Who's got the best wagering advice? Wally the Bet-man

Dick Day was manning a table Saturday near the escalator on the second floor at Canterbury Park. There was a sign and literature for Racino Now, the organization Day has headed since resigning from the Legislature in early January.

"You haven't given up," a visitor said.

The former state senator reached over the table for a handshake and said: "No, and we're not going to, because it's a no-brainer. People talk about a Vikings stadium, getting a little from here and a little from there. Those things aren't going to work.

"We have the plan that pays for it -- as much as $40 million a year -- and that the public supports."

The Racino Now plan calls for slot machines at Canterbury Park. There was little momentum for the racino proposal in this legislative session, and then came the gubernatorial endorsements that could not have gone much worse for the plan.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher is tied closely to the tribes and their generous donations to the DFL. And Republican Tom Emmer chose Annette Meeks, author of anti-gambling essays, as his running mate.

"I never thought I'd say this, but our best chance would be to have Mark Dayton win the [DFL] endorsement," said Day, a Republican. "Dayton's the only guy who understands that a racino -- he calls it 'casino,' same thing -- would take care of some problems."

The odds were spread between Lookin At Lucky at 6-1 and Discreetly Mine at 34-1 -- a spread unprecedented between low and high for a two-gate field at the Derby.

Wally the Beerman was among the first handicappers encountered on Canterbury's third level. "I like the 20 [Sidney's Candy] ... he won't get mud on the outside and he can run," he said. "And I'm going to put a few bucks on the 4 [Super Saver]. He's got Calvin Borel on him, and he drives like crazy."

Wally was asked to name a previous Derby bet in which he took pride. It took a moment to come up with "Silver Charm," the 1997 winner. The fact Charm paid a modest 4-1 quickly eliminated Wally as the preferred tout for this mess of a Derby.

There was a trio of gentlemen that appeared to be more hardcore in backing their choices. There were Daily Racing Forms and programs covering the table.

Elliott Benncasa said he was backing Mission Impazible. "He's in a good spot [14 hole] and a late runner," he said.

Unbridled was the 1990 winner at 11-1. He was owned by Minnesota's Frances Genter.

Frank Donato was backing Noble's Promise, the No. 3 horse. Marty Virgillo was considering Awesome Act, the No. 16 horse.

As for past Derby success, they also had winning bets on Unbridled, Thunder Gulch (25-1 in 1995) and Grindstone (6-1 in 1996).

We were getting warmer in finding a Derby horse to back, but first there was a conversation with a veteran player called Gorgeous George. He was going to take the plunge on the 8 (Dean's Kitten) and the 9 (Make Music for Me).

Previous big tickets? "I had Giacomo," he said.

This Derby looked like the all-time crapshoot going in, with the absence of a dominant colt and the extra-sloppy track.

Once heavy rain entered the picture, the public had rallied to Borel and Super Saver in advance wagering. The 4 horse was favored for a good share of Saturday, winding up at 8-1 and second choice to Lookin At Lucky's 6-1.

The late bettors perhaps decided that even the jockey nicknamed Bo-rail wouldn't be able to make progress near the rail in this slop. And then the field hit the stretch and here came Calvin, driving on the inside like crazy, and getting his third Derby victory on Super Saver.

Dang it. Why didn't a guy take a tip from Wally the Beerman and forget the rest of his research?