Kentucky Derby field is wide open and solid

Saturday features the 132nd version of the most exciting two minutes in all of sports, the running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

A full field of 20 3-year-old horses are entered to go a mile and a quarter in order to determine the winner of racing's most prestigious and heavily wagered event. The champion will earn almost $1.5 million of the $2.2 million purse, plus the opportunity to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and first since Affirmed in 1978. The Sport of Kings is forever in need of a Triple Crown champ, as this current 28-year drought is the longest in history.

The horse racing community's anticipation of this race is matched only by the difficulty involved in trying to handicap it. The Kentucky Derby is the hardest race to win. The huge field multiplies the amount of possible outcomes as well as troubling traffic, and none of these horses has ever traveled the mile and a quarter distance. Last year Giacomo won at odds of 50 to 1.

Historically in the Kentucky Derby, front runners and late closers haven't won very often, but Giacomo managed to come from way back in 11th at the turn for home, and in 2002 and 2003 War Emblem and Funny Cide became the first wire-to-wire winners since Winning Colors in 1988. Most of the winners have been horses that stayed close to the lead throughout the race then finished strong, but lately everything possible has happened. This Derby field is wide open and solid.

Predictions: Win - Sweetnorthernsaint; Place - Jazil; Show - Brother Derek; Fourth - Point Determined.

Rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast this week, which could help Bob and John, Barbaro and Jazil.

Note - This year at the Kentucky Derby, thirsty customers have the opportunity to purchase themselves a $1,000 mint julep. The cocktail comes in a gold-plated cup with a silver straw, and people will actually buy them.

NHL

The first round of the National Hockey League playoffs was terrific with 11 of the 44 games going to overtime, four reaching double-overtime, and 24 being decided by only a one-goal difference. Home ice as usual meant nothing with 23 road team victories, and the officiating has been consistent and strict with plenty of 5-on-3 action and power play goals.

The Eastern Conference went true to form with all four higher seeded teams winning, while the West was truly wild as all four of the lower seeds advanced. The remaining octopi in the Detroit area will not become projectiles, since the regular season champion Red Wings were shockingly eliminated by Edmonton.

Second round - In the NHL, teams are reorganized in the second round, with the highest and lowest seeded clubs from each conference matched up.

Predictions - New Jersey over Carolina in 6; Buffalo over Ottawa in 6; Colorado over Anaheim in 6; San Jose over Edmonton in 7.

Stanley Cup - The pick here was New Jersey, and after a sweep of the New York Rangers the Devils now own a 15-game winning streak. They could meet San Jose in the Finals.

NBA

As of Wednesday evening, none of the second round playoff match-ups were set in the interminable NBA playoffs. But if history repeats itself, it appears that San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami, New Jersey and Cleveland will get there.

The predictions are Detroit over Cleveland or Washington in 5, Miami over New Jersey or Indiana in 7, the Lakers or Phoenix over the LA Clippers in 6, and San Antonio over Dallas in 7. If Sacramento somehow gets past San Antonio, the pick is Dallas over Sac in 6.