For the first time in the 26-year history of the Breeders’ Cup Santa Anita Track will be hosting the Breeders’ World Championship for . Officials have dropped prices and spruced up Santa Anita in hopes of luring fans out for the two-day championship. This could be a great opportunity for horse racing fans across the nation to be witnesses of great races and may be history in the making …

Though two of racing’s biggest stars, the 3-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra and the 3-year-old European superstar Sea The Stars, are not coming to the Breeders’ Cup, more than 30 foreign-campaigned horses are expected, along with the unbeaten mare Zenyatta, who has won all 13 of her races. Now who will be the favorite in the big race and who will be also right next to this horses, let’s check it out:

Zenyatta: Winner of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic last year, she is undefeated in 12 starts so far. In 2009 she has won Milady and Vanity Handicaps at Hollywood and the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, then the Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita last out. She makes it look easy against the girls, so maybe this year she will try the Classic. Trainer John Shirreffs is confident this incredible lady will come on top at the end of this race and jockey Mike Smith will be the lucky rider to take her to her place in history. She is by far the biggest favorite.

Summer Bird: Unraced as a 2-year-old, he was 3rd in the Arkansas Derby then 16th in the Kentucky Derby. Skipped the Preakness then won Belmont Stakes. Next out he was 2nd in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth to Rachel Alexandra, then won the Travers in the slop at Saratoga. Showed again how much he likes a sloppy track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, winning by a length to become the first 3-year-old in 20 years to win that race, the Belmont, and the Travers in the same year. Now this horse has proven already that he deserves the chance to be here, this will be the second biggest favorite in this race and he has done it in quite a fashion, this will be the greatest chance and his trainer Tim Ice and his jockey Kent Desormeaux are more than ready.

Mine That Bird: Named the Champion 2-year-old male in Canada, he won four straight races before fading to finish 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year. This year he was a surprise winner in the Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1, then 2nd in the Preakness to Rachel Alexandra, and 3rd in the Belmont Stakes to Summer Bird. Finished 3rd in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer in August. Last out he was a disappointing 6th in the Goodwood, never mounting his usual late close. Perhaps he doesn’t like California? Well this is the horse that could have won it all but he couldn’t, his trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. has been trying to overcome the California deal and jockey Mike Smith is the chosen one to try and break the disappointing season in California.

Rip Van Winkle: Irish-bred colt has been racing in Ireland and England and was a stakes winner at 2 last year. He has 2 wins in 5 starts so far this year including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Sussex Stakes, plus a second in the Coral Eclipse Stakes. Earned a spot in the Mile in his last start, but they plan to send him to the Classic instead. This foreign horse will be the biggest threat from overseas, this horse is the highest favorite and by the looks of it, it will give the rest a run for their money. The trainer is Aidan O’Brien and the jockey will be John Murtagh, good luck to them.

This is a list of the horses for the event and the odds listed early:

Awesome Gem 50/1
Bullsbay 25/1
Colonel John 20/1
Einstein 20/1
Gio Ponti 9/1
Mastercraftsman 10/1
Mine The Bird 20/1
Quality Road 11/1
Regal Ransom 25/1
Richard’s Kid 18/1
Rip Van Winkle 3/2
Summer Bird 6/1
Twice Over 10/1
Zenyatta 4/1
Chocolate Candy 50/1
Girolamo 30/1

THE PREDICTION WILL BE TOUGH BUT I HAVE LIKED SUMMER BIRD AND I WILL STICK WITH HIM ON THIS PARTICULAR RACE, MY PICK WILL BE SUMMER BIRD TO WIN THE BREEDER’S CUP CLASSIC AND A 5 MILLION DOLLAR PURSE.

CHECK OUR ODDS ON 2009 BREEDERS CUP RACES AND OUR BONUS PROMOTIONS AT GAMBLERS PALACE SPORTSBOOK & CASINO.

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2009 Breeders Cup Odds and Predictions

Date: Saturday June 6th, 2009
Location: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Post Time: 6:30PM (EST)
TV Network: ABC, 5:00PM (EST)

Belmont Park at Elmont, New York will be receiving the best horses to compete in the last leg of the triple crown. Eleven horses will be lining up at the starting line, but all eyes will be focused on MINE THAT BIRD and RACHEL ALEXANDRA that gave us a duel in the preakness like it hasn’t been in a very long time, Mine that bird closed strong and it wasn’t enough to get Rachel Alexandra in the final stretch but this will be a longer and more demanding race so anything can happen.

