Year after flip flop, NBC’s Eddie Olczyk hopes he feels better about his Kentucky Derby pick

By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer

Last year at the Kentucky Derby, Eddie Olczyk did what every horse racing fan and handicapper has done at one point — he changed his pick and ended up regretting it. The difference, though, is that Olczyk flipped with nearly 15 million people watching. Olczyk had told friends and fans whom he ran into after calling NHL games that he liked Mage. However, when it came time for the final picks segment on NBC’s coverage, Olczyk went with Verifying. Mage won, while Verifying finished a distant 16th in the 18-horse field. Olczyk — a part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage since 2015 — remains a part of the network’s horse racing coverage even though it no longer carries the NHL