Horse Racing archive

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That was the question on most horseplayers’ minds soon after UNCLE MO wilted when challenged in the stretch to finish a tired third in the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Even Uncle Mo’s owner Mike Repole and his celebrated trainer Todd Pletcher were hard pressed to explain their surprise at the colt’s weak performance. Both—along with most handicappers and rival trainers—thought the Wood was one of the softest Grade-1 races in decades, a race that surely would prove to be an easy romp for the formerly undefeated 2 year old Champion of 2010.

What most people failed to take into account is a fundamental fact about Thoroughbred horseracing, a fundamental fact that applies to all sporting events: There is no such thing as a mortal lock, there is nothing guaranteed about the outcome any race or any game played out on any playing field.

If we choose to find a sporting metaphor to explain the depth of this upset that was perpetrated by unheralded TOBY’S CORNER at Uncle Mo’s expense, it was as if a decent amateur golfer had just won the Masters, or a modestly talented college football team had just defeated the Green Bay Packers.

There is an other way to explain such an upset in horse racing – one that is an important key to understanding how to successfully play the greatest gambling game ever invented: Horses are not robots.

They do not always run exactly as you think they should or as they have in their most recent or best races. Yet, how well a horse performs on a given day is not a great unsolvable mystery; but, it does require an understanding of how a horse has trained; how accurately his connections measure the competition, as well as how carefully they have prepared him for the task at hand and whether or not the horse is feeling at his physical best going into the starting gate.

In the Florida Derby last week, the very fast sprinter FLASHPOINT was a last minute decision to run in the 1-1/8 mile, $1 million race that would determine whether he would go on to Churchill Downs for the 1-1/4 mile Kentucky Derby on May 7. Flashpoint was washy, visibly nervous and reluctant to go into the starting gate. The signs were so obvious that we did not need a horse whisperer to tell us that Flashpoint did not want any part of this new task or distance. Quite simply, he ran himself right out of the Derby picture.

On Saturday at Aqueduct, the lack of serious competition in Uncle Mo’s prior prep race-the Timely Writer stakes at Gulfstream Park– and the relatively light training program that he was given throughout the winter at the pastoral Palm Meadows training Center, did not prepare him for a true test, the unexpected challenge he received in the Wood.

Whether there was a hidden physical issue that Pletcher was dealing with, we might not know until next week or later. But now that Uncle Mo has been exposed as nowhere near Derby-ready, his trainer will have a lot of hard work to cram into the next four weeks if this colt is going to live up to the hype he generated last fall and through the first three months of 2011.

That said, Toby’s Corner, the Wood Memorials winner is on his way to Louisville, with his connections believing that the son of Bellamy Road (winner of the 2005 Wood Memorial), is on the improve and will be a threat to take down America’s most famous race. Good luck to them as they dream the big dream. Good luck also to the connections of second place finisher ARTHUR’S TALE earned $200,000 in the Grade-1 Wood and will need defections to get into the Derby starting field, limited to the top 20 on the Graded Stakes earnings list.

Elsewhere, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffertt, who has won three Kentucky Derbies uncovered another Derby starter on Saturday when his maiden winner MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE outgamed distance challenged COMMA TO THE TOP in the final stride to win the 1-1/8 mile Santa Anita Derby. This was less than 24 hours after Baffert had to scratch the Grade-1 winner JAYCITO from the $1 million SA Derby due to a foot bruise. While Midnight Interlude in going to Louisville, Baffert hopes Jaycito’s bruise will heal in time for him to wheel the colt back in the 1-1/16 mile Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, Apr. 23, or the one mile Derby Trial at Churchill, Apr. 30. Baffert already has at least one other high profile Derby contender— THE FACTOR— who is ready to run in the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn next week.

Beyond Baffert and the unexpected defeat of Uncle Mo on Saturday in New York, the irony of ironies for this Derby may have occurred on the same afternoon at Hawthorne Racetrack in Cicero, Illinois.

Consider: Who would have thought going into the day’s races that Todd Pletcher’s best Derby possibility might not be the heavily hyped Uncle Mo, but instead, the lightly regarded JOE VANN who quietly won the Illinois Derby for his third straight victory after a pair of wins at Laurel Racecourse in Maryland.

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Of equal import to horseplayers trying to find a horse to believe in for the Kentucky Derby, the Blue Grass will be run on the synthetic Polytrack, while the Arkansas Derby will be run on traditional dirt. Dirt is of course, the basic main track surface found at the vast majority of American racetracks, including the surface that will be in play for the 1-1/4 mile Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, May 7.

While the Blue Grass does have some promising, lightly raced horses to watch, the Arkansas Derby will put the spotlight on THE FACTOR, the lightning fast winner of his last three races, including the 1-1/16 mile Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Mar. 19. Moreover, several horses in the Arkansas Derby finished behind The Factor without showing their best form and there are a few more in the field shipping in from Louisiana who need to win or run second to make it into the Derby starting field.

Not since STRIKE THE GOLD won both the Blue Grass and Kentucky Derby in 1991 when Keeneland had a dirt track, has any Blue Grass winner gone on to Louisville to win America’s most famous race. Also, ever since the Polytrack surface replaced dirt in 2006, only STREET SENSE, a champion 2 year old, used his sharp second place finish in the 2007 Blue Grass as his final prep race for his Derby victory.

In this year’s Blue Grass, the lukewarm pre race 3-1 favorite is SANTIVA, a Graded stakes winner in 2010 who finished second in his only start this year to MUCHO MACHO MAN in the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February. Santiva will be joined by WILKINSON, winner of the Grade-3 LeComte at the Fair Grounds in January; CRIMSON CHINA, a strong finishing second in the Rushaway on the Polytrack at Turfway Park Mar. 26; TWINSPIRED, third in the G-3 Spiral Stakes at Turfway; KING CONGIE, winner over BRILLIANT SPEED, in a turf stakes at GP; JOE’S BLAZING AARON, who defeated Queen’splatekitten and another Blue Grass starter—NEWSDAD—in the G-3 Palm Beach on the turf at GP.

