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How can you not like a horse named Chocolate Candy to win the Kentucky Derby? The horse is owned by Jenny Craig, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and will be ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

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There are so many story lines surrounding Chocolate Candy including his trainer Jerry Hollendorfer who is based in Northern California and owner Jenny Craig whose husband Sid died last year. Hollendorfer's own wife Janet is recovering from brain-tumor surgery. Hollendorfer has had three horses in the Derby before and none of them did anything as Eye of the Tiger finished fifth in 2003, Cause to Believe 13th in 2006 and Bwana Bull 14th in 2007. He did have the Derby favorite in 1998 with Event of the Year but the horse was hurt the day before the Derby and scratched. "I think this is the livest horse I've taken to the Derby since Event of the Year, and I think this horse is as good as Event of the Year." Hollendorfer has a fantastic resume as a trainer with well over 5,000 victories, the fourth highest total ever in American thoroughbred history.

Chocolate Candy is 20-1 in Kentucky Derby odds and will start from post position No. 11. The pedigree for Chocolate Candy may be better than any other horse in the Kentucky Derby. Chocolate Candy's sire, Candy Ride was undefeated while his dam, Crownette, was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. The pedigree going back even farther has Alydar, Bold Ruler and Native Dancer. It also includes Cryptoclearance and Mr. Prospector.

Not many horses with Northern California connections have ever made the Derby and those that did never won. We mentioned Hollendorfer's three, Eye of the Tiger, Cause to Believe and Bwana Bull. Since 1980 there have been four other horses from Northern California as Hoedown's Day was 12th in 1981; Casual Lies was 2nd in 1992; Cavonnier was 2nd in 1996 while Matty G, was 17th in 1996.

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Chocolate Candy has a legitimate chance to win the Kentucky Derby at double-digit odds. He has jockey Mike Smith who knows how to win the Derby instead of his regular jockey Russell Baze who has never done anything in the Derby and is only good in Northern California. And keep in mind that Chocolate Candy would have won the Santa Anita Derby and beaten Pioneerof the Nile had the pace been quicker. And if there is rain on Saturday, Chocolate Candy loves the mud.