Big Brown Draws No. 1 Post Position

Betting on the winner for 2008 Belmont Stakes just got a whole lot easier, now that Big Brown has drawn the No. 1 post position. Dating back to 1905, more winners (23) have started from the No. 1 position than any other post.

Here is the complete field for Saturday's Belmont Stakes, including post position, horse's name, and odds to win:

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

Plan to watch the action unfold on Saturday, June 7th at 6:30 PM EST and set your remote for ABC. Bet on the Belmont Stakes and bet on Big Brown to win the Triple Crown.

Big Brown's Health Not in Jeopardy

The field and post positions for the 2008 Belmont Stakes won't be drawn until Wednesday, but the news today coming from Big Brown's stable is that trainer Rick Dutrow may be putting his horse's life on the line by running him on Saturday.

But not everyone is worried about Big Brown.

Hoof specialist Ian McKinlay, who was called in to make repairs to Big Brown's injured front left hoof, fully supports Dutrow's decision to enter Big Brown in the upcoming Belmont Stakes.

"I don't like people accusing Rick or accusing this industry of just taking horses and throwing them to the wolves for money. These guys love these horses," McKinlay said Monday. "Yes, there's a lot of money at stake, but they're not going to do it. They'd be an idiot to do it. He's certainly worth a lot more alive than he is dead."

Big Brown had a successful workout Tuesday and there was no sign of blood to the cracked hoof. McKinlay said he'd remove the sutures to the hoof on Friday, clean the area, re-drill holes and in new sutures.

"The adhesive that we'll rebuild that wall with is stronger than the hoof itself," McKinlay said.

With no plan to withdraw the horse from the race, Dutrow is prepared to face an onslaught of criticism from fans and the media, but is nonetheless convinced he's doing the right thing.

"If he runs terrible and he's got a bleeding foot after the race, I'm sure there will be plenty of questions thrown my way," Dutrow said. "If he does what he's already been doing, maybe they'll say, 'Well, it looks like they handled it the right way."'

Bet on Big Brown to win the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown!

Big Brown Resumes Training for Belmont Stakes

One day after getting his cracked hoof treated and Big Brown is already itching to get back into the swing of things. According to his trainer, Rick Dutrow, the Triple Crown hopeful has been causing a bit of trouble in the barn and doesn't know why he's not being able to run. So, the decision was made to allow the horse to take a 1 1/2-mile jog around Belmont Park.

"I felt him going to the track was not only good for his conditioning, but also good for his mind," Dutrow said. "He's been kind of aggravated. He don't know why he's not going to the track. He just doesn't understand why he's not doing it. And we can't explain it to him. So we let him go out there today and take the edge off of him. He's just getting too rough around the barn."

Immediately after taking the light jog Big Brown was given a sponge bath, as if to remind the horse that he's still got to take it easy.

Big Brown had his injured hoof repaired on Monday and is still expected to get in one good breeze prior to the June 7th Belmont Stakes.

Big Brown Wins the Preakness Stakes

Jockey Kent Desmoreaux said that at a couple of points during the race he had to slow Big Brown down. It wasn't until the 3/4 mark that he "pressed the button" and let Big Brown kick it up a notch to win the Preakness Stakes.

"He just set sail," Desmoreaux said, "He just kept kicking his legs up and went riding for the wire. There was not a grain of sand in face."

There was some concern that the only way Big Brown could lose the race was if another horse got in front of him and kicked a little sand in his face to distract him. While he did get a bit of sand on him at one point, it wasn't enough to keep him from attaining his goal.

What's next? The Belmont Stakes and a shot at making the history books as the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years.

Macho Again took second place while Icabad Crane placed third.

Preakness Stakes Results: Three Hours and Counting

With just over three hours until post time, the trainers and jockeys are now getting their horses ready to run the race of their lives at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes is just about underway, folks, and you can be darn sure that I'll have all the race results posted here on my blog.

The favorite to win the Preakness, Big Brown, is the center of attention. A win here today will leave only one more race to win -- the Belmont Stakes -- and with it the Triple Crown. It's been 20 years since any horse has been able to lay claim to the Triple Crown and many believe Big Brown can accomplish that huge task. But for now, he'll have to win here at Pimlico.

