Can Derby Winning Jockey Do it Again at Preakness?

In 1998 Kent Desmoreaux rode Real Quiet to victory in the Kentucky Derby and then at the Preakness Stakes. Now in 2008, 10 years later, and he'll be trying to do it again riding Big Brown at the upcoming 2008 Preakness Stakes.

Scheduled to take place at the historic Pimlico Race Course (that's where Sea Biscuit raced War Admiral to victory) on May 17th, the Preakness Stakes won't feature a field of horses nearly as large as the field at the Kentucky Derby but it will be competitive. Where the Derby featured 20 horses, the Preakness will only feature 14. And aside from Big Brown, the only other horse to do both races this year will be Recapturetheglory, who came in fifth place at the Kentucky Derby.

Desmoreaux, however, will be riding the favorite at the Preakness. Big Brown's big show at the Kentucky Derby has made him the one to watch at the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, and Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow says he's good and ready.

"Everything's good here," Dutrow said. "He will go to Belmont after the Preakness. I'll let him hang out at (Bobby) Frankel's barn instead of Aqueduct. I think he should be training at Belmont. Pat Reynolds had him there (last year) and said he really liked the track there."

That being said, now would be a great time to think about betting on the Preakness.

Eight Belles Set to Race from No. 5 Post

With all the pressure on Big Brown, Eight Belles may be the big surprise. You go, girl!

The field for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby is set, the post positions have been drawn. Holding down the outside position, Big Brown is the 3/1 morning line favorite heading into this weekend's big race. But over in the No. 5 position will be the only filly set to race in the Kentucky Derby: Eight Belles. Undefeated this year in four starts, including victories in the Fantasy, Honeybee and Martha Washington Stakes, Eight Belles should give bettors good value at 15/1 odds to win. If she does win, Eight Belles will become only the fourth filly to win the Kentucky Derby. Regret won it in 1915, Genuine Risk took it in 1980, and the last filly to win the Kentucky Derby was Winning Colors in 1988.

Listed below are the post positions for the 2008 Kentucky Derby, with Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Morning-Line Odds:

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

With only a few days to go, you don't have a lot of time left to get your Kentucky Derby betting in...don't miss out on the Fastest Two Minutes in Sports!

Technorati Tags: Kentucky Derby betting, Eight Belles

Nick Zito - Zee Man to Beat?

With three top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders headed to Churchill Downs on May 3, Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito has a pretty good shot at taking another Derby trophy home this year (he's already got two).

Reigning 2-year-old champion War Pass and Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man both have earned their way into the running and both have a fair shot at winning; and then there's Anak Nakal, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club last fall at Churchill, who also remains on the list of top Kentucky Derby nominees.

And to think Zito began his career as a hot walker. (A hot walker is someone who walks horses post-exercising or post-race.) Zito's first big win was the 1990 Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes, and then that same year he earned a second place finish in the Belmont Stakes. In addition to two Derby wins, Zito has also won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes once each.

As a testament to his life's work within the horse racing industry, Zito was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2005 (that year his horses took in more than $8 million in purses).

What do you think? Does Zito have a winner this year? Get your Kentucky Derby odds while the gettin' is good.

Technorati tag: kentucky derby odds

Betting on the Final Four - NCAA Tournament

And you thought you were on pins and needles, waiting for this weekend's Final Four games. North Carolina junior Tyler Hansbrough can think of nothing else.

"It means a lot," said Hansbrough, who admits he's having one heck of a time lately trying to get any sleep; he keeps thinking about the upcoming game. "It's a goal we set out. Obviously, we beat some good teams to get here and we feel like we're playing really well. We want to keep on moving."

To keep moving, however, they'll have to stay ahead of the high-scoring Memphis Tigers.

UCLA Bruins vs. Memphis Tigers
Oddsmakers currently have the Tigers listed as 2½-point favorites versus the Bruins, while the game's total has not yet been posted.

Team records:
Memphis: 37-1 SU, 19-19 ATS
UCLA: 35-3 SU, 22-14-1 ATS

UNC Tar Heels vs. Kansas Jayhawks
Oddsmakers currently have the Tar Heels listed as 4-point favorites versus the Jayhawks, while the game's total has not yet been posted.

Team records:
Kansas: 35-3 SU, 19-15-2 ATS
North Carolina: 36-2 SU, 24-10-1 ATS


Your NCAA Final Four odds and college basketball lines are up. Get 'em while they're hot.

Technorati Tag(s): Final Four odds

LeBron James Vogue Cover Controversy

King James or King Kong?

NBA forward LeBron James doesn't have a problem with this cover, but ESPN columnist Jemele Hill does.

"A black athlete being reduced to a savage is, sadly, nothing new. But this cover gave you the double-bonus of having LeBron and Gisele strike poses that others in the blogosphere have noted draw a striking resemblance to the racially charged image of King Kong enveloping his very fair-skinned lady love interest."

James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, told The Plain Dealer he was cool with the cover, saying he was "just showing a little emotion."

"Everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way," James told the paper. "Who cares what anyone says?"

Photographed by legendary photog Annie Leibovitz, the cover is set to make a splash on the newsstands later this week, if it isn't already available in your area. (I'm thinking collector's item.)

What do you think? If you've seen LeBron play then you know this guy is a pretty fierce competitor. I say kudos to Tom Brady for allowing his girl to be photographed with LeBron.

Technorati Tag(s): LeBron James

NCAA Tournament Results - Second Round Update & Scores

My March Madness bracket took a brutal beating yesterday. (First Round results here). How's yours shaping up?

If you've been frantically piecing together your NCAA Tournament bracket following yesterday's upsets, take comfort in knowing you are not alone. My West Region looks like it was hit by a freak tornado, but my Midwest Region is all but demolished. (Gonzaga??) And things are not looking any better for today.

Earlier this afternoon West Virginia upset Duke 73-67 in Second Round action. Joe Alexander had 22 points and 11 rebounds for West Virginia, and Alex Ruoff finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

Not a good time for Duke to fall short on nailing those all-important three-pointers, especially when West Virginia found a way to bring their A game to the hardwood during the second half, when it mattered most.

Get your Second Round results here.

Technorati Tag(s): NCAA Tournament Results

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Colonel John

Surely, even a Kentucky Derby horse likes to know he looks good and that he's doing a good job. Here's what trainer Eoin Harty had to say about Colonel John (following his Sham Stakes win):

"He's a very easy horse to keep fit," Harty said. "He does not carry a lot of excess weight and puts a lot into his works."

Kentucky Derby Contender: Colonel John
Trainer: Eoin Harty
Jockey: Garret Gomez
Owner: WinStar Farm
Graded Earnings: $375,000
Race Record: 5-3-2-0

Beat out the previously unbeaten El Gato Malo in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita to become the West Coast's leading hopeful. Colonel John is by two-time Breeders' Cup Classic (Grade 1) winner Tiznow, and his dam's sire, Turkoman, is the broodmare sire of dual classic winner Point Given.

Past Performances
Recent Workouts
NTRA Profile

Currently at Bodog Racebook, Colonel John is listed at 14/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Z Fortune

He didn't win today's Rebel Stakes, but Z Fortune is still very much in the running for May's big race.

“We felt this was the best plan for the horse," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "From an education standpoint, we want two [more] races instead of one before the [Kentucky] Derby.”

With Denis of Cork out, Z Fortune was a Rebel Stakes favorite but failed to pose as much of a threat in this all-important race. Prior to this loss, Z Fortune’s only loss in four lifetime starts came to stablemate and Kentucky Derby favorite Pyro in the $300,000 Grade 3 Risen Star Stakes. The Rebel is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the $ 1 million Grade II Arkansas Derby on April 12.

Kentucky Derby Contender: Z Fortune
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Owner: Zayat Stables LLC
Graded Earnings: $120,000
Race Record: 4-3-1-0

Past Performances
Recent Workouts
NTRA Profile

A convincing winner while breaking his maiden at Belmont Park, where he pressed the pace and drew clear to win by 6 ½ lengths. In his second start in an Aqueduct allowance race Dec. 7, the Siphon colt wired the field and went on to win by 4 ¾ lengths.

Right now in the Bodog Racebook, Z Fortune is listed at 25/1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby.

Technorati Tag(s): Kentucky Derby

Bracket, Bracket, Who's Got the (March Madness Bracket)?

March 3rd??? This means that the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -- AKA March Madness -- is only two weeks and one day away! Okay, I've got a "to do list" based on my terrible picks and performances in prior years.

1. Fill out my March Madness bracket early. There's nothing like scrambling on the 17th to get your bracket filled out!
2. Check out the college basketball lines as I go. I know my "gut instinct" is more-or-less-correct, more-or-less-most-of-the-time, but it's clear that these har professional bookmakers can teach me a thing or two about making March Madness picks.
3. Win some bets. See (2) above.

Also, anyone out there got a ticket to San Antonio for me so I can watch the Final Four? Hmm ... didn't think so. Guess I'll have to do really, really well in the office pool, or hit some 4-team parlays. A sports fan can always dream, right?

Technorati tag(s):march madness bracket

Breeders' Cup Classic Contenders

After a thrilling round of preliminaries, the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on Oct. 27 is shaping up to be some horse race. Curlin became the latest horse who will head into the race on a winning note. After a disappointing summer, he sprung back to life with a narrow win over the favorite, Lawyer Ron, in yesterday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, which put him in position to claim the 3-year-old championship and the Horse of the Year title in the Classic.

But his next assignment will not be easy. The field for the $5 million Classic will be loaded with talented horses like Street Sense, Hard Spun, Tiago, Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron. “We’ll all meet again in a month’s time, probably to decide a lot of honors,” the winning trainer, Steve Asmussen, said after the Gold Cup.

Some 24 hours before Curlin’s win, Hard Spun won a rematch of the one-two finishers from the Kentucky Derby when he edged Street Sense in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park. But Street Sense, the Derby winner, ran well in defeat. Then there is Tiago, who jumped into the Classic picture Saturday when defeating older horses in the Goodwood at Santa Anita. It may turn out that Any Given Saturday is the best of the bunch. He has won three in a row, including the Brooklyn on Sept. 22. Lawyer Ron is his stablemate, and still another Classic contender.

In the Gold Cup, Lawyer Ron, ridden by John Velazquez, took over from the pace-setter Brother Bobby near the top of the stretch and had a half-length lead with a furlong left. Curlin, fourth down the backstretch, wore down Lawyer Ron to win by a neck. He paid $6.20 on a $2 bet to win.

Technorati Tag(s): hard spun, curlin