Mine that Bird has been trained by Bennie Woolley Jr. and the owners are Double Eagle Ranch & Buena Suerte Equine. The horse didn’t have that many expectations for the first race (Kentucky Derby), in fact been a 50/1 underdog made one of the most amazing races ever at the Derby, he has a lot to offer and he will be at New York giving us another exciting show.

Rachel Alexandra is questionable for this race and it seems the decision of whether the horse will participate or not will be given until next week. The horse worked out at Churchill Downs and it has been the first workout, they will see if the filly is ready to face a long race with all that pressure on its back. Trainer Steve Asmussen feels the horse should workout and let the owners take the decision based in the best interest of the animal, it was a good workout but we have a lot of work to do said the trainer. Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick are the owners and they will make the decision as soon as they realize if the horse is ready for it or not.

This will be the full list of contenders for this race:

Charitable Man

Chocolate Candy

Brave Victory

Dunkirk

Flying Private

Luv Gov

Mine that Bird

Miner’s Escape

Mr. Hot Stuff

Rachel Alexandra

Summer Bird

From this list of 11 horses my prediction won’t be a surprise, Rachel Alexandra is not fully ready for this long race so the winner of the 141st Belmont Stakes will be Mine that Bird making 2 of 3 races and becoming one of the greatest underdogs in history.

CHECK OUR LATEST ODDS ON 2009 BELMONT STAKES AND OUR BONUS PROMOTIONS AT GAMBLERS PALACE SPORTSBOOK & CASINO.

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2009 BELMONT STAKES BETTING ODDS AND PREDICTIONS

That isn’t the only value you can find on the Derby this year as there are loads of contenders worth punting on at sportsbook odds.  Below you will find a few of the current odds to win the 135th Kentucky Derby as they stand in the sportsbook, but these odds won’t last forever and every day we get closer to the gun shot these odds will be moving down.

Odds to Win the 135th Kentucky Derby:

I Want Revenge +320

Dunkirk +380

Quality Road +400

Friesan Fire +560

Pioneer of the Nile +680

Papa Clem +1200

Desert Party +1400

Terrain +2100

Chocolate Candy +1400

Musket Man +2100

Giant Oak +4200

Analysis:  As always you are getting very inflated odds in the sportsbook and the biggest risk is that your horse doesn’t qualify, but if you have the foresight to pick the winner then the pay off is absolutely sweet!  The best strategy is to spread the money around.  I would put a bulk of your bank roll on the favorites, I Want Revenge and Quality Road, but don’t forget about some big payoffs on Giant Oak where $10 will get you $420 or Chocolate Candy +1400 with $50 winning you $700.  Come race day you definitely have to get your boxed trifecta down on paper and the smart move would be to box the top three favorites, but should you mix it up with a long shot you can definitely cash in.  Keep checking the odds in the sportsbook as they will be fluctuating throughout the week as more and more contenders are scratched if they don’t qualify.  By the way you can bet on the odds of a Triple Crown winner this year with the Odds curently at Yes +700 and No -1200 as well as more prop bets to follow as race day draws near… 

***UPDATED: April 28th 2009

With the field slowly being whittled down, the odds on favorite, I Want Revenge is still listed at a whopping +320 (risk $100 to win $320).  Early contenders, Quality Road and Terrain have either been withdrawn or did not meet the qualifying times so with the favorites odds unchanged it is a golden opportunity to get a big payout in the sportsbook.  Also, come race day its going to be alot easier to put those trifecta boxed ponies together, don’t be afriad to mix up the favorites with some long shots for LONG $$$…  In addition to offering huge sportsbook odds on the big race, you can sleep well at night knowing that GamblersPalace is offering a 10% rebate on net losses every week for ALL horse betting so should you crap out on this leg of the Triple Crown you will have a little waiting for you for the Preakness and a chance to get back to even.  

Click here for Live Odds to Win the 135th Kentucky Derby

Click here for Live Odds to Win the 2009 Preakness

Click here for Live Odds to Win the 2009 Belmont Stakes 

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135th Kentucky Derby Betting Odds

Here is the list of entrants with their money lines in the sportsbook:

Curlin +170

Henrythenavigