Bob Ehalt and Tom Pedulla became fast friends when they met on their first day at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1971. Bob soon introduced Tom to the joys of Thoroughbred racing.

They have endured some rough moments at the track, with Tom taking exception when Bob repeatedly smacks him on the back with a program as one of their horses launches an all-out drive. Much to Tom’s chagrin and the amusement of onlookers, Bob has been known to call for security as he proceeds to cash a $27 triple.

They have owned a number of horses together. They are often seen carrying on as if they never left their teenage years.

Here is their take on the 146^th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve:

Tiz the Law at Churchill. (Coady Photography)

PEDULLA: Bob, if I had second thoughts about Tiz the Law’s ability, he dispelled those with the way we saw him run in the Travers. I don’t know about you, but I had not seen a performance like that in the “Mid-Summer Derby” since Arrogate’s sizzling track-record performance in 2016. Very simply, Tiz the Law towers above his class. Barring an awful trip or something unforeseen, he gets the job done and I expect him to do it rather easily for Sackatoga Stable, a group we both find easy to root for.

EHALT: Can't argue with any of that, Thomas. Tiz the Law has been the division leader since February and he only seems to get better with each. We know the 1 ¼-mile distance won't faze him and there's no one in the field who seems a viable threat. He's won each time by at least three lengths and that seems likely to happen once again in this year's middle leg of the Triple Crown at an odds-on price.

PEDULLA: Although I would love to offer a longshot for second, I am drawn to Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. I think he is bred for success in this race and, as we both know from covering this race longer than we care to admit, getting the mile and a quarter is so much of the battle. Since he was upset by Thousand Words in the Shared Belief, Honor A. P. has put together a series of promising workouts. Trainer John Shirreffs has really tightened the screws on him in a bid to combine forces with “Big Money” Mike Smith for their second Derby triumph. This year, though, this classy son of Honor Code is second best.

EHALT: Great minds are thinking alike again. I believe the Shared Belief, where Honor A. P. was second to Thousand Words, was truly a prep for this race. The distance was too short for him at 1 1/16 miles but he was gaining ground at the end and it should have him on edge on a big effort here. He'll be the one chasing Tiz the Law in the stretch, though I can't see him catching the Belmont Stakes winner.

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PEDULLA: Bob, Max Player is another Honor Code colt that figures to get the distance. I was impressed by his ability to snag third in the Belmont after a layoff that had extended since his victory in the Feb. 1 Withers. He closed for third in the Travers and has every chance to move forward off of that race for new trainer Steve Asmussen. Max Player has never finished off the board in his brief five-race career. There is every reason to believe he will again get a piece of the pie.

EHALT: There was good news and bad news for Authentic this week. The defection of Art Collector will make his job a little easier on the front end, but drawing post 18 is worrisome – especially after the problems he had in the Santa Anita Derby while breaking from the outside in a much smaller field. As much as he appeared to tire in the Haskell, I believe it was immaturity rather than fatigue and I liked the way he woke up and galloped out after the wire. With Bob Baffert calling the shots, do not overlook him.

PEDULLA: No one is better than Baffert at getting horses to peak when it matters most. With the Derby rescheduled, he had the luxury of backing off a souring Thousand Words and building him back up for what is now the second leg of the Triple Crown. Thousand Words, a $1 million purchase as a yearling, demonstrated his quality in the Shared Belief. He has worked sharply since then. He is plenty good enough for fourth.

EHALT: You made some good points with Max Player. The distance should suit him and he was third twice before to Tiz the Law, so why can't he be in the exotics one more time? The third start off the layoff angle and a switch to the Steve Asmussen barn only help matters. If that 30-1 morning line price materializes, he is definitely worth using in the exotics to build up a nice playoff in a ticket topped by a 3-5 winner.