Thursday, May 05, 2011

Derby Draw

After many, many long and laborious weeks of the never-ending Triple Crown Mania and copious beer consumption, I had actually selected my potential Derby horses for the 137th Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands.

And then there was the Derby draw.

Post 19.

Post 1.

Ugh.

What's a bettor to do? According to Kentucky Derby history, Post 19 doesn't exactly have a glowing record of producing winners. As a matter of fact, it has never produced a winner. Neither has Post 17 for that matter, which is kind of bad news for Soldat.

And of course, Archarcharch landed in the dreaded 1-hole, where the onslaught of the prevailing cavalry charge to the first turn could push him up along the rail and maybe shuffle him back and provide enough traffic woes that his best alternate route would be I-64 through downtown Louisville. However, all may not be lost for Archx3. Post 1 has produced 12 winners since 1900, the last being Ferdinand 1986. And before that, you have to go back into your Way Back Machine, to Chateaugay (1963), albeit there was only 9 horses in the 89th Kentucky Derby - hardly a cavalry charge.

So now I'm faced with many, many long and laborious hours of never-ending handicapping and copious beer consumption - and maybe an antacid or two at this juncture - as I prepare to watch and wager the Kentucky Derby.

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