Back on track with Derby picks

That certainly was one of the ugliest Kentucky Derby’s I can remember, and has already been certified as the wettest Derby run ever.

Still, it was a party from the word go, and at least my streak of going 0-3 in my picks ended with just a one-year run.

Justify broke out of the gate clean and although he wasn’t a wire-to-wire leader, he was close, passing the leading gate breaking horse Promises Fulfilled soon after the start – somewhere near the second turn.

After that, Justify was horse-bent on the finish line and after a brief challenge by Good Magic, jockey Mike Smith later said he just kept a leg on each side of his horse, and his head in the middle and watched his horse win the 144th Kentucky Derby.

So, with my three picks last week – Justify, My Boy Jack and Magnum Moon, you didn’t leave the race a big winner, but unlike last year, you did have a little jingle in your pocket.

Paying $7.80 on the win, Justify was the only horse of my three picks to cross in the money, meaning if you placed a $2 bet on my three predictions in last week’s column, you came away with your $6 back, and an extra $1.80. (Full disclosure – I placed three $20 bets for a total of $60, and came away with $78.20 on the race).

Saturday’s win was the second Derby win for jockey Mike Smith (Giacomo – 2005), who became the second oldest jockey to win the race at 52 years of age, just behind legendary jockey Bill Shoemaker, who won the Derby on Ferdinand in 1986 (another one of my winning picks).

So, going forward, barring any training injury, illness or infections over the next 10 days, expect Justify to be one of the starters in the Preakness in the second jewel race of the Triple Crown, and of course, you have to bet on him in that race and should he win, a third bet in the Belmont Stakes on June 9 is in order.

Post time for the Preakness on May 19 is 5:20 central time. We’re Kentuckians – we all get to be horse racing fans as long as the Triple Crown run is alive.

In the meantime – if we can get some spring weather . . .

Let’s take it outside for a few months!