Steven Crist

It was only a few years ago that Kentucky Derby entrants who had not run a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure were widely dismissed as outsiders. Giacomo went off as the 14th choice at 52-1 in 2005 in part because his best Beyer coming into the race was a 98. This year, a 98 is the fastest last-out figure in the field.

1:15 pm: Late scratches have reduced the universe of possible Rainbow 6 combinations from 2.4 million to 1.2 million, but may have made the sequence tougher since the scratches include the morning-line favorites in the first two legs of the bet.

Where is the most expensive residential lakefront property in the United States? Lake Tahoe, Nevada would be a good guess, and that was the right answer until last year, when average property values were supassed by those where I spent this past weekend: Canadaigua Lake, the westernmost of the four Finger Lakes in western New York state, and the home of Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack.

It's a big and busy Saturday, with the last two Grade 1 preps for the Derby at Oaklawn and Keeneland and a $1 million race for older horses at Charles Town, but I'll be spending it at the only track running a nine-race card comprised entirely of races at 4 1/2 furlongs: It's opening day at Finger Lakes!

12:30 p.m.: Half an hour until first post at Aqueduct, where the skies are clear, the track is fast, and it feels like there's a crowded house already. With most of the grandstand still closed for racinovations, it's going to seem even busier, but there were well over 100 people lined up outside the main entrance when the gates opened an hour ago.