When filling out office pools for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, it is natural to avoid placing all four top seeds in the Final Four. After all, part of the lure of the “Big Dance” is the shocking upsets and Cinderella stories.

A similar tendency permeates handicapping the Kentucky Derby. With a full field of 20 3-year-olds all trying a distance they have never tried before, it is tempting to search for Cinderella. Certainly, editions where 50-1 Giacomo finishes a half-length in front of 71-1 Closing Argument – as happened in 2005 – fuel this desire.

Yet Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina and UCLA – the four number one seeds – all advanced to comprise the Final Four in this year’s tournament, and the logical entrants in the Derby (more…)

Despite having the option of drawing a few stalls in, Big Brown will break from post 20 in the Derby because trainer Rick Dutrow — once again — reiterated how he wants him to have a clean run and stay out of trouble should he not break well.

Is anyone else concerned (more…)