LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Another debacle at the Kentucky Derby post-position draw?

Churchill Downs officials say no and Derby trainers say no, but it appeared a random drawing in one phase of the process may not have been so random.

Here's what happened:

A selection order was determined by a random pill pull. Each time a numbered pill was pulled, the name of a horse was read to determine the order for selecting post positions. The 17 sheets of paper with the horses' names were also supposed to be shuffled. But after a few names, it became clear the list was being read in reverse alphabetical order, beginning with Monarchos and going up to A P Valentine. Then, the final six horses were read in reverse alphabetical order, starting with Thunder Blitz and moving up to Point Given.

Although there were no complaints, it appeared the sheets of paper with the horses' names was shuffled just once, with the bottom pile placed over the top pile.

"As long as the pills come out randomly, it doesn't matter," said Todd Pletcher, who trains Balto Star and Invisible Ink.

John Ward, who trains Monarchos, concurred: "I second that."

Trainer Nick Zito, who had the first pick and went for post position No. 9, said "I had the first pick. I've got nothing more to say."

When questioned about the way the names of the horses came out, racing secretary Jerry Botts insisted he shuffled the papers "six to 10 times."

Added Bob Baffert, whose 9-5 favorite Point Given -- the last horse called -- picked No. 17 post with the 14th selection: "You are supposed to shuffle them (the names) but as long as the pills are random, it's OK. Look, it happens."

In 1998, the first year of the new selection process, ESPN announcer Chris Lincoln called the No. 15 pill twice while picking the draft order for post positions, forcing a redraw.