136th Kentucky Derby

Can't believe it's that time of year again. Time to see which horse will try to breal the 31 year old Triple Crown drought. The favorites may have a tough time due to the rain and sloppy track. Post time is 6:24 PM EDT.

Here's the story from the AP as I read it on espn.com.

All male horses carry 126 pounds. All female horses (11 Devil May Care) carry 121 pounds.
Betting Odds as of Wednesday:

136^thKentucky Derby

Post Horse Odds
1 Lookin At Lucky 3-1
2 Ice Box 10-1
3 Noble's Promise 12-1
4 Super Saver 15-1
5 Line of David 30-1
6 Stately Victor 30-1
7 American Lion 30-1
8 Dean's Kitten 50-1
9 Make Music For Me 50-1
10 Paddy O'Prado 20-1
11 Devil May Care 10-1
12 Conveyance 12-1
13 Jackson Bend 15-1
14 Mission Impazible 20-1
15 Discreetly Mine 30-1
16 Awesome Act 10-1
17 Dublin 12-1
18 Backtalk 50-1
19 Homeboykris 50-1
20 Sidney's Candy 5-1

Here is a look at the 20 horses that will run today.

Here are the latest odds, as of 6:09 PM EDT (dramatic changes due to the weather):

Post Horse Odds
1 Lookin At Lucky 7-1
2 Ice Box 10-1
3 Noble's Promise 24-1
4 Super Saver 8-1
5 Line of David 18-1
6 Stately Victor 19-1
7 American Lion 21-1
8 Dean's Kitten 23-1
9 Make Music For Me 28-1
10 Paddy O'Prado 11-1
11 Devil May Care 10-1
12 Conveyance 27-1
13 Jackson Bend 21-1
14 Mission Impazible 18-1
15 Discreetly Mine 34-1
16 Awesome Act 12-1
17 Dublin 19-1
18 Backtalk 21-1
19 Homeboykris 25-1
20 Sidney's Candy 9-1

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WIN: 4 Super Saver $18 $8.80 $6
PLACE: 2 Ice Box $11.20 $8
SHOW: 10 Paddy O'Prado $7.40

Exacta: $152.40
Trifecta: $2,377.40
Super: $$202,569.20

-----

Now that Super Saver is this year's Triple Crown hopeful, here's a story about the winning horse and his dominant jockey.

It's good to know that Super Saver will run in the Preakness in two weeks.

135th Kentucky Derby

Hard to believe the Kentucky Derby is over for another year. Yeah I know it's always the first Saturday in May, but wow, it seemed to sneak up on me this year.

Well, as you no doubt already know, Mine That Bird, at 50-1, pulled off the second largest upset in Derby history with his win today. And it wasn't close, either.

This horse came out of nowhere to win, literally. It really was quite amazing to watch, especially on slow motion replay. Mine That Bird dodged in and around other horses to get to the inside rail and took off from there.

Can Mine That Bird end the longest drought in Triple Crown history and become the first horse to win all three races since 1978?

We'll see in two weeks at the Preakness Stakes.

Here's another article on the race.

5/3 UPDATE: It would be unfortunate if this happened. Especially for people like me who could give a hoot about horse racing, except for the Triple Crown races.

140th Belmont Stakes

So it comes down to this, if you're interested in horse racing only for the Triple Crown, as I am. Apparently Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown has a great chance to break the 30 year drought of Triple Crown winning horses. According to the odds, his closest rival, Casino Drive, has pulled out of the race today due to an injury.

One and a half miles is a great distance for a horse to run and fittingly, if he can win this will have a well deserved spot in Triple Crown racing history. Especially if he can win this race going away, as he did in the first two jewels.

I'm hoping Big Brown can win. What a great story that would be. Of course I'll update this post sometime after the race with the results.


