Take off the blinkers, it looked shaky at best. The guy watched the pills being picked and then thumbed through the papers with his eyes open. A first grader could come up with a better system. Was it fixed?, probably not, but it was weird.

What would you like them to do? Have Roger Goodell hug each trainer after they draw a post position?

I didn't have any problem with it -- and obviously it is terrible TV.

However, why not have the guy pull the paper first and declare the horses name before the pill is pulled?

It really did look weird to see the pill being pulled first as the poor hapless guy is thumbing through the papers.

If the guy is going to thumb through and read the papers... the sequence probably should go 'horses name announced first - pill second' instead of 'pill first and horses name announced second'

Thank you, it's pretty simple really

They might as well throw the gimp from Pulp Fiction in there to spice things up.

I agree with Drugs that the papers shouldve been pulled first. That would be a start.

Seriously? Blinkers? It is how they do it dude. Your dislike of the way they draw races doesnt change the fact that this is the way it is done. The entry slips are turned over when they are drawing meaning they have no idea whose name is on the other side and I dont have any idea why anyone think that they would care.

Yeah except he isnt reading the names on the entries.

Yeah and if Im pulling the pills and I'm waiting on a certain name to be drawn then I can easily hold a pill in my hand with the desired number. Dont you think this hasnt happened before and there is a reason why they do it this way? It is called palming pills and no it wont happen in 2012 with Derby coverage and cameras around but as I said there is a reason that it is done like it is and it isnt for viewers pleasure.

OK, I'm wrong. But it still looked awkward, and a few times he looked on both sides of the paper.

Didn't see it this time around but count me in with the group that thinks it coulda / shoulda been better.

It wouldn't be hard to pepper it with Derby highlights from years past, etc.

Another instance where racing could have done more, presented itself in an exciting / romantic / historical / whatever light but instead it's another missed chance.

(Not that many would have tuned in, but still..... no excuse for dead air. Ridiculous).

Well, you know Chuck, there was a second shooter.

In past draws the papers were in a tall holder and the guy wasn't touching them at all -- let alone repeatedly thumbing through and reading them.

Obviously the draw was clean. The guy just looked bored out of his friggen mind.

Same here, and late last night I watched the NBCSN coverage that I had DVR'd. They filled in the blanks pretty well between picks.

Exactly. Only pretty hard-core fans were watching, and there would be little that could be done to spice it up for anyone else.

On second thought, they could have had the Derby hat models doing the little pasting of the silks thing.