The Haiku Handicapper Presented By NYRA Bets: 2022 Kentucky Derby by Joe Nevills|05.03.2022|3:02pm Medina Spirit secured an easy by the time the Kentucky Derby 147 field rounded the first turn Time to analyze the 2022 Kentucky Derby field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five. To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here. #1 – Mo Donegal Copy/paste Zandon Pretty much the same thing here But less intriguing #2 – Happy Jack Least resistant path To a stall in the big gate He's gonna get thwomped #3 – Epicenter Best of Bourbon Street Crushed this season's deepest prep A “must” on tickets #4 – Summer Is Tomorrow Brave run in Dubai But he hit a hard ceiling Doubt he stays the trip #5 – Smile Happy Trending the right way Feels more like a Preakness threat But should run fine here #6 – Messier Did the class catch up In his So-Cal second place Or did he need one? #7 – Crown Pride Whether Dubai win Or hometown Hyacinth dud I've yet to be wowed #8 – Charge It Maturing quickly But he fits the profile of A Belmont winner #9 – Tiz the Bomb If Churchill burns down And they move this to Turfway He'd be worth a look #10 – Zandon Love his bravery Tough race for a deep closer If clear, he hits board #11 – Pioneer of Medina Needed defections But Fair Grounds was deep this year Could sneak a small check #12 – Taiba Hey, remember when Zedan said he wouldn't run If Bob wasn't here? #13 – Simplification A versatile style But his class, distance limits Are well short of this #14 – Barber Road Has some closing jets That never have enough gas He'd be an upset #15 – White Abarrio Unmatched at Gulfstream Not sure how deep that group was Foresee a step back #16 – Cyberknife He's grown up a lot From his wide-run Lecomte dud Worth examining #17 – Classic Causeway Came back from the bench To run about as well as The horse he nudged out #18 – Tawny Port Solved the dirt riddle Not sure he's good enough here But he'll win plenty #19 – Zozos He held on gamely Once Epicenter blew by Grits into top half #20 – Ethereal Road Third start in five weeks Each harder, none on the board He shouldn't be here #21AE – Rich Strike Hung on the fringes In a weak Turfway platoon An allowance horse #22AE – Rattle N Roll The wheels have come off After such promise last year It's not happening Prediction Epicenter is Who everyone thought he was Ten, twelve fill the tri