As we countdown the hours now until the 1aaep-2006th running of the Kentucky Derby, we reflect on some of the odd things racing-related:

Betting Advice: Some people place bets based on previous race experience, others because of the jockey or trainer, a few by the color of the horse, or who his sire is. But what about the “uneducated” few that bet by the horse’s name? A few years ago, the NTRA ran a series of ads encouraging fans with its “Go, Baby, Go!” mantra, and it showed some older ladies holding up a sign for a fictional horse named Speedy Peanut, and they said they bet on Speedy Peanut because he should be fast. (I only remember this because I nicknamed my barrel horse that after seeing the commercial.) According to the London Daily Star, that choice of betting preference might pay better than one would think.

According to the report, out of a study of 2,000 women, more than half of those asked who picked a horse with their favorite name walked away from the betting windows with cash. Out of the remaining bettors in the study, one in five who liked the color of the jockey’s clothes won money, and 5% of women picked a winner because they “fancied the rider.”

Of course why this study was centered around women remains to be unseen, but it does show a different side to the handicapping experience