It’s on tomorrow! Yes, the Kentucky Derby, the most exciting two minutes in sports, is tomorrow evening at about 6:30. As someone who aspires to make more than “enough” money, I feel a certain duty to report the goings-on of some of the people who have already attained that august distinction, and so here are a few highlights:
Lookin at Lucky is the odds-on favorite, and it looks like he‘s going to be tough to beat. Mike Welsch over at ESPN.com is reporting that Lookin at Lucky, trained by the renowned Bob Baffert, has been looking very good over the past week and a half. A potential trouble for Lucky, however, is that he’ll be starting from the inside rail position. According to Sarah Sessoms, Carolina Review‘s in-house horse racing expert, “that’s a really hard position to get stuck in, even if you are the best horse.”
Jerry Bailey, hall-of-fame jockey and ESPN analyst, predicts Sidney’s Candy to be another top contender. “I like his speed,” Bailey said. If he gets to the lead, Sidney’s Candy will be very hard to catch. Candy actually beat Lucky in the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month, although in recent practice rounds he has been sending “mixed signals” and is going to be a “major question mark” on Saturday, according to Welsch.
Paddy O’Prado, with odds of 20-1, is a bit of an underdog, but, depending on the weather, could be a serious contender. “That horse is a mud-dog,” said Sarah Sessoms. With a 60% chance of rain tomorrow, things are looking good for Paddy. Further, “Paddy’s jockey is Kent Desormeux, and he runs a fantastic race, so he may slip in there to win.” Plus, Mike Welsch says Paddy has been looking really good in pre-race practice runs, “machine-like in his efficiency during routine morning gallops, chugging along with the look of a horse who can run all day.”
Personally, I’ll be pulling for Paddy, but it should be a great race in any event.