 The first jewel of the triple crown is coming up on Saturday here at Churchill Downs. It is the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby. My top pick is a horse that I have liked for months and that is gonna be epicenter who's in post position number three looking to give Hall of Famer Steve Asvison his first victory in the Kentucky Derby. Three starts back he lost but I found out that he has some fight to him after setting a fast pace. He just finished second only defeated ahead. He got a soft pace two starts back and he made them pay and that was this evening margin because he coasted with plenty left as he won in the risen star but what I like about epicenter coming in is he showed a new dimension able to rate and sit just off the pace like he did in his most recent start in the Louisiana Derby. The second pick for me is gonna be the morning line favorite that is the 10 horse in Zandon. He was defeated by epicenter two starts back but he had some trouble that day in the risen star didn't get out of the gate the best but thought he ran very well that day in his three-year-old debut to finish third. He really took a big step forward from his three-year-old debut to his victory in the grade one bluegrass. I also feel that he is a horse that could sit mid-pack and a little bit closer than he did in the bluegrass. The third pick for me in the Kentucky Derby is a horse that is lost to epicenter and Zandon in his last two starts and that is the five and smile happy for Trennick Ken McPeak. I thought he ran well in his three-year-old debut to finish second by epicenter in the risen star. Last race the pace was moderate. He sat a little bit closer in the bluegrass stakes and I think that took the sting out of his closing kick just a little bit. I think that smile happy could be a little bit more effective sitting just a little bit further off the pace and he is a long shot. He is 20 to 1 on the morning line so epicenter Zandon and smile happy my top three picks and the 148th running of the run for the roses.