In days gone by, the Breeders' Cup Classic would be so laden with talented horses that I would anticipate the running over and over in my mind, days or even weeks before the gates ever opened. Looking at what we might see this year, I may find myself watching the Alabama-Tennessee game instead. Forgettable.

In order to remove myself from the problems that are confronting American racing right now, for one weekend, I am intent on going across the pond for my action.

Rick Dutrow doesn’t mince words. "I think that it’s our race to lose," Dutrow said. "I think that he is the best horse in the race and I think if he breaks with the field, he’ll win the race." He also is right. I'm rooting for Big Brown to pull into Belmont with a shot at a Triple Crown and immortality.

Bill Christine, HorseRaceInsider.com - You'll need a scorecard for the 133rd running of the Preakness. Yankee Bravo? That name sort of rings a bell. Behindatthebar? Seems familiar. Giant Moon? I remember him. Vaguely. The Preakness has always been a haven for the Triple Crown's new shooters, but this is ridiculous. This isn't a field, it's a road company of "Ben-Hur."

For Big Brown, undefeated but having raced only three times, the Derby (4 p.m. ET, NBC; post time 6:04) is a chance to validate the hype that has made such an inexperienced colt the favorite among oddsmakers to win the most prestigious event in American horse racing.