LOUISVILLE, Ky. – This guy named Aidan O’Brien has run horses in 61 American races that weren’t on turf and come away with two lousy wins. Some trainer, hey? And his jockey, Ryan Moore? Goose eggs across the win, place, and show columns in 18 American starts that weren’t on turf.

Who do these people think they are, bringing this grandiosely named colt Mendelssohn from Ireland to race in the Kentucky Derby?

Here’s a good place to invoke a useful phrase introduced into the American lexicon by Mark Twain: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

There is an empty stall on a particular version of horse racing’s Mount Rushmore – the one with the faces of Eddie Arcaro, William Hartack, and Bill Shoemaker staring down upon the mortals below.

NBC will debut a wire-cam that runs 15-18 feet above the racing surface of the entire backstretch at Churchill Downs during its broadcasts this week of the Kentucky Derby and other races from Churchill Downs, officials of the network said this week.

The wire-cam is secured by a 1,400-foot long cable that runs down the backstretch, and it will be capable of traveling up to 80 miles per hour, officials said during a conference call on Wednesday previewing the live racing coverage scheduled for Friday and Saturday on NBC and NBCSN.

Only time will tell how good this 3-year-old crop is. We’ll have to see what kind of speed figures they earn as they fully mature, and how this group fares when they compete against older horses. Here’s hoping we have lots of opportunities to see this crop take on the best of their elders.

But with Saturday’s Kentucky Derby now at hand, there is already a strong sense that at the top this is the strongest and deepest Derby class we’ve seen in years. What’s even better, this is an entirely likeable group, too.

The Breeders’ Cup has launched a contest that will award two VIP tickets to its two-day event at Churchill Downs this fall to the winner of a random drawing among those who select the winner of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Scat Daddy was a talented and tough racehorse who debuted with brilliancy and continued on to become a Grade 1 winner at both 2, when he took the Champagne Stakes, and at 3, when he rolled in the Florida Derby. He typically dug in when facing a challenge in the stretch.

CHURCHILL DOWNS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Winning his first Kentucky Derby in 1997 fueled the desire of trainer Bob Baffert to do it again. He did it. Again. And again. And again.

Now a four-time winner of the Derby, Baffert will go for a high five on Saturday here at Churchill Downs when he sends out the favorite, Justify, and a longshot, Solomini, in the 144th Derby. Only one trainer, Ben Jones – who won the Derby six times – has more.

Grade 1 Kentucky Derby | 1 1/4 Miles, Dirt, 3-year-olds | Churchill Downs, Race 12, 6:50 p.m. (ET)
Most Likely Winner: Bolt d’Oro (#11)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Training hours at an American racetrack often feel like barely controlled chaos. But step inside the Todd Pletcher barn and chaos springs to order. His shed row, efficiently bedded with wood shavings, always remains clear. Open the door to an office with every object neatly arrayed and there Pletcher sits at his clutter-free desk.