Derby? What derby?

It's awfully difficult to get excited about this year's version of the Kentucky Derby after scoring a huge $56.50 hit with monster mover Le Grand Cru in Belmont Park's opening day feature race: The Westchester

Trained by hall-of-famer Allen Jerkens and ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, Cru boasted impeccable credentials at Belmont Park including two wins in three starts at the one mile distance--in graded stakes company.

Even though the horse hadn't run in a month, the all-important monster move running line pointed Cru out as a possible selection. Pass the Point also showed the required line, but had no other credentials to compare with the eventual winner.

At this writing, I am also alive in four daily doubles.

Sweet dreams are made of this.

Oh, the Kentucky Derby? Bob Baffert's Lookin at Lucky, Gomez up, is the only horse to show a last race monster move line. Morning line odds of 3-1 are much too low for a wager. We'll see at post time, tomorrow.

Afleet scores at 24-1

Only the most astute student of the Monster Move would have even dared to make even the smallest wager on Afleet Again in Aqueduct's featured Grade III Withers. Guilty as charged.

The most difficult part was to identify the last running line as a qualifier. Experience has taught me that if it looks like and quacks like a duck, then.... It didn't hurt that I was familiar with the training methods of Robert Reid (30% winners) and the able riding of jock Mariano.

Afleet was making its first start since the Grade 2 Gotham, where the colt chased of a 1:11.4 six furlong pace before stopping to a gallop. At leg three of the all important running line, the colt was 20 lengths behind the leader. Remarkably, he only lost four more lengths.

Today seemed like a go! Afleet romped by three at 24-1. With the odds-on off the board, show paid almost as much as the win price. Additionally, my selection won the last race for a huge $456 double price.

A duck is a duck.