"Big Brown has versatility, class and a clear-cut speed edge," says Steve Davidowitz, a regular contributor to DRF's Simulcast Weekly and DRF PLus. "Coming back in two weeks shouldn't really be a problem for such a lightly raced, supremely fit racehorse."

Post time is 6:09 p.m. EST. Watch the Preakness Stakes live on NBC. Here are your post positions, horses, jockeys, trainers and odds for the 2008 Preakness Stakes:

PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainers, Odds
1, Macho Again, Julien R. Leparoux, Dallas Stewart, 20-1
2, Tres Borrachos, Tyler Baze, Beau Greely, 30-1
3, Icabad Crane, Jeremy Rose, H. Graham Motion, 30-1
4, Yankee Bravo, Alex O. Solis, Patrick Gallagher, 15-1
5, Behindatthebar, David Romero Flores, Todd Pletcher, 10-1
6, Racecar Rhapsody, Robby Albarado, Kenneth McPeek, 30-1
7, Big Brown, Kent J. Desormeaux, Richard Dutrow Jr., 1-2
8, Kentucky Bear, Jamie Theriot, Reade Baker, 15-1
9, Stevil, John R. Velazquez, Nick Zito, 30-1
10, Riley Tucker, Edgar S. Prado, William Mott, 30-1
11, Giant Moon, Ramon A. Dominguez, Richard Schosberg, 30-1
12, Gayego, Mike E. Smith, Paulo Lobo, 8-1
13, Hey Byrn, Charles C. Lopez, Eddie Plesa Jr., 20-1

I'll have the Preakness Stakes results immediately following the race. Good luck to all 13 horses!

Derby Fave Big Brown will Race from No. 20 Post

The only horse to win the Kentucky Derby from the No. 20 post was Clyde Van Dusen back in 1929. Can Big Brown make history to become only the second horse to win from the far outside?

The Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs and a lot of horse racing fans will be wondering why the favorite has chosen to race from the far outside post. It makes sense when you consider Big Brown won the Florida Derby from the outside post, but it's a little daunting when you figure there's only ever been one horse to win the Kentucky Derby from the No. 20 post. Still, Big Brown's trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. is happy with the draw.

"We prefer just to break on the outside," Dutrow said. "We get assured of a clean trip. If he breaks good, we figure it's to our advantage. We had a few choices and felt we took the best shot."

Here are the post positions for the 2008 Kentucky Derby. The complete field, with Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Morning-Line Odds are listed below:

1 Cool Coal Man, Julien Leparoux, Nick Zito, 20-1
2 Tale of Ekati, Eibar Coa, Barclay Tagg, 15-1
3 Anak Nakal, Raphael Bejarano, Nick Zito, 30-1
4 Court Vision, Garrett Gomez, Bill Mott, 20-1
5 Eight Belles (f), Gabriel Saez, Larry Jones, 15-1
6 Z Fortune, Robby Albarado, Steve Asmussen, 30-1
7 Big Truck, Javier Catellano, Barclay Tagg, 50-1
8 Visionaire, Jose Lezcano, Michael Matz, 20-1
9 Pyro, Shaun Bridgmohan, Steve Asmussen, 6-1
10 Colonel John, Corey Nakatani, Eoin Harty, 4-1
11 Z Humor, Rene Douglas, Bill Mott, 30-1
12 Smooth Air, Manoel Cruz, Bennie Stutts Jr., 20-1
13 Bob Jack Black, Rich Migliore, James Kasparoff, 20-1
14 Monba, Ramon Dominguez, Todd Pletcher, 15-1
15 Adriano, Edgar Prado, Graham Motion, 30-1
16 Denis of Cork, Calvin Borel, David Carroll, 20-1
17 Cowboy Cal, John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 20-1
18 Recapturetheglory, E.T. Baird, Louie Roussel, 20-1
19 Gayego, Mike Smith, Paulo Lobo, 15-1
20 Big Brown, Kent Desormeaux, Rick Dutrow Jr., 3-1

The Kentucky Derby is the most-watched horse racing event in North America. You don't want to miss out on the action. Get your Kentucky Derby odds while you still can.