In the Arkansas Derby, The Factor will try to do what he did in the Rebel: Break into the lead leaving the gate and taking the field on a merry chase to the wire. Should he win his second straight Graded route stakes, The Factor will go to Louisville as the likely morning line favorite to carry his speed the full 1-1/4 mile Derby distance.

Should The Factor tire in the 1-1/8 mile Arkansas Derby, or be overtaken by any of the stretch runners in the 13 horse field, the horses who do perform well will command plenty of attention at Churchill Downs on the First Saturday in May.

Fact is, some of the horses in the Arkansas Derby need to earn first place money of $600,000, or second ($200,000) to get into the Derby field. The same is true for most of the horses in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes.

The long list of potential Arkansas Derby contenders includes: NEHRO and ELITE ALEX, who finished second and third in the G-2 Louisiana Derby, Mar. 26; Graded stakes winner BRETHREN, who ran poorly in the Tampa Bay Derby last month but is a half brother to Super Saver, winner of the 2010 Kentucky Derby; ALTERNATION, who had good form before he was scratched from the Rebel after acting up badly in the starting gate, plus Alternation’s stablemate CALEB’S POSSE, a distant second in the Rebel.

Also in the field seeking redemption is SWAY AWAY, who lost a tooth leaving the starting gate in the Rebel and has trained superbly since; ARCHARACHARCH, winner of the local Southwest Stakes, who was a disappointing third in the Rebel and JP’s GUSTO, a winner of Graded stakes in Southern California last year who finished fifth in the Rebel after his rider Ramon Dominguez chose not to follow trainer Joe Petalino’s instructions to chase after The Factor. The miscue has led to a new rider Cliff Berry and the addition of blinkers for JP’s Gusto.

“The blinkers helped him get off real fast in a good workout here the other day,” Petalino said.

Blinkers, which do tend to help a horse improve its breaking ability, have in fact been added to four other horses in the Arkansas Derby, including the aforementioned Sway Away and there is a new face, Todd Pletcher’s lightly raced DANCE CITY who has natural speed and is another improving colt who might put early pressure on The Factor.

At the bottom line, we are going to learn a lot about The Factor and several other intriguing horses on Saturday and we probably will learn a lot more from the results of the Arkansas Derby than the Blue Grass. Place your horse racing odds for this weekend's races now at Bodog Sportsbook

Suffolk Downs’ partnership with casino giant Caesars Entertainment Corp. is a signal that the debate over casino gambling in Massachusetts is hardly over, and that Las Vegas gambling interests still consider the state a potential market for expansion.

Just hours after the alliance between Caesars and track owner Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC was announced yesterday, the Legislature’s Joint Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee said it would hold hearings next month on expanding gambling. Thirteen expanded gambling bills have been filed this session.

Representative Joseph F. Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat who cochairs the committee, said the Suffolk-Caesars deal appears aimed at accelerating the legislative process, which has moved slowly since a campaign on Beacon Hill to legalize casino gambling collapsed last summer.

“They may want to create a perception that they’ve got a strong hand,’’ he said. “I think that carries greater weight with the public than perhaps public-policy decision makers.’’

Chip Tuttle, chief operating officer at Suffolk Downs, said yesterday’s announcement was not aimed at jump-starting the debate in the Legislature. He said gaming companies have expressed interest in partnering with the track for the past decade, but that the deal with Caesars Entertainment really came under serious consideration in the past few months.

“Predominantly, the decision was made based on our desire to have a best-in-class partner,’’ said Tuttle, adding that Caesars also has local ties. The company is headed by Massachusetts resident Gary Loveman, who directed all inquiries to Suffolk Downs.

Suffolk Downs representatives said they hope the deal with Caesars, first reported by the Boston Herald, will help their bid to build a resort-style gaming destination with hotels and retail space if casino gambling is legalized here. That kind of development, they estimate, would result in thousands of construction and permanent jobs — helping to revive the track and benefiting the surrounding communities.

Caesars Entertainment bills itself as the world’s largest casino entertainment company, and operates resorts on four continents under the Caesars, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe brand names. Whether Suffolk Downs would take on one of those brands has not been determined. It was also unclear what, if any, investment Caesars is making in Suffolk Downs. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

When JP’s GUSTO took the lead away from The Factor in the 1-1/8 mile Arkansas Derby, the favorite failed to handle the transition to a stalking type and faded to seventh after making a mile wide bid approaching the final turn.

Meanwhile stretch running ARCHARCHARCH and NEHRO took advantage of the rapid, hotly contested pace to finish 1-2 in a close photo finish, while longshot speed type DANCE CITY checked in third.

At Keeneland, the results verified the fact that the Blue Grass Stakes looked like a wide open scramble on paper.

BRILLIANT SPEED (19-1), was first in a close decision over TWINSPIRED (24-1), with KING CONGIE (13-1), and NEWSDAD, (17-1), third and fourth respectively, despite traffic problems. Favored SANTIVA (2.30-1), was bothered at the start and never took advantage of a ground saving trip to finish a lackluster ninth.

These topsy turvy results plus the infection suffered by UNCLE MO in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct last week probably has made Florida Derby winner DIALED IN the likely favorite for the Kentucky Derby while forcing many changes in most Derby rankings.

