1. Don't be spooked by low odds on your Derby pick.

    Remember Seattle Slew? He went off at 1-2 in the 1977 Kentucky Derby and paid just $3 on a $2 win ticket. But he is the only horse that won that Derby. Even if he'd been 20-1, you wouldn't have the money now. But if you bet him, you could always proudly proclaim, "Seattle Slew, that was my horse!"

    2. On the other hand, if your pick has higher odds, you should think about betting more money.

    Some people think that if a horse is 30-1, it's a bargain. Bet just $2 and get back $60. But if you really like a 30-1 shot, why not bet $200 for a chance to collect $6,000?

    Sum it up this way: The higher the odds, the more you should bet. How else will you win a car?

    3. If you have a favorite and are looking for a big payoff, think about betting trifectas and superfectas. For example, you could make a superfecta bet with your horse (we'll call him No. 1, since the official betting numbers weren't set at press time) by hooking him with several others. Start with 1 on top, with maybe four horses (2,3,4,5) second, with the same four (2,3,4,5) third, and six (2,3,4,5,6,7) fourth. A S1 superfecta part wheel like that costs $48.

    Call our sample numbers as a superfecta part wheel of 1 with 2,3,4,5 with 2,3,4,5 with 2,3,4,5,6,7. (The "with" is the signal to the teller to go to the next position.) The cost of that is figured as1X4X(4-1)X(6-2),or1X4X3X4=48X $1 = $48,

    If  all  that  sounds  like  higher  math,  it  isn't. Math is hard. This is just arithmetic. Just say, "$1 superfecta part wheel," and away you go. But don't say, "box." A $1 superfecta box -of those seven entries would cost $480.

    4. Most bettors shun the lowly show bet. But the Derby might be the one time betting to show offers real value. There are almost always big show prices in the Derby. In past years, a small show bet on a lonely, longshot has turned out to be the biggest payoff on the board. So have at it!

    5. If you plan to carry out bets for others, insist on the betting numbers. Don't take names or post positions. That's just trouble.  Numbers only. Write down the bets. Bet them  all at one window early in the day. Stuff the tickets in an envelope and stash it away. Don't cash anything. Give your friends their winning and losing tickets. Then you're done.  If there are NO mistakes, the best you can do is break even,

    6. Study the colors of the silks of the rider of your horse BEFORE the race begins. They're in the program.

    7. By night, delve deeper into Derby mysteries over mint juleps at Jupiter Grill on Baxter Avenue.

    8. Moderation is the word for mint juleps on Derby Day. There are 10 races; limit yourself to one per race.

    10. Don't let anybody talk you off your Derby Horse horse.

                                 — Bill Doolittle