Technorati Tag: Kentucky Derby odds

Countdown to the Kentucky Derby: Big Brown, Colonel John Favorites

With less than two weeks to go until the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, the Associated Press stands firm on its top two contenders: Unbeaten Florida Derby winner Big Brown remains No. 1, with Santa Anita Derby winner Colonel John at No. 2.

Meanwhile, the one-time Derby favorite War Pass, who finished second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, has a left front ankle injury and is out until the fall, trainer Nick Zito said.

"It just wasn't meant to be, maybe," said Zito, a two-time Derby winner. "It's a shame because he has all the ability in the world. He's one of the best I've ever had."

Fortunately, Zito still has two 3-year-olds on the Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders list: Cool Coal Man and Anak Nakal.

Technorati tag: Kentucky Derby contenders

Derby Contenders: 5 Reasons Why Pyro is Still Tops

For most trainers and owners, the road to the Kentucky Derby has been a long one to be sure. Just when it looked like they had a shoo-in for the trophy, another horse would come along (Big Brown?) and steal their thunder. Such is the case with one-time Derby favorite Pyro.

The winner of the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star Stakes, Pyro was the even-money favorite going into the Grade 1 $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes last weekend at Keeneland...but finished disappointing 10th.

Ouch.

Prior to last weekend's race, Pyro had never been out of the money in his six career starts. So why the poor finish? According to his jockey (Shaun Bridgmohan), Pyro didn't really take to the synthetic Polytrack. He does, however, race well on dirt.

Which brings me to my second reason why Pyro is still very much in the running to win the Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs is a fast track and Pyro is one fast horse. Reason No. 3: Pyro is a competitor. Last weekend's gig didn't really have any real competitors. Reason No. 4: Pyro's stable mate is Curlin. Reason No. 5: Best Name Ever. Pyro? How hot is that?

Currently Pyro is sitting at 8/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby. Do your Kentucky Derby betting early while the odds are at their best!

Technorati tag: kentucky derby betting

NCAA Tournament - Final Four Previews

UCLA Bruins vs. Memphis Tigers

Been there, done that. But this year the Bruins want to take it all the way to the National Championship.

"We're definitely not satisfied with going to the Final Four," Bruins forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute told the Associated Press. "We want to have a better outcome than we had the last two years. UCLA is about hanging national championship banners. Going to the Final Four is not going to cut it."

The favorites are the Tigers, but they haven't been to the Final Four since 1985 (well before any of these guys were even born). For the Tigers to win, they'll have to put up some big numbers against a big-D team like UCLA.

Betting trends to keep in mind:
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games
UCLA is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of UCLA's last 9 games
UCLA is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

UNC Tar Heels vs. Kansas Jayhawks

The Tar Heels are the team to beat this year (with guys like Ty Lawson on the perimeter and Tyler Hansbrough down low), but if there's one team that can do that -- it's the Jayhawks. They're a strong, motivated team and this may be their last shot at a national title for quite some time (what with several key players off the roster for next year).

Some betting trends to consider:
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas's last 5 games
Kansas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games
North Carolina is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games

Get your Final Four odds here.

Technorati tag(s): Final Four odds

NCAA Basketball Tournament - Sweet 16 Schedule & Matchups

You've had a few days off to ponder the fate of your March Madness bracket. You've done the math and you're pretty sure that with only six teams left, you're all but out of the running at your office pool. You're a little bummed out because you know that some geek who has never watched a basketball game in his life before is probably going to win...but that's not going to stop you from picking up the pieces and getting back into the game, right? Come on!! It's the Sweet 16 and you've come too far to give up now!

The NCAA Basketball Tournament resumes Thursday. All games are televised in HDTV on CBS. Here is your Sweet 16 tournament schedule & TV times, along with your Sweet 16 matchups:

Thursday, March 27
Xavier vs. West Virginia (7:10 pm)
UNC vs. Washington State (7:27 pm)
UCLA vs. Western Kentucky (9:40 pm)
Louisville vs. Tennessee (9:57 pm)

Friday, March 28
Davidson vs. Wisconsin (7:10 pm)
Stanford vs. Texas (7:27 pm)
Memphis vs. Michigan State (9:40 pm)
Kansas vs. Villanova (9:57 pm)

Technorati Tag(s): Sweet Sixteen, NCAA Basketball Tournament

NCAA Basketball Tournament: Road to the Final 4

There are no Cinderellas. Or...are there?