Beyond Uncle Mo and the injuries suffered by TO HONOR AND SERVE and PREMIER PEGASUS, I personally have downgraded several prominent Derby contenders in my personal rankings, including: ELITE ALEX, SWAY AWAY, SANTIVA, WILKINSON, J P.’S GUSTO, BRETHREN, ALTERNATION and CELEB’S POSSE. All faltered badly in the final furlongs of their respective 1-1/8 mile Derby preps. A few other borderline contenders such as CRIMSON CHINA failed to pick up sufficient Graded stakes earnings to make the starting field and those horses who won Graded stakes with inflated purses, such as TWICE THE APPEAL, (the $800,000, Grade-3, Sunland Park Derby) will need to improve five or six lengths to have any chance of success in Louisville.

With less than a month to go, it is obvious that the 2011 Kentucky Derby is going to resemble a roulette wheel on horseback, with only Dialed In as a proven Derby contender, a contender nonetheless who will need a very fast contested pace and plenty of racing luck to get the job done. That said, here are my current top contenders.

1. DIALED IN: Came through his Florida campaign with two important wins and his program intact.

2. NEHRO: Rallied smartly for seconds in the Louisiana Derby and Arkansas Derby. One of a few possible Derby starters for trainer Steve Asmussen.

3. MUCHO MACHO MAN: Was a gritty third to PANTS ON FIRE in the Louisiana Derby after throwing a horseshoe leaving the gate. All recent workouts are encouraging.

4. ARCHARCHARCH: Stepped it up a notch to win the Arkansas Derby with a well placed, well timed move at the top of the stretch.

5. MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE: Bob Baffert trainee moved from a win in a one mile maiden race at Santa Anita to the Santa Anita Derby winner’s circle. Maturing on cue, threat.

6. ASTROLOGY: Another Asmussen prospect with the talent to compete with any of these, other than a fully healthy Uncle Mo. Finished a good second to TWICE THE APPEAL in the Sunland Derby and is scheduled for the 1-1/16 mile Lexington on Apr. 23.

7: UNCLE MO: Performed like a superstar in all career starts until he ran weakly in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Apr. 16, as if was (in fact) suffering from a hidden physical issue. If trainer Todd Pletcher can bring this colt around in time for the Derby, he will move up sharply in these rankings.

8. JAYCITO: Foot issues are troublesome and Baffert may not solve them, while simultaneously training him strongly enough to make a serious Derby run. Right now Baffert is not sure if he can have him ready for the Lexington, or perhaps the Derby Trial at Churchill, Apr. 30.

9. TWICE THE APPEAL: Was my key longshot to watch (in my comments before a large crowd Saturday night at the Sunland Park Charity Dinner and then again in my handicapping seminar at Sunland on Sunday morning) and then he promptly rallied to win the $800,000 race at a $50 mutuel while I only used him on exotic tickets that did not connect! My bad. Now needs aggressive training to move up another notch for the big dance.

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: Looked like a good horse sweeping around the field to win the Spiral at Turfway Park last month. Must train exceptionally well on the dirt at Churchill to be taken seriously and www-GradeOneRacing-com's chief clocker, Bruno DeJulio is in Kentucky to give his excellent workout analysis, so stay tuned.

Others who figure to be in the Derby include speed types PANTS ON FIRE and SHAKLEFORD, plus marginal possibilities DECISIVE MOMENT, TOBY’S CORNER, COMMA TO THE TOP, MASTER OF HOUNDS, STAY THIRSTY, SOLDAT and TWINSPIRED.

Get all your early Kentucky Derby odds today in the Bodog Racebook.

The 1-1/16 mile, Grade-2 race may not actually be the absolute last stop for 3-year-olds seeking sufficient Graded stakes earnings to make it into the Kentucky Derby starting field. But it’s close. Next Saturday, the last chance for petrol will the traditional, Grade-3 Derby Trial stakes on opening day at Churchill Downs, Saturday, Apr. 30. The only possible Derby horse who might be in that field is JAYCITO, the Bob Baffert-trained colt who has yet to shake clear of a nagging hoof problem that cost him potential starts in the Santa Anita Derby and Arkansas Derby.

Back at Keeneland, the horse in the Lexington most in need of Graded earnings is SILVER MEDALLION, the early season winner of the Grade-3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. In his most recent outing, Silver Medallion could only finish fourth in the rich Santa Anita Derby and now is left with the need to win the Lexington to move on to Louisville.

Right now, the Steve Asmussen-trained Silver Medallion ranks 24th on the all important Graded stakes’ list, with $184,334 in the bank. As most of us know by now, only the top 20 on that list will be given the opportunity to draw post positions for the 1-1/4 mile Derby at Churchill Downs, May 7. Moreover, SANTIVA, the horse in 20th place, has $242,397, which simply means that Silver Medallion must win the $120,000 first prize money in the Lexington to be safely on board. Second money of $40,000 will not do the trick.

Because Silver Medallion’s five opponents have yet to win a stakes of any kind, he would appear to have a strong claim to win the Lexington. But, isn’t that what we all thought about UNCLE MO before he was defeated in the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct two weeks ago?

Indeed, the improving Fair Grounds allowance winner PRIME CUT and the Keeneland allowance winner CASPER’S TOUCH have to be given some chance to win this race. After all the Keeneland Polytrack has produced more than its share of longshot winners since it was installed in 2007.

At Aqueduct, there is another race of note on Saturday for 3 year olds—the $150,000 Jerome—a Grade-2 stakes at one mile around one turn. While a very good horse—ASTROLOGY—is in the field, he is not prepping for the Kentucky Derby.

Having only raced once this year after turning in two solid performances in Graded stakes at Churchill last fall, Astrology is in dire need of a race to get him fit enough for the 1-3/16 miles Preakness at Pimlico, May 21.

In his lone outing this year, Astrology was a very good second to TWICE THE APPEAL while forced to race wide in the nine furlong, Grade-3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on Mar. 27. Although Asmsussen had hoped to run this one back in the Arkansas Derby last week, he gave the son of A.P. Indy a little extra time for another foundation race. His ultimate goal may in fact be the 1-1/2 mile Belmont Stakes, June 11. After all, his sire won that race in 1992.

