A virtual Kentucky Derby featuring 13 Triple Crown winners will be part of NBC's extensive coverage of horse racing Saturday in the absence of the actual Kentucky Derby.
Johnny Love, the Star Tribune's horse racing handicapper at Canterbury Park, offered these insights into Saturday's virtual Run for the Roses:
LOVE'S LINE
The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Sept. 5 this year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead NBC is going to have a virtual race matching the 13 winners of the Triple Crown in an animated setting covering the 1¼ miles at Churchill Downs. Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner, is your 7-2 morning line favorite, as he should be. Second co-choices are Citation and Whirlaway at 4-1. Don't expect a horse to come from far back for the win. Some of these closers had much slower times in their victories than their modern rivals run.
My top choices:
SECRETARIAT is strictly the one to beat, and 7-2 are great odds. (Wish we could bet). He owns the fastest time in the Derby (1:59.4) and should be sitting off the pace ready to pounce. Should be moving like a virtual freight train down the stretch for the win.
AMERICAN PHARAOH won the Triple Crown in 2015 and won the Belmont in the second-fastest time among the Triple Crown winners. Expect him to be stalking the pace along with Secretariat.
SEATTLE SLEW broke slowly in his 1977 Derby win but worked his way to the front with Jean Cruguet aboard. Expect him to be on or near the lead from the start with a clean break.