When the NCAA Basketball Tournament tipped off on Thursday no one had any idea which teams would advance to the Second Round. There were a few gimmes, like North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA (the four top-seeds). But San Diego over UConn?

So far in this tournament there have been a number of upsets:

No. 12 Villanova beat No. 3 Clemson in the first round of the Midwest Regional; No. 12 Western Kentucky beat No. 5 Drake; No. 13 Siena beat No. 4 Vanderbilt (also in the Midwest); and No. 13 San Diego shocked No. 4 Connecticut in West Region games.

Saturday's Second Round action appears to be a continuation of sorts, with lower-seeded teams like West Virginia losing to Duke.

How's your bracket looking now...? Are your Final Four picks still in it? Hang on...it's going to be a thrilling ride on the road to the Final Four!

Technorati Tag(s): NCAA Basketball Tournament

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Majestic Warrior

Majestic Warrior may need more time and a little more work before more horse racing fans throw down money on him, but with the Kentucky Derby practically around the corner trainer Bill Mott has to be somewhat concerned. Making his first start of the year at the Louisiana Derby, Majestic Warrior never seriously challenged the leader, Pyro, and ended up finishing out of the money. Looks like he needs time to develop.

Majestic Warrior is a son of the dual Grade 1-winning Seeking the Gold mare Dream Supreme. He is a full brother to 2006 stakes winner Crystal Current.

Kentucky Derby Contender: Majestic Warrior
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Owner: Kinsman Farm, SMith, Tabor & Magnier
Graded Earnings: $158,000
Race Record: 3-2-0-0

Past Performances
Recent Workouts
NTRA Profile

Currently training at Gulfstream Park, Majestic Warrior is currently listed at 25/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Into Mischief

Into Mischief, the CashCall Futurity winner, will be out of training for 10 days to two weeks after getting abscesses cut out of both front feet, trainer Richard Mandella said last Wednesday. Into Mischief was second in the San Vicente Stakes last month to Georgie Boy.

Kentucky Derby Contender: Into Mischief
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Owner: B. Wayne Hughes
Graded Earnings: $423,000
Race Record: 3-2-1-0

Past Performances
Recent Workouts
NTRA Profile

Currently in the Bodog Racebook, Into Mischief is listed at 25/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Etched

A former policeman, trainer Saeed bin Suroor is confident he's got a worthy Kentucky Derby contender in Etched. Etched won his two starts last year but finished fourth in his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 14 $250,000 UAE 2,000 Guineas in Dubai.

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Etched
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Owner: Godolphin
Graded Earnings: $64,680
Race Record: 3-2-0-0

Past Performances
Recent Workouts
NTRA Profile

Currently at the Bodog Racebook, Etched is listed at 30/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Cool Coal Man Profile

Cool Coal Man owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito now have two of the top Kentucky Derby contenders after Cool Coal Man took the $350,000 Fountain of Youth last Sunday by a half-length over a charging Elysium Fields. (War Pass was their other horse that took home a win on Sunday, taking the $60,000 allowance race.)

"I was concerned about the 9 horse," said jockey Kent Desormeaux. "It's hard to sustain that kind of speed for a long time, but when we were galloping out after the wire he moved out again once he felt the other horse come up to him. My horse was very handy and attentive to my needs. I think we went faster than what the clock said. But time is irrelevant, we won."

Besides having the coolest name in horse racing today, Cool Coal Man now has four wins in seven career starts. This last race, the Fountain of Youth Stakes, was worth $210,000 to bring his bankroll to more than $300,000.

Technorati Tag(s): Cool Coal Man, Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Report: Who's Off the Derby Trail?

It was announced Wednesday that Kentucky Derby contender Crown of Thorns has been sidelined with a leg injury, essentially removing him from the May 3 Run for the Roses. Trainer Richard Mandella said the colt injured his left shin on Monday and he's worried that if he continues to race the injury will only lead to bigger problems down the road.

The good news is that with plenty of rest, Crown of Thorns is expected to make a full recovery and may be back at the racetrack running at full speed later this season.