Competition in the Jerome should come from a pair of lightly raced colts—CAL NATION and RATTLESNAKE RIDGE and either or both could be moving on from this race to the Preakness in Baltimore.

Added Notes: Hollywood Park opened on Thursday and its first Saturday card, called the ‘Gold Rush’ will offer a total of $883,000 in purse money for 10 California bred races. These include four stakes worth $125,000-$150,000 apiece. The most accomplished horse on the card is AMAZOMBIE, who goes in the $125,000 Tiznow at 7-1/2 furlongs. On Apr. 3, Amazombie won the 6-1/2 furlong-Grade-2 Portrero Grande Stakes at Santa Anita. Aside from some improving upset threats, the most serious handicapping question for the probable favorite revolves around the extended 7-1/2 furlong distance. That is a full furlong beyond anything Amazombie has previously handled. Beyond that race, the richest of the Gold Rush stakes will be the $150,000 Snow Chief, a wide open affair at nine furlongs. Start betting on the Lexington Stakes today before your time runs out.

As the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” approaches, we thought it was time for a horseracing betting refresher so as to be ready for the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. Knowing how to wheel bets or place a Superfecta will ensure maximum profits!

Win Bet
The simplest of all bets in which a single wager is placed on one specific horse to come in first place.

Place Bet
A Place bet still allows you to bet on a single horse, but means that your bet will win if the horse comes in either first or second. Although the payout will be less than a straight win bet, your chances of winning have increased.

Show Bet
A crafty bet in that it allows you to win if the horse you pick comes in first, second or third. Although the payout is necessarily smaller, it will be a more frequent winner.

Quinella
This is where betting on the Kentucky Derby will get a little more interesting as you put your research and “horse sense” to good use! This wager type allows you to pick two horses, and if both finish in the top two spots in any order then you are a winner.

Exacta
An Exacta is a bet type like a Quinella and allows you to pick two horses that need to finish in the top two spots. Unlike a Quinella however, you must also correctly pick which horse will finish first and which horse will finish second for the bet to win. This is a slightly more difficult bet, but one that also has a correspondingly higher payout.

Trifecta
A trifecta means picking the three horses which will finish first, second and third in a given race, and like the Exacta you must pick all three horses in the correct order for the bet to be a winner.

Superfecta
Simply pick the first four finishers of the race in the correct order of finish and now we are talking big winnings! A $1 Superfecta in the 2005 Kentucky Derby reportedly paid out the lucky handicapper over $864,000 when 50-1 Giacomo took down the prize.

Daily Double
This wager requires that you successfully pick the first place horse in two consecutive races. Typically the bet is offered for the last two races of the day, although some racing meets may offer it for additional races as well. This is a great bet if you have two very strong favourites in consecutive races, but note that the entire bet is lost if both horses don’t win.

Pick 3 and Pick 4
Like a Daily Double only with an increase in difficulty and payoff. Pick either the winners of three consecutive races or four consecutive races to get a very, very healthy payout. As with the Daily Double, all the horses selected to win must do so and there are no partial payouts.

Boxes
Boxing a bet allows you an even greater chance of winning some green on the bluegrass. By Boxing a bet, you are able to cover all possible combinations in which horses might finish in a bet such as an Exacta, Trifecta or Superfecta. An example would be that if one Boxed a Trifecta, you would now win if the three horses you picked finished in the top three regardless of order- while in a normal Trifecta the three horses must finish in the top three and in a specific order to win. By Boxing the Trifecta, one essentially buys a ticket that covers all the possible combinations of those three horses finishing in the top three and therefore increases the likelihood of winning the Trifecta.

Additionally, you can Box any number of horses in the race. Staying with the example of the Trifecta Box, you can place a wager in which every horse in a race is included in a Trifecta bet with every other horse so that literally every possible Trifecta combination is covered! Although boxing the entire field is not a winning strategy, adding more horses then the normal three picks to your Trifecta will increase your odds of winning.

Wheels
Wheels work like Boxes but allow you to “key” or select one or more horses to finish in specific positions, while having any number of other horses included in the wager. An example utilizing a Trifecta would be if you were positive that the number two horse in a race was going to win, but you were unsure of which horses would place second and third. A Trifecta Wheel would then allow you to select the number two horse to always finish first while “wheeling” the rest of the horses to finish second and third to your “key” horse in every possible combination. Further, you could “key” up to two horses in a Trifecta Wheel (or three in a Superfecta Wheel) to any of the top three spots you chose, and again then “wheel” as many any other horses you wanted into the remaining empty position.

For more information on the ins and outs of straight and exotic horseracing bet types, please ensure to check out our comprehensive Racebook Help section. Giddy up and good luck!

Links

The most exciting two minutes in sports: 2011 Kentucky Oaks & Derby | May 6 and 7, 2011 | Tickets, Events, News

Knowing how to wheel bets and place a Superfecta: Online Horse Betting and Horse Racing Odds at Bodog Racebook

Horseracing Help: Online Poker, Sports Betting, Online Casino at Bodog Sportsbook

Bet on the Kentucky Derby at Bodog Racebook today.

I live in louisvile and love the derby.......... I have been to about 15 derbys and love them allllllllllllllllllllllllll...............ye hooooo

The second most asked question this time of year right after, “which horse will win the Kentucky Derby”, is usually “what is the best Mint Julep recipe ever?” In honor of the bacon-and-egg relationship of fine spirits and betting on a Kentucky Derby winner, we have dusted off an old family recipe which we swear was concocted by our Great-Grandpappy and perfect if you are holding a party.

A note about the ingredients- suggest anything pre-mixed or made with powdered sugar and you should turn around and leave right now with your head bowed in shame. The Mint Julep is a deceptively simple drink in terms of combination, but needs a slow hand and a reverence for all things Kentucky. You will need:

Mint Julep Ingredients- Serves 8

• 2 cups of the sweetest Kentucky morning dew collected from a field of uncut bluegrass (or tap water if you must)
• 2 cups of the purest sugar hand refined by debutantes at a charity ball (or the store bought white stuff if you don’t want to take the whole thing seriously)
• ½ cup roughly chopped Spearmint leaves grown by blind mountain men (regular mint is fine but please try and buy it from someone wearing overalls)
• 32 fluid ounces of premium Kentucky Bourbon preferably along the lines of the 107 proof “Pappy Van Winkle” (building a still and “squeezing” your own birch flavoured corn whiskey would be best but who has the time these days?)
• Mint leaf garnish? Really? Stop it, you are just embarrassing yourself.

Making a True Mint Julep

Now that you have some combination of the above ingredients you are ready to practice the magic of mixology, or in the case of the Mint Julep something we like to call “Southern Alchemy”. Wait until your guests arrive before preparing, and remember it’s all about the feel!

1. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and bring slowly to a full boil until the sugar is dissolved. Let stand and cool. You have now made “simple syrup”, which is not an insult to that side of your family that no one talks about, but rather reflects the ease of the preparation. Simple syrup has many uses, such as for sweetenin’ old fashioned ice tea and declaring that “it is insufferably hot today.” Channelling Blanche Dubois while humming “My Old Kentucky Home” might be helpful at this stage.

2. Mash the spearmint with the simple syrup. There is some controversy here but it is muddled so just ignore it completely. The Julep (which comes in many flavours) is originally a medicinal drink which was then made into a tincture with the appropriate herb depending on one’s condition. The alcohol no doubt made the whole thing much more pleasant but note that this drink has real medicinal value- in particular to sooth nerves, aid digestion, vanquish gas, and scarily enough combat hirsutism or “hairiness”. A vigorous, old timey two step shuffle to aid the mashing process while singing along at the top of your voice with the Soggy Bottom Boy’s “Man of Constant Sorrow” would be appropriate here (original song by one-eyed Kentuckian Dick Burnett!).

3. Add crushed ice (“crick” ice preferable when in season). Think Stanley Kowalski crushed ice, think Brick and Big Daddy Pollitt crushed ice- really anything by Tennessee Williams crushed ice. Your crushed ice should reek of despair, binge drinking, and subtle innuendos about unmet marital needs. Do not be afraid to yell out “Stella” at random intervals to get you there.

4. Bourbon. Lots of it, and remember if you can’t set it on fire then it’s not worth discussing. Again barring your own still set-up, make sure to go for anything that people warn you might make you go blind. In terms of volume the recommended mix is four ounces of the mash to ¼ cup simple syrup, but these are essentially big government guidelines and to be met with suspicion and contempt. This would be a good time to put on “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle at high volume to get your fire up. Think Revenuers, Junior Johnson, and ’49 Fords with blown out 500 cubic inch engines barrelling through “the hollers” in the dark of night- who the hell has the right to tell you what you can grow, err distil anyway??

5. Combine all the above and serve in antique Civil War era pewter mugs. If you happen to be all out of one hundred and fifty year old drinking vessels, then you may use those giant plastic mugs you got at Senor Frogs in Cabo- just make sure they are really chilled!

6. Et voila! The most authentic and best Mint Julep recipe ever. Drink a minimum of four prior to race time, all the while making outrageous claims to your guests about your athletic accomplishments in high school- ahh the glory days! (this step optional)

At this point your Kentucky Derby party will have been a hit, and absolutely unlike anything anyone has ever witnessed before. Assuming friends, family and spouses are still talking to you afterwards, you will no doubt be asked to host your equine soiree again next year. If however everyone has left never to return, we recommend putting on Bill Monroe’s bluegrass classic, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, while mixing another Mint Julep- it can only make you feel better!

Bet on the Kentucky Derby at Bodog Racebook today.

While it was only a five furlong training drill in 1:01-3/5, it probably was the single most important workout by any Derby horse this year.

That is because Uncle Mo looked like a potential superhorse when he won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill last fall and a probably Derby loser when he faded to third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, April 9.

Shortly after the Wood, owner Mike Repole revealed that Uncle Mo had been bothered by an intestinal tract infection, which probably contributed to the loss in the Wood, the colt’s first career defeat. While antiobiotics were quickly prescribed to deal with that malady, Pletcher knew that it would be touch and go to get Uncle Mo ready for the Kentucky Derby.

First the infection would have to be knocked out of Uncle Mo’s system; next the colt would have to recover his appetite to regain the weight he had lost, then Pletcher would have to find the right balance of workouts and gallops to push Uncle Mo into tip top shape for one of the most demanding races on the American racing calendar.

Remember, Todd Pletcher is a professional horse trainer of the highest order, winning multiple Eclipse Awards during the past decade; winning the 2007 Belmont Stakes with the filly Rags to Riches and winning last year’s Kentucky Derby with Super Saver. Remember also that Derby horses are only 3 year olds. They are still growing into their frames, still maturing, still needing to be pushed to a level of performance that will see them reach peak form on the First Saturday in May at the 10 furlong Derby distance, the first time any of them will have been asked to run that far.

Now consider the overall game plan for Uncle Mo:

On one hand, Uncle Mo made his seasonal debut in a one mile race at Gulfstream Park in which there was minimum competition, a race that resembled a public workout for $100,000. Yet, Uncle Mo did finish his final quarter mile that day in a sparkling 22-4/5 seconds, a fast finishing split only the very best racehorses ever achieve in one mile workout, or race.

Next came the $1 million Wood Memorial, a Grade-1, nine furlong stakes with a field that resembled a Grade-3, but a race that would saw Uncle Mo tire in the final furlong, due ostensibly to his stomach infection.

That brings us to his post-Wood workout program, which essentially consisted of a pair of 5 furlong training moves in company with different Pletcher trained stablemates. The first one on Tuesday, April 27, was in company with the sprinter CALIBROACHA; the other was on Sunday morning, May 1 in company with Pletcher’s other Derby starter-STAY THIRSTY.

The Tuesday work was clocked in 1:01; the Sunday work in 1:01-3/5, six days before the Kentucky Derby.

Before we evaluate the quality of Sunday’s work and what it revealed about Uncle Mo, we should consider this: Uncle Mo has had only two races since the Breeders’ Cup last November; he never has won beyond 1-1/16 miles and has been walking a tightrope since the Wood just to make the race.

Here is what my website’s clocker Bruno DeJulio saw through his binoculars trackside Sunday morning. No matter what owner Repole and trainer Pletcher say about their colt’s actual physical condition, I would rather trust DeJulio’s objective assessment.

“Stay Thirsty and Uncle Mo worked immediately after the filly Joyful Victory worked so well for the Kentucky Oaks. They left the five furlong pole about a length apart. They went in 12-4/5; 37-2/5, with Uncle Mo catching up at the top of the stretch in 37-1/5. From there to the wire, the pair stayed together with Stay Thirsty going in 1:01-4/5 and Uncle Mo in 1:01-3/5 with Stay Thirsty on the rail, a good place to be, and Uncle Mo outside of him.

The work was eerily similar to the work they had before the Breeders Cup Juvenile in November. They both galloped out in 114.2 and 114.1 and pulled up seven furlongs in 1:28.

This work was OK, but hardly spectacular or impressive. It was an OK work. No more, no less. At the bottom line, Uncle Mo is looking light—he should look better. If the Derby were in three weeks, I would say he is moving along in a positive manner. But it is not; it is only six days away.”

My conclusion from all of this?

Uncle Mo might win the Kentucky Derby on his overall class—he looked to be the best horse of his generation last fall and presumably was still the best horse in mid March. While he is moving forward physically, unless he bounces out of this moderate work with an amazing display of improved energy, I seriously doubt he will win it on his present physical condition.

The official post position draw for the 137th Run for the Roses will be held at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, May 4, at 5:00 PM, EDT. Get all your online horse betting for the upcoming Triple Crown today in the Bodog Racebook!

Forget boring questions like, “which is the favourite horse to win the Kentucky Derby”, or “where to bet on the Kentucky Derby”. What you should really be asking is, “which celebrities will be attending the 2011 Kentucky Derby?” We are talking about the two legged red carpet attendees folks! Just when you didn’t think that the stars could glitter any brighter at the 137th “Run for the Roses”, the latest crop of confirmed celebs was announced this week sending autograph hounds scrambling to buy tickets to the Bluegrass State.

Once again music stars led the pack with Alabama front man Randy Owen representing the country faction, followed by 90’s grungers Soul Asylum, Chilli from TLC, and Mike Mills of perennial college radio favourites REM. And finally in the rear, Jordin Sparks will not only be attending the Kentucky Derby this year but will also be singing the national anthem. Let’s hope she remembers the words unlike the other famous girl singer who didn’t and goes by the first name “Christina”.

Actors of varying talents placed next, headlined by Tim “what have you done since Wings” Daly, and Bill “a poor man’s Greg Kinnear” Paxton. But our biggest thespian shout out goes to the fat, hairy, naked guy who wrestled Borat in the self-titled movie Borat! Apparently his name is Ken Davitian? Let’s also throw into the mix the cigar smoking, scotch drinking, genuinely funny Ron “They Call me Tater Salad” White.

The guest list then gets surprisingly cerebral perhaps in an effort to appeal to the less horsey, more brainy types. Not only is author Nora Roberts attending, but she has apparently written 200+ novels proving once again that persistence will get you farther than natural facility- come on Nora, leave some for the rest of us! Noted prolific artist Thomas Kinkade will also be attending, which just leaves the meet short a poet and a sculptor. The next guest however probably has the IQ of everyone in this article combined! Attending is no less than Dr. James Watson, the co-discoverer of DNA, who lends some incredible nebbish star power to the event. Perhaps he will be attempting to clone Secretariat?

And finally the poker world has two of their leading lights attending in the form of Phil “The Brat” Hellmuth, and Robert “I only play Omaha” Williams III. Both will be generously donating their time for the big pre-race charity poker tournament, and then no doubt fleecing drunken punters of their winnings in cash games after the race.

All in all, a surprisingly robust and diverse group (we forgot to mention Reggie Bush of the Saints) who could very well restart civilization if trapped on a remote Pacific island after an apocalyptic nuclear war. Also, did we mention that the fat, hairy guy from Borat will be there??

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It's official! The starter’s pistol to mark the start of the 137th Run For The Roses will sound at exactly 6:24pm EDT on Saturday, May 7th from Churchill Downs, host track of the 2011 Kentucky Derby. However, with still no outright favorite in the race the result will be anyone's guess.

Don’t wait until the last minute to bet on the Kentucky Derby!
Derby Day is one of the busiest race days of the year so bet early and bet often at Bodog Racebook!

They’re Off?

We have all been there. You are stuck in the kitchen or pigeonholed in a boring conversation in the hallway when from the other room you hear those famous words and you are missing it!

Let’s face it — your friends and family are just a distraction on a big day like the Kentucky Derby. Given that the race usually lasts seconds past two minutes, you have to ensure that you are not only well positioned in front of the TV prior to the race but also there with plenty of time to spare.

Post Time Viewing Strategies

• Pee early and pee often. Nothing like a bladder full of Pabst Blue Ribbon to force you out of your chair at exactly the wrong moment.

• Stake out a comfortable, front row seat. No time to worry about the kiddies or the near sighted as you don’t want to be caught playing “ring around the rosy” when the gun sounds.

