Barbaro Early Favorite
In advance wagering on today’s Derby, Barbaro is the early favorite at 5-1. Lawyer Ron is 9-1, and morning line favorite Brother Derek is 10-1. Well, a lot of people have been jumping off his bandwagon. Sweetnorthernsaint’s wagon, though, is getting crowded. He’s 7-1 in early wagering, and more and more people seem to be coming out in his favor, like Rick Bozich (“He’ll outrun Barbaro, Point Determined and Jazil today to win a Derby that many trainers are calling the most competitive in years“) and Tim Rice. I suppose the emerging consensus on ‘Saint should make me feel confident of my top pick; instead, it’s making me nervous. If the horse is this obvious, what have I overlooked that makes him a throwout? But these are the kind of second thoughts I can’t indulge on Derby morning. I’ve done my handicapping, I have something of a betting strategy. So long as there are no scratches or a sudden rainstorm to turn the track into mud, I should probably stick to my picks …
