves through the first turn. “He’s got a great turn of foot, so if we can save as much ground as possible early, we’ll have plenty of run left for the stretch,” Prat said. “It’s not an ideal spot, but this horse has the talent to overcome it.”