Springtime in Kentucky

One sure sign that spring is here is being able to walk Linus the black Lab without a coat. Another is opening day at beautiful Keeneland, which begins its three-week meeting Friday. Unfortunately, the weather is likely to be miserable, with an 80-percent chance of showers coming after heavy rain hit Lexington on Thursday. Before putting in its synthetic surface in 2006, Keeneland almost never took races off the grass, but now it does, so Friday's feature, the 1 1/16-mile, Grade III Transylvania Stakes, could be taken off the turf.

If it stays on the grass, the stakes-winning Prussian, a Bill Mott/Kent Desormeaux collaboration, will be heavily favored and perhaps vulnerable. The front-running Prussian couldn't handle Monmouth's water-logged turf course the day before the Breeders' Cup, but chances that Keeneland's turf will be as soggy as that are most unlikely, and if it is, the course won't be used Friday. If it stays on, I'll be tempted to try to beat Prussian with Boss Lafitte, which may be a silly stab. But 'Boss' is a son of Dynaformer, whose offspring, for whatever reason, do exceptionally well on Keeneland's turf. Boss Lafitte also got a positive workout comment by the Keeneland clocker.

Back later with picks for Saturday's Derby preps -- the Wood Memorial, Illinois Derby and Santa Anita Derby -- plus a few other stakes at Aqueduct and Keeneland.