Crown of Thorns earlier this month won the Robert B. Lewis (G2) Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

As it stands, here are your Top 10 Kentucky Derby Contenders:

1. Pyro
2. Court Vision
3. Denis of Cork
4. Colonel John
5. Tale of Ekati
6. War Pass
7. Majestic Warrior
8. Into Mischief
9. El Gato Malo
10. Make the Point

Ready to place your Kentucky Derby futures wagers? The odds are up!

Technorati tag(s): crown of thorns, kentucky derby

March Madness Just Around the Corner

We're just over a month away from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The futures are tantalizing. Will favorites Kansas (3/1), Memphis (5/1), UCLA (4/1) prevail? Does West Virginia (100/1) or Arizona (55/1) have a shot?

Get to your brackets! College basketball betting types and office pool warriors! There's already a printable March Madness bracket available.



Tag(s): march madness bracket, ncaa basketball tournament

Wagering on Kentucky Derby Futures Down

Has interest in the 2008 Kentucky Derby taken a dip? Or is it just Kentucky Derby futures bets that are taking a hit...?

If last Sunday's Pool 1 futures wagering is any indication horse racing enthusiasts may be in for a bit of a surprise this year. Not since 1999 (which was the first year of Derby futures) has Kentucky Derby Futures drawn a lower handle.

At a mere $439,379 this year's handle was lower than last year's Pool 1 total of $520,688. When asked why the sudden drop, Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher said it may have something to do with to a problem in the totalizator system. Apparently the transmission of odds was down for over two hours on Sunday, which is when most of the wagers are taken.

The handle on Oaks Pool 1 was also low at $65,219, the lowest handle since 2003 and lower than last year's total of $66,206.

Pool 2 for both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks is set for March 6-9, and Pool 3 will run April 3-6.

You can be sure that come race day on May 3 Kentucky Derby betting will be back at full speed.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby futures

2008 Kentucky Derby: Yankee Bravo an Early Favorite?

This past Sunday at Golden Fields Yankee Bravo improved his career record to 3 for 3 when he rallied through a tight field of 11 other rivals to win the $150,000 California Derby. The $90,000 victory boosts Yankee Bravo's career earnings to $147,920 and puts him in the running for a shot at the Kentucky Derby.

"He's a baby, but he's got a lot of potential, a lot of class," said jockey Alex Solis, who has plenty of Derby experience and three second finishes at the hugely popular Churchill Downs race. "He's got a lot of room for improvement, and that's a big advantage. With the turn of foot he has, he can overcome trouble, and he's going to need that kind of run if he gets to the Kentucky Derby."

Other contenders that have made an early case for the 134th Kentucky Derby include: Pyro, Into Mischief, Cowboy Cal, War Pass, Court Vision, Tale Of Ekati, Majestic Warrior, Monba, Anak Nakal and Colonel John.

2008 Kentucky Derby

Idiot proof earned a spot in Breeder's Cup Sprint

Idiot proof earned a spot in the Breeder's Cup Sprint with a victory in Oak Tree's $300,000 Ancient Title (gr. I) at Santa Anita.

He won the Ancient Title by three-quarters of a length with a time of 1:07 2/5. The race was run at a distance of six furlongs on Santa Anita's new Cushion Track surface. The victory guarantees Idiot Proof a spot in the Breeder's Cup Championship Sprint being held on October 27th at Monmouth Park. This victory solidifies Idiot Proof as an early favorite for the BC Sprint as he clocked an identical time at Monmouth Park on July 4th when he won the Jersey Shore Stakes (gr. III).

Post-time favorite, Greg's Gold, was expected to ride to victory and win the automatic bid into the Breeder's Cup but couldn't recover from a poor start. Greg's Gold ended up in 2nd followed by Barbeque Eddie he finished 3rd.

The strong performance by Idiot Proof, who has won five of his eight lifetime starts, has trainer Clifford Sise and jockey David Flores excited about Idiot Proof's chances in the upcoming Breeder's Cup Championships.

"As (far as) the Breeders' Cup goes—I love him," the jockey added. "He's at the top of his game right now and he likes Monmouth. I think this race is going to get him where he needs to be."

Technorati tag(s): Breeders' Cup Sprint