Happy Louisiana Derby Day!

Happy Louisiana Derby Day! First, a weather update. Here at my Broadmoor apartment, a few miles from Fair Grounds, it is overcast and the thermometer on my porch says it's 73-degrees. I'm watching Channel 6 WDSU's morning news and their meteorologist is saying to expect scattered "light" showers throughout the afternoon. This is a big improvement from last night, when it looked like we could be facing thunderstorms. On the Black Gold tip sheet I picked too many races as if they'd be off the turf or in the slop.

If you're driving to the track today, make plans to avoid both bridge closures and flying cabbages. The Huey P. Long bridge is closed eastbound, as it has been most weekends late. Also, there are St. Patrick's Day parades today, including the Irish Channel Parade kicking off at 1 p.m. at Magazine and Felicity. Yes, the St. Patrick's Day parades are great, and they will be throwing potatoes and cabbages and onions and all that, but keep in mind that if you come to the track all you have to do is cash one ticket, even if it's $5 to win on a favorite, and you can buy enough cabbage and potatoes to feast all weekend.