Kelly’s Kentucky Derby Picks

This Saturday, May 6, is the 143rd Kentucky Derby. Many people will be places bets based on the horses' past performance, trainer, the jockey, and a multitude of other factors. While all of that is certainly important, there are people far more skilled at determining the rankings than I could ever hope to be, so instead, I'll rank the horses based on name alone.

Race horse names are always unique and interesting, so I thought it would be fun to pick my favorite names running in this year's Kentucky Derby. According to this interview by NPR, no racehorses may have the same name, and in fact, they cannot even sound the same. Additionally, permission must be had to use an actual person's name, and they are limited to using 18 characters when creating this name. All of this results in some creative names.

My top five picks, based on name, and name alone, in no particular order, for this Saturday are:

1. Practical Joke
2. McCracken
3. Lookin at Lee
4. Hence
5. Gunnevera

Take a look at all of the horses running this weekend, and pick your favorites. And if you're looking for a fun way to enjoy the Derby, don't forget about the Big Hats Big Hearts event at the Paradise Center for the Arts!