I’ve been to the backside every day this week — watching workouts through binoculars, wandering from barn to barn in search of a betting edge — and I still have no clue which horses I’m putting in my annual six-horse exact box. Like every year, I’ve studied the racing form long enough to convince myself that any of the 20 Derby entrants could win, though recent history says bet the favorite. Boring, sure, but the favorite has won the past five years, the only such stretch in Derby history. And all the backside buzz this year is about favorite Justify. On Tuesday, though, I did eavesdrop on some turf writers raving about one of trainer Todd Pletcher’s four Derby horses (aka the Todd Squad). I don’t want to say the name and jinx it, but let’s just say maybe you should drink wine instead of juleps this year. —Josh Moss, editor
Last year I did a big, in-depth analysis to choose my Derby pick (who ended up losing — by a lot). This year, I'm over the drama of Derby and the effort of serious betting. For my pick this year, I'm falling back on an ages-old trope: the name. That'll be $2 on Flameaway to win, please. —Alexandra Winters, assistant web editor
Well, the moon is in Capricorn today. And an astrologer told me to consider Magnum Moon. And I have a tattoo that incorporates the moon. So I'm going with Magnum Moon. —Dylon Jones, web editor
