The Derby returns to the first Saturday, with fans, a sign of some normalcy

One of the first signs that we might be returning to some form of normalcy comes this Saturday with the return of the Kentucky Derby to its rightful date – the first Saturday in May, after a COVID-19 pandemic running of the Derby last year that was delayed until September, then run at Churchill Downs without spectators.

Making the race even stranger was the fact that last year’s Derby wasn’t the traditional first leg of the Triple Crown, but instead became the middle leg, after the Belmont run in June, and just prior to the Preakness run in October.

So, Saturday’s race should be more like
“old times” when the world turns to NBC to put all eyes on Kentucky and the fastest two minutes in sports.

Long has been the tradition here for me to throw out a couple of tips for betting on Saturday’s Derby race, with the warning that if you take my tips seriously, and plan on following my betting advice – I wouldn’t go more than $2 a bet.

My money this year will go on three horses. First of all, for the bet on the horse with the best name, my money goes down on the Florida gray Soup and Sandwich.

Owned by Charlotte Weber, the horse is coming off a second place finish in the Florida Derby. Weber is the granddaughter of John T. Dorrance, the founder of the Campbell Soup Company.

Soup and Sandwich was at 30-1 odds at this writing on Tuesday morning.

As for my favorite Bob Baffert trained horse (the category that replaced any horse that Pat Day was up on), I’m going with Medina Spirit.

Another Florida bred horse, Medina Spirit has two wins and three second place finishes in his last five starts, but none of those races were as long as Saturday’s 1 1/4 mile run.

Still, I think he’s worth a small wager for a pretty good payoff with the 8-1 early odds.

Now the safe bet would go to the favorite, Essential Quality, who is posting 5-2 odds in early wagering lines.

A Kentucky bred gray trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality is unbeaten in his last five starts.

Four of those first place finishes came in Kentucky, three just down the road from Churchill at Keeneland, and a September 2020 win at Churchill.

His last win came in April in the Keeneland Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, a 1 1/8 mile race that saw him take that win by a neck. As the favorite Saturday, most of the handicappers seem to think he can fashion his run for the longer race and the win.

There they are, Al’s Derby picks, and yes, unless we hear of scratches between now and then, those are where my Derby bets will be going. Watch next week to see if I’ve got change rattling in my pocket, or I had to borrow gas money to get home.

I’m looking forward to a true spring run Kentucky Derby this Saturday, again, watching on TV as has been my lifelong tradition, since I’ve got no influential horsey friends who have ever extended me a Clubhouse invitation to attend Kentucky’s biggest show to the world.

Post time for Saturday’s 147th Kentucky Derby is 5:57 p.m. central time.

Good luck!