Photo un-finish

Maybe you saw it differently, which was a thing that was going around at soggy Churchill Downs yesterday. But the Blob knows what the Blob saw, and I'm stickin' with my story.

Which is, that was a hell of a race in the 145th Kentucky Derby, muck and all. Lawyer Up over For Now by a nose.

And if you're saying now you didn't realize there were horses named For Now and Lawyer Up in the field ... well, you weren't paying attention. You were too busy trying to figure out how 65-1 shot Country House, with a big assist from Instant Replay, wound up with the roses instead of Maximum Security, who actually won.

What happened was, the track stewards went to the tape after Country House's people filed a protest, and did something no track stewards in 145 years had ever done: They gave the victory to Instant Replay. Or, actually, Country House, which finished second but was awarded the W after Maximum Security was disqualified for what can be best described as "aggravated jostling."

Here's the deal: Maximum Security led virtually starting gate to wire, but as the pack came to the head of the stretch, he bore out slightly from the rail. This squeezed War of Will, who was immediately behind. This caused War of Will to veer into Long Range Toddy, causing both horses to briefly break stride.

And where was Country House in all this?

Coming fast on the outside. If you watch the tape five or six or a hundred times, you can see -- maybe -- Country House affected by the traffic jam for a nanosecond. And you have to look really, really close, in max slow motion, even to see that.

Nonetheless, Country House's people filed a complaint. What the hell, you're already a 65-1 shot, and it's the Kentucky Derby, not some claiming race. Why not try to beat even bigger odds?

Darned if they didn't. And meanwhile, the two horses truly affected by Maximum Security's hitch in its get-along -- War of Will and Long Range Toddy -- finished eighth and second-to-last.

Which suggests they were non-factors down the stretch anyway.

Look. It's the Kentucky Derby. There's like 96 horses in it. Traffic jams and aggravated jostling happen every year. It's like a restrictor plate race in NASCAR -- everybody bumpin' and bangin', everybody looking for the fast lane. No one ever files a complaint at the end, unless something completely egregious happens.

Which, in this case at Churchill Downs yesterday, nothing did.

So Maximum Security got robbed, and that takes us back to For Now and Lawyer Up. Those are your real winners here, because if this doesn't land in court before it's all said and done, the Blob will once again be shocked. Maximum Security's folks will Lawyer Up, and that means Country House is the Derby winner For Now.

Oh, and Instant Replay?

It has a new name now. One the Blob gave it a good long time ago.

Bleeping Instant Replay.