Update: According to Jody Demling, who is on the ground in Louisville, the sun is shining and the sloppy track conditions are improving. The track is still listed as "sloppy" but could be upgraded to "good" by as early as 4 p.m. ET.
More than two inches of rain fell at the Downs on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Wood Memorial winner Irish War Cry was the 9-2 favorite at 2:15 p.m., while morning-line favorite Classic Empire is currently the fourth-choice at 8-1.
Original story
Inclement weather can affect most sporting events but perhaps none more so than horse races as sloppy conditions can turn a track like the one at Churchill Downs into a muddy mess. And with so much money on the line during the fastest two minutes in sports at the 143rd Kentucky Derby, getting a handle on the weather is most certainly important.
Rain is in the forecast all day in Louisville, Kentucky, up until the start Kentucky Derby at 6:43 p.m. ET. It begins with a 90 percent chance of precipitation around 11 a.m. and jumps back-and-forth between 40 percent and 25 percent up until post time, which should result in an unusually wet race Saturday evening.
"It's disappointing," said Classic Empire's assistant trainer Mark Casse in a conversation with the Block News Alliance. "I'm from Louisville. I want everybody to be able to come out and have a great Derby Day. But for us, you train your horse his whole life for this moment, and then to be tested in conditions he's never seen, it's not ideal."
Then again, if the weather is able to clear up and the track at Churchill Downs can dry out, it could ultimately be a fast race.
So which horse wins? Visit SportsLine to see Jody Demling's pick to win the Kentucky Derby as he goes for his ninth straight Churchill Downs win.
