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3 Horses To Know In The Kentucky Derby

Goldencents training at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2013. Note: Due to an error in information provided by Getty Images, the original image with this post was of Golden Soul during one of its training sessions. We removed that image at 9:25 a.m. ET on May 5 and replaced it with this photo.
Andy Lyons
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Goldencents training at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2013. Note: Due to an error in information provided by Getty Images, the original image with this post was of Golden Soul during one of its training sessions. We removed that image at 9:25 a.m. ET on May 5 and replaced it with this photo.

This is a post for everyone (like us) who tunes into horse racing just once a year, on the first Saturday in May when the Kentucky Derby is run. Here are three horses that those who pay much closer attention say you should know about:

-- Goldencents. Andrew Beyer of The Washington Post is the nation's best-known horse racing writer and he's " ." According to Beyer, the colt's "most recent speed figure towers over his rivals' and [his] running style ought to give him a significant tactical advantage." This morning, Goldencents was a 5-1 choice to win (you can ).

-- Orb. that during workouts this week, Orb has "looked very happy ... and has given every indication he's taken readily to the Churchill Downs surface, with a series of eye-catching gallops." His odds of winning as of this morning: 7-2.

-- Normandy Invasion. The colt is one of Beyer's "serious contenders." And he's also, , become a "rallying point for WWII veterans." So if you like sentimental favorites, he may be your horse. His odds are a little long, though: 12-1 as of this morning.

Another horse, Verrazano, was getting 4-1 odds to win this morning. But Beyer says he's "prepared to take a stand against Todd Pletcher's undefeated colt." Verrazano's recent performances, according to Beyer, have turned what looked to be "a budding superstar earlier in the winter" into a horse that "appears to be on the downgrade."

Our friends at Louisville's WFPL, by the way, have . Later today, the station's is due to have a report on All Things Considered about Kevin Krigger, who's set to become the first African-American jockey in more than a decade to ride in the Derby (aboard Goldencents), and Rosie Napravnik. She riding Mylute (15-1 odds) in the race.

The is planning to post highlights from Gabe's report.

Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:24 p.m. ET (NBC-TV's coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET).

And though it's getting late to plan one, Kitchen Window has advice on " ."

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
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