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Fittingly, O.J. picks Lawyer Ron to win

'I love lawyers, I know all about lawyers,' says man who won murder trial

O.J. SimpsonAP
Former NFL star O.J. Simpson, right, has been one of the notables seen at Churchill Downs this week.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - O.J. Simpson wandered the Churchill Downs backstretch Thursday, shaking hands, laughing and soaking up the pre-Kentucky Derby atmosphere.

His pick for Saturday’s race? Lawyer Ron, natch.

“I love lawyers, I know all about lawyers,” he said, mentioning the late Johnnie Cochran, who helped Simpson avoid murder charges in the 1994 deaths of his wife and her friend.

“If there was a Lawyer Johnnie, Lord knows, I’d put my house on it,” he said.

Simpson is making his third consecutive visit to the Derby as a private citizen, having visited years ago to fulfill endorsement obligations.

“You got better parties here than you do in Miami at the MTV Awards,” he said. “It’s the No. 1 event of the year. The hip-hop/movie/horse culture is all here.”

Wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers cap, Simpson drew stares and whispers as he strolled around.

“It comes down to Kentucky hospitality,” he said. “I feel totally comfortable and everybody’s great.”

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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