Horse-Picking

I've always liked picking racehorses by name alone. It can be a challenge, when you can hardly look at a sports publication without the odds prominently posted. One worries that the lure of a more probable win might affect one's inner sense of 'name-coolness' if you will. However, this year's Kentucky Derby field has so few candidates with enjoyable names, the choice, for me was relatively easy.
Sinister Minister pretty much blows away the competition in the name department. The only fault with that name is that it tries perhaps a bit too hard, gets a little campy, but better that than to step out on horse-racing's world stage wearing a moniker with no more color than a bowl of Malt-O-Meal.
Lawyer Ron, Bob and John and Showing Up are not inspiring. If they should chance to win, the owners should be ashamed of themselves for marring the recordbooks with such flavorless names. After all do you really want to see Bob and John on the same list as Seattle Slew, Secretariat and Sunday Silence? C'mon! There should be a commission on Accountability in Naming with the power to fine those suckers.
No, the name is important. There are one or two clunkers on the list of previous Derby winners, but the consistency in name-quality is obvious and makes it obvious to me that picking the horse by name is much more rational than going by odds.
Luckily this year's field is not completely devoid of strong-runners with decent names. However the strongest, IMHO, is Sinister Minister.
This ESPN columnist almost completely agrees with me. I'm not sure how he puts Cause To Believe above Sinister Minister, but oh well.
http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing/story/5578960

4: Sinister Minister — Terrifying name. Though it sounds a bit too much
like a late 70's hair band, you've got to think horses like "Jazil" and "Brother
Derek" shake in their horseshoes when they hear the name "Sinister Minister"
announced over the PA system. With a name like Sinister Minister, this horse
should have a huge organ-based intro (preferably done by the band Boston), and
should come out in a black cape. If you really want to get creative, go WWE, and
give it an evil trainer that looks like Bobby,
"The Brain" Heenan as well.
Chances of Winning: Horrifyingly Good.