My Derby crush
I am the worst Kentucky Derby handicapper in the world. It’s not that I don’t put the time into it. I start following the two year olds in the summer and get more and more obsessed as the first Saturday in May draws near. My problem is that I fall in love with a horse or two at some point in the process, and then odds or value are irrelevant to me. Sometimes I get lucky, like I did last year with Curlin. More often I don’t, with a long list of also-rans having my love and affection through the years. This year I picked a favorite early. I liked Pyro a lot heading into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. I originally noticed him because he is a stable mate of Curlin. He treated me well in that race, finishing a strong second to War Pass. Since then he has largely been off the radar, though I couldn’t have been more excited when he recently started working with Curlin. Well, he made his three year old debut in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds this year. Wow. He was good last year, but he grew into himself in a big way in the offseason. It’s too early to peak, and I know I am setting myself up for a tough fall, but I am just plain giddy about this horse. Check out this race – the stretch drive is truly incredible:
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