• Hoard drinks and snacks. Don’t be demure and make polite references about trying to watch what you eat. Staple to your chair a wide assortment of artery clogging delights and use a stocked cooler as a foot rest.

• Ignore love ones. The Kentucky Derby comes only once a year and so there will be plenty of time elsewhere to hear about Aunt Rosalind’s corns, or to see the awesome newly hand painted flames on Cousin Philip’s Chevette. Focus, you need to get your race on.

If you follow the above advice, you will not only be there for post time but you might actually see your horse come in!

BE A PLAYER. Get your odds to win the Kentucky Derby at Bodog's online racebook.

Any serious horseracing handicapper will tell you that all bets are off until they announce the post positions in any race. It becomes even more critical to know post positions in a competitive race such as the Kentucky Derby, as the announcing of post positions can move a horse from favourite to underdog instantly.

Why is Post Position Important?

Post position is critical as it can affect a horse’s ability to run the race in the way that its trainers would like. Horses that start on the outside will run a further distance, while horses that start on the inside risk being boxed in by other horses. The agreed upon best post positions for horses are spots 5 through 10. In fact, spots 5 and 10 have accounted for the highest number of wins, places and shows in previous Kentucky Derbys then all other spots.

Bet now at the Bodog Racebook and get the latest 2011 Kentucky Derby Odds and post positions.

Without further ado the 2011 Kentucky Derby Post Positions are:

1. Archarcharch
2. Brilliant Speed
3. Twice The Appeal
4. Stay Thirsty
5. Decisive Moment
6. Comma To The Top
7. Pants On Fire
8. Dialed In
9. Derby Kitten
10. Twinspired
11. Master Of Hounds
12. Santiva
13. Mucho Macho Man
14. Shackleford
15. Midnight Interlude
16. Animal Kingdom
17. Soldat
18. Uncle Mo
19. Nehro
20. Watch Me Go

Stay tuned to the Bodog Beat and expert racing analyst Steve Davidowitz for updated commentary and insight on what it all means.

Be a Player — Get your odds to win the Kentucky Derby at Bodog's online racebook.

As we head to the wire in our Run for the Roses coverage, it seems timely to profile the top three favored horses in the 2011 Kentucky Derby…

Dialed In

Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito, favorite Dialed In seems to have everything going for him including the number eight post position. Like Uncle Mo, Dialed In has three wins in four starts with his one loss being by only half a length. Sired by long distance loving Mineshaft and speedster mare Miss Dolittle, Dialed In seems well suited to go the 1 1/4 mile distance. Even more telling is that Dialed In has already won at Churchill Downs in his debut race.

One concern may be that the 20 horse Derby will be the most crowded race he has ever run in, and as such might be put off by the close contact.

If you think Dialed In has what it takes, then bet on the 2011 Kentucky Derby now at Bodog.

Uncle Mo

Overseen by top trainer Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo was the heavy Derby favorite prior to his last run at the Wood Memorial where he finished a surprising third with illness being cited as the cause. However, genuine concerns exist around his pedigree and most notably in his ability to go the 1 1/4 mile length of the track at Churchill Downs. Uncle Mo’s father was the superb sprinter Indian Charlie who excelled at 1 and 1 1/8th mile tracks. However, despite being the favourite in the 1998 Kentucky Derby he couldn’t go the distance on the longer track finishing third.

It would be a grave mistake to think that Uncle Mo cannot take down first place, but a lingering illness combined with his wide pole position (18th) and shorter track pedigree make it a more daunting task than first thought.

If you think Uncle Mo is in it to win it, then bet on the 2011 Kentucky Derby now at Bodog.

Nehro

Third in virtually every handicappers list for this year’s Derby, Nehro won his first race 2 1/2 months ago. However since that time he has run extremely well in Derby prep races and seems ready to go. Like Dialed In, Nehro is sired by Mineshaft which means he will do well over distance and is noted for being a late closer. Top trainer Steve Asmussen holds the reigns here and seems confident in his horses accelerated progress over the last few weeks leading up to the race.

It is also this amount of recent activity that has some insiders worried whether the horse has seen too much work and won’t rested enough for Saturday’s race. Even though his form has been getting consecutively better the more he runs, will running four races in five weeks be too much? Given that Nehro will be starting out wide in the 19th post position, it just may well be.

If Nehro is your hero, then bet on the 2011 Kentucky Derby now at Bodog.

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There is a reason they are called longshots – they rarely win. But when they do it can be a life changing payout and as such are always worth considering!

Derby Kitten

After a surprising come-from-last win at the Lexington Stakes, Derby Kitten earned the right to enter the Kentucky Derby. Currently sitting at 50-1 in most handicappers’ books it is doubtful that this horse has the right stuff, particularly since most of his wins have come on synthetic tracks. Derby Kitten’s one dirt outing was a loss and he has performed miserably on grass.

In addition he is a late starter and likes to run from the back of the pack which will make it tough to show up in a typically fast race like the Kentucky Derby. However, a post position of 9th certainly won’t hurt…and if you fancy a historic upset then Derby Kitten may be for you.

Bet the Derby. Bet on Derby Kitten at Bodog Racebook.

Decisive Moment

There seem to be some differing opinions on Decisive Moment as you can currently find him at odds from 50-1 to 30-1. Although having had some relatively quick races, pedigree remains an issue with neither sire nor dam being proven runners at longer distances.

The thing is — Decisive Moment starts in the 5th post position, which is statistically the best post position in the history of the Kentucky Derby and should count for something. The other thing going for this horse is that he is happy to run in the mud, and with rain in the forecast for Saturday’s start he might just get the extra edge he needs to do something special.

Still undecided? Get your Kentucky Derby & Triple Crown odds at Bodog's online racebook.