140^th Belmont Stakes
at Belmont Park, NY
(1.5 miles, Post time sometime around 6:05 PM)

Post Horse ML Odds

1. Big Brown 2-5
2. Guadalcanal 50-1
3. Macho Again 20-1
4. Denis of Cork 12-1 ***Place***
5. Casino Drive 7-2 *withdrawn*
6. Da'Tara 30-1 ****WIN****
7. Tale of Ekati 20-1
8. Anak Nakal 30-1 **Show**
9. Ready's Echo 30-1 **Show**
10. Icabad Crane 20-1

Big Brown couldn't deliver the goods today, finishing last in the Belmont Stakes. Da'Tara was your winner by 5 1/4 lengths in a really anticlimactic race. Denis of Cork came in second and both Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo finished in a dead heat for third.

I actually like the fact that Big Brown finished last. Jockey Kent Desormeaux realized the horse didn't have it and rather than push, he eased up and just let Big Brown jog to the finish.

Now the questions that will linger will be if Big Brown's cracked hoof had something to do with his performance or not. According to this article, the answer is no.

Now we can effectively ignore horse racing until the first Saturday of May 2009, when we see which horse will try to snap the 31 year drought of Triple Crown winners.

PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images (top) and UPI (bottom).

133rd Preakness Stakes

Can Big Brown, the overwhelming favorite, win the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown? We shall see if he can. Hopefully there won't be any more post race tragedies after this race.

133^rd Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racetrack, Baltimore, MD (post time 18:15)

Post Horse Odds
1 Macho Again 20-1
2 Tres Borrachos 30-1
3 Icabad Crane 30-1
4 Yankee Bravo 15-1
5 Behindathebar 10-1
6 Racecar Rhapsody 30-1
7 Big Brown 1-2
8 Kentucky Bear 15-1
9 Stevil 30-1
10 Riley Tucker 10-1
11 Giant Moon 30-1
12 Gayego 8-1
13 Hey Byrn 20-1

18:45 update: Well, Big Brown did it, winning the Preakness by 5 1/4 lengths. Read all about it here. Next up, the Belmont Stakes in three weeks, on June 7^th.

If Big Brown wins at Belmont, he'll be the 12^th Triple Crown winner and first in 30 years.


Photo Credit: horsephotos.com

134th Kentucky Derby

Today is Derby Day, with post time at 6:04 PM.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary since the last time there was a Triple Crown Winner (1978, Affirmed).

Most of the major horse racing "experts" expect this to be a wide-open race. As for me, I don't know enough about the horses, trainers and jockeys to make an educated guess as to which horse will win. And I really don't care, either.

All I know is that I enjoy watching these Triple Crown races and that I'll be rooting for the horse that wins today to win the Preakness in two weeks and the Belmont Stakes three weeks after that.

I just read an article that said that the track at Churchill Downs could be wet and muddy today, which will really mess up the horses an make an unpredictable race even more so. I'll update the post with the top three finishers later tonight.

134^th Kentucky Derby
at Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY

Post Horse Odds
1 Cool Coal Man 20-1
2 Tale of Ekati 15-1
3 Anak Nakal 30-1
4 Court Vision 20-1
5 Eight Belles 20-1 **place**
6 Z Fortune 15-1
7 Big Truck 50-1
8 Visionaire 20-1
9 Pyro 6-1
10 Colonel John 4-1
11 Z Humor 30-1
12 Smooth Air 20-1
13 Bob Black Jack 20-1
14 Monba 15-1
15 Adriano 30-1
16 Denis of Cork 20-1 **show**
17 Cowboy Cal 20-1
18 Recapturetheglory 20-1
19 Gayego 15-1
20 Big Brown 3-1 **win**

Well, Big Brown is your winner (by 4 3/4 lengths) and 2008 Triple Crown contender. Eight Belles, even though she finished second, is the tragic big loser of the day. Denis of Cork finished third. Read all the details here.

Photo credits: Big Brown from horsephotos.com and Eight Belles from Viewimages.