Dunkirk in the Kentucky Derby and Then I Hide

I have not had a decent Kentucky Derby since I spent the morning of May 5, 2001 wandering around muttering "Monarchos and Invisible Ink."  The $2 exacta paid $1229 and the $2 trifecta with Congaree paid $12,238.

Now with all I have learned, I am going to violate the very first principle of handicapping the Kentucky Derby. In fact I am going to violate three of them. Not only has my horse failed to go a mile or more as two year old, he has failed to win a race as two year old, and in fact he did not race as a two year old.

Dunkirk won his first start on January 24, 2009, won his next allowance race and then finished second to Quality Road in the Florida Derby.

Everything we know about the Kentucky Derby says this horse lacks the seasoning, the experience, the conditioning to go the grueling mile and a quarter.

Dunkirk is the only horse in the Kentucky Derby who ran in the Florida Derby after Quality Road dropped out with a foot injury. The Florida Derby was a great race. The pace was demanding. I could not look at myself in the morning if I passed on Dunkirk and it won.

Dunkirk on top with I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile, Papa Clem, West Side Bernie and maybe Friedan Fire. That $2 trifecta will cost $40. Then I will make some trifectas with I Want Revenge on top, using Dunkirk second and third, with the others for $16.

And some other bets.