Watch Me Go

Now this is a horse that can be considered a serious longshot and betting on Watch Me Go is really like buying a lottery ticket. With odds typically hovering around 60-1, even the most optimistic of handicappers aren’t going anywhere near this horse. The significant knocks against Watch Me Go include never having won at a Grade 1 Stakes level, and having an extremely low speed rating in what should be a fast race.

His most impressive victory to date came in the Tampa Derby which he won by a nose. However it is important to note that even in that race he was a 43-1 longshot so it will be hard to imagine him doing anything challenging at this level. Save your money here and consider the above two horses.

Watch who go? Watch Me Go, watch them all go… for the win on Saturday, May 7th at the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

Be a Player. Bet on the 137th Run for the Roses at Bodog

In an upset that shocked the record-breaking 164,000-plus crowd who gathered at Churchill Downs today, Animal Kingdom took home the win at the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

The official win/place/show was: Animal Kingdom, Nehro and Mucho Macho Man. Shackleford came in fourth place.

Jockey John Velazquez was slated to ride Uncle Mo, who scratched earlier this week due to gastrointestinal problems, but picked up the mount for Animal Kingdom at the last minute. This is the first Kentucky Derby win for Velazquez and Animal Kingdom's first race on dirt. Thankfully for Animal Kingdom, the rain held off making for a dry track although the sky over Churchill Downs was an ominous gray for the entire day.

Meanwhile, jockey Calvin Borel came in tenth on Twice the Appeal. Borel has won three Kentucky Derbies and was hoping to earn a fourth win.

With the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby over, are you ready to place your Triple Crown bets? The Preakness Stakes is just two weeks away on Saturday, May 21 and the Bodog Racebook has all online horse racing bets.

Having been on Kentucky Derby rides that were scratched three years in a row, jockey John Velazquez was beginning to seriously doubt his luck. When Uncle Mo was withdrawn due to illness it seemed as though the Puerto Rican born jockey was becoming the butt of some sort of cosmic joke.

However the universe works in strange ways, and a last minute injury to jockey Robby Albarado opened up a spot on longshot Animal Kingdom. The rest, as they say, is history.

Bet on John Velazquez to win the Preakness Stakes and the Triple Crown!

Born in Puerto Rico in 1971, Velazquez got his start in horse racing on the island and was soon picked to head to the big leagues of New York State. Over the next several years he honed his skills at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct. Along the way he managed to rack up numerous high profile wins and was the top earning jockey in both 2004 and 2005. Triple Crown success however eluded him until this year.

Velazquez feels confident heading into the Preakness and said of his Derby winning trip aboard Animal Kingdom, “I didn’t have to do much. He was going well the whole way around.” Certainly they looked like a winning combo when they charged down the backstretch to take the win, and should they keep the same form they will be tough to beat at the Preakness.

Time will tell whether history will be made May 21st at Pimlico, but for John Velazquez he feels very fortunate to even be going there.

Excitement continues to mount with only one week to go until the continuation of the Triple Crown at Pimlico. Post time for the 2011 Preakness Stakes has been confirmed for 6:19 pm EDT.

The May 21st race will end two days of full racing with a total of almost 4.5 million dollars in prize money to be won. NBC will be airing the one million dollar Preakness with coverage beginning at 4:30 pm EDT.

The Preakness Stakes has as much tradition and history as the Kentucky Derby and has provided many memorable races. Classic track battles such as Secretariat and Sham in 1973 come to mind, and often the Kentucky Derby results create drama at the Preakness.

The 136th running of the Preakness should be no different as Animal Kingdom looks to leverage his Derby momentum into a shot at the Triple Crown- a feat that has not been accomplished in almost a quarter of a century. Currently Animal Kingdom is the favorite to win the “Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” at 3-1.

Weather Forecast
The weather forecasts call for a wet, warm and stormy week leading up to the race, and rain for Preakness day itself. The forecasts will get more detailed closer to race day so stay tuned. In the meantime, finding a good “mudder” or a horse that runs well in wet, muddy conditions in the starting 14 might pay off handsomely on race day.

Party Trivia
The traditional blanket of Black-Eyed Susans that is laid over the winning horse are not actually Black Eyed Susans but rather Daisies which have been touched up with black paint to look like them! For other tips on how best to enjoy the Preakness Stakes please refer to our sensible Triple Crown party guide.

Visit Bodog's online racebook to bet on the 2011 Preakness Stakes!

right now like th blackeyed susan is on versus im watchin it.
glad to find ix games again, i'd lost th link for several months. sorry manne

The 2011 Belmont Stakes on June 11th promises to provide some equine drama as Animal Kingdom and Shackleford square off once again. The Belmont Park Racetrack in Elmont, New York is unique in every way and has a long and storied tradition worthy of a Triple Crown race.

Built in 1905 and originally encompassing just over 650 acres, Belmont Park was the result of efforts by the Belmont family who had funded the first and subsequent Belmont Stakes beginning in 1867. The first races were actually run clockwise in the English tradition but soon changed to the more common North American style of having counter-clockwise races.

Belmont Park received a much needed complete overhaul that lasted five years between 1964 and 1968, at which time the Belmont Stakes was held at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The old clubhouse and grandstands were demolished and the layout out of the tracks was altered.

Belmont Park is still the largest Thoroughbred racing grandstand in existence with the capacity to hold over 100,000 racegoers. After renovations and modifications the total size of the park shrunk to 450 acres.

The current main track is nicknamed “The Test of the Champion” for good reason. At exactly 1 ½ miles in length, it is the longest of the Triple Crown races and unique for its distance. Any Triple Crown aspirants will not only have to deal with fatigue from running the previous two races, but many of the horses will never have run at the 1 ½ mile distance making it even more demanding.

Although this year holds no promise of a Triple Crown the Belmont Stakes remains a key race. With a purse totalling 1,000,000 dollars there are plenty of reasons to suspect a hotly contested race, and owners and horses will be ready to go.

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