For Immediate Release

No, my Mexican American friend (Is that still okay to say?), Kristian Gonzales, is not being profiled on the blog as part of today’s Cinco de Mayo theme. I’ll get to the reason in a moment.

Kristian and I met a few years ago when we were editing a documentary series for BRAVO called, "The It Factor," and he has been a dear and close friend ever since. He is a talented editor, but his heart is in horse racing. He loves betting on the ponies, he studies it, and has it down to an art form as well as a science. He’ll be the first to tell you he doesn’t win all the time.

Last year when I was working in Florida, I phoned Kristian to get his picks for the Kentucky Derby. He loves a good long-shot so he gave me a horse called "Giacomo" with 50-to-1 odds. I stopped at a gambling facility and put $6 down on the horse to win. Later, when my cameraman and I watched the race on TV., who should take the lead but Giacomo, and when he crossed the finish line, I was $300 richer.

Please see the link for Kristian's new website, “The Betting Life” in the "Links" section of this blog. I'll be taking his picks for tomorrow's Derby ... you can bet on it.