LOUISVILLE. Ky. _ Here's a sure thing for Saturday's Kentucky Derby: The track will be wet. On Thursday afternoon, weather.com was saying 90 % chance of rain. But how wet? Will the track be rated muddy, sloppy or good? Hey, I can't predict the future.
Wait, sometimes I can. If you boxed my three picks _ Justify, Good Magic, Audible _ in last year's Derby, a $2 exacta box returned $69.40 and a $2 trifecta box paid $282.40. On NBC's telecast, you will be reminded that its excellent handicapper, Eddie Olczyk, also selected the top three. Well, this Eddie wants equal time even if he doesn't make TV money.
It will be difficult to pull off an encore, but duty calls. At least there's lots of wet-track form, even if the best mudder, Omaha Beach (2 for 2), was scratched. Of the field of 20, seven have won on a track not rated fast _ War of Will, Master Fencer, Maximum Security, Tacitus, Haikal, Win Win Win and Spinoff _ and seven others have run on one _ Country House, By My Standards, Improbable, Plus Que Parfait, Long Range Toddy, Cutting Humor and Bodexpress.
