In this special Kentucky Derby edition of The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn have lots of things to discuss. Chief among them, the event of the century: The Horse Race Goes to the Races. Join us June 9 at Suffolk Downs to enjoy an afternoon of food, drink, horse racing and political analysis.

Meanwhile, Steve and Jenn brace themselves for what has now officially been thrust upon us all: presidential polling season. As the hosts note, there are a lot of things that polling can tell us about how people feel about their politics and their politicians. Steve and Jenn promise to, when addressing presidential polls, move beyond merely who's winning and who's losing and talk about what voters think about candidates' policies, and what drives a candidate's favorability among certain demographics of voters.

After unpacking a recent Quinnipiac poll that published Joe Biden's standing after he (finally) announced his candidacy as well as voters' responses to policies laid out by Democratic candidates, Steve and Jenn are joined by two very good friends of the pod.

First, Katie Lannan of the State House News Service drops in to walk the hosts through state budget proceedings, some of which occur in Room 348 of the State House (cue Hamilton track: The Room Where It Happens), and much of which are out of public view.

Next, Commonwealth Magazine's Sarah Betancourt explains the recent lawsuit that hit the US District Court on Monday. Middlesex and Suffolk County district attorneys Marian Ryan and Rachel Rollins are seeking to block ICE agents from Massachusetts courthouse properties, claiming that the threat of their presence makes noncitizen witnesses unwilling to appear in court for fear of arrest or deportation.

Finally, Steve and Jenn open up the mailbag via the Pony Express. Send your #mapoli comments and questions to us using the Pony Express (aka tweet @The_HorseRace or email us at thehorseracepodcast@gmail.com).