APLOUISVILLE, 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.”
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
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