Don't be surprised if Pyro is smokin' at Derby finish line

Before a boisterous throng of 150,000, they'll run farther than they've ever gone before, and they'll find themselves in the largest crowd of horses they've ever seen. The dash to the first turn will be frenetic, for it always is, and when these 20 horses round the second turn, they'll first confront a tsunami of noise, then one of the sport's longest runs to the wire and then, at some point, their own weariness.

Nothing's like it. And in a horse's experience, nothing's even close.

What's most remarkable about the Derby is that despite its unique confluence of circumstances, the best horse usually wins: not the best horse in March or April, and not the horse destined to be best in October, but the horse that strikes this very moment, this first Saturday in May.

And, from here, Pyro appears to be that horse for today's 134th Kentucky Derby.

"My confidence is as good as it can be going into the Derby," Pyro's trainer, Steve Asmussen of Arlington, said Friday afternoon from Churchill Downs. "But having been to the Derby with Curlin, I know a lot of things have to fall in place to win it."

Although third in last year's Derby, Curlin went on to become Horse of the Year. Superlative horses, even great horses, can lose the Derby, horses such as Afleet Alex, Point Given, Risen Star, Nashua and Damascus. Native Dancer lost one race in his entire career, and it was the Derby.

And so Asmussen has a profound respect for the race and for the difficulty of hitting the moment perfectly.

With a scintillating stretch run, Pyro won the Risen Star Stakes in his first outing of 2008. And then he won the Louisiana Derby. But those were just lessons, steps leading to the first Saturday in May. Before each race, Asmussen told jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to teach Pyro whatever the colt needed to learn.

There were lessons in paddock decorum, starting gate efficiency, patience and, most important of all, winning. Of course, Pyro cut class in the Blue Grass Stakes, where he finished 10th, refusing to run a step on Keeneland's synthetic Polytrack.

But since then, everything has gone well for the colt. And he's ready to strike today.

"He's doing beautifully," Asmussen said. "A lot of things have to fall in place to win the Derby, but if he gets the trip, he's good enough to win."

It's nearly impossible to predict a trip -- who's going to be forced wide or get stopped in traffic. But with such speedsters in the field as Big Brown, Recapturetheglory and Bob Black Jack, the pace should be lively. In other words, they'll run fast early, which only enhances the chances of those that can run fastest late, horses such as Pyro, Colonel John and Monba.

And that's how the finish of the 134th Kentucky Derby looks from this corner, with Pyro wearing the roseate blanket at the end of day.

Derby Day

Derby Day is one of the year's best days for racing, and not just because of the Kentucky Derby. Five other major stakes will be run today at Churchill Downs.

In the Churchill Downs Handicap, Steve Asmussen will send out Noonmark, who could provide an indication of how the day will go. On April 21, Noonmark worked six furlongs at Keeneland in the company of Pyro. The fog was so thick that morning that no official time was recorded, but Asmussen said they finished together and worked well. Also among those entered are Junior College, Thousand Words and Elite Squadron.

Alina, who's owned by Brenda and Philip Robertson of Dallas, is among the favorites in the La Troienne Stakes. Also among those entered are Game Face, Keep The Peace and Secret Gypsy, who's owned in partnership by former Lone Star president Corey Johnsen.

Dreaming of Anna, who was the champion juvenile filly two years ago, has become even better since moving to the turf, where she has won seven of nine. She stands out in the Distaff Turf Mile.

Hystericalady, Miss Macy Sue and Miraculous Miss meet in the Humana Distaff. And the Woodford Turf Classic has stake winners including War Monger, Einstein, Thorn Song and Artiste Royale.

Kentucky Derby picks

Larry Barnes

Pyro

Colonel John

Z Fortune

Court Vision

Bill Gann

Big Brown

Colonel John

Pyro

Denis of Cork

Jim Mulvihill

Pyro

Big Brown

Adriano

Monba

Gary West

Pyro

Colonel John

Monba

Denis of Cork

134th Kentucky Derby

Today, Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.

10th race: Post time, 5:04 p.m.

Note: Opening day odds are listed.

No.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Cool Coal Man	Leparoux	Zito	20-1
2	Tale of Ekati	Coa	Tagg	15-1
3	Anak Nakal	Bejarano	Zito	30-1
4	Court Vision	Gomez	Mott	20-1
5	Eight Belles	Saez	Jones	20-1
6	Z Fortune	Albarado	Asmussen	15-1
7	Big Truck	Castellano	Tagg	50-1
8	Visionaire	Lezcano	Matz	20-1
9	Pyro	Bridgmohan	Asmussen	6-1
10	Colonel John	Nakatani	Harty	4-1
11	Z Humor	Douglas	Mott	30-1
12	Smooth Air	Cruz	Stutts Jr.	20-1
13	Bob Black Jack	Migliore	Kasparoff	20-1
14	Monba	Dominguez	Pletcher	15-1
15	Adriano	Prado	Motion	30-1
16	Denis of Cork	Borel	Carroll	20-1
17	Cowboy Cal	Velazquez	Pletcher	20-1
18	Recapturetheglory	Baird	Roussel III	20-1
19	Gayego	Smith	Lobo	15-1
20	Big Brown	Desormeaux	Dutrow Jr	3-1

Owners (by post position): 1. Robert LaPenta. 2. Charles Fipke. 3. Four Roses Thoroughbreds. 4. IEAH Stables and WinStar Farm. 5. Fox Hill Farms Inc. 6. Zayat Stables LLC. 7. Eric Fein. 8. Team Valor International and Vision R. 9. Winchell Thorougbreds LLC. 10. WinStar Farm LLC. 11. Zayat Stables LLC. 12. Mount Joy Stables Inc. 13. Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff. 14. Starlight Lucarelli and Saylor. 15. Courtlandt Farms. 16. Mr. & Mrs. William Warren. 17. Stonerside Stable. 18. Louie Roussel III and Rona Lamarque. 19. Cubanacan Stables. 20. IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.

Weights: 126 pounds. Distance: 1 1/4 miles. Purse: $2,211,800 if 20 start. First place: $1,451,800. Second place: $400,000. Third place: $200,000. Fourth place: $100,000. Fifth place: $60,000.