News item: Queen Elizabeth II will be on hand for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and will be given a full barrel of Crown Royal whiskey, which amounts to about 250 bottles.
Reaction: Sir Scribble has to talk his way into the Queen’s luxury box.
News item: The Queen also has been offered a lifetime supply of pizza by Papa John’s.
Reaction: No wonder she needs 250 bottles of booze — to wash down truly awful pizza.
News item: It costs an owner $50,000 to run in the Kentucky Derby, meaning Churchill Downs has to come up with only $1.21 million of the $2.21 million purse.
Reaction: If 115,000 fans show up, the Downs needs only $10.52 a person to come up with the rest of the purse. Here’s guessing the winner’s check will clear.
News item: For the first time since 1980, the Derby doesn’t include a horse trained by Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas or Nick Zito.
Reaction: It again shows how fickle the sport is and some owners like to go with lesser-known trainers who condition fewer horses.
News item: ESPN stretched the post position draw show into 60 minutes.
Reaction: What Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo said about agent Drew Rosenhaus — “This guy could screw up a one-car funeral” — also applies to the Worldwide Leader.
News item: Personal “American Idol” favorite Jordin Sparks struggles with a Bon Jovi song Tuesday night.
Reaction: Hopefully Jordin survived last night. If she did, she’s the favorite to win.
— Ryan O’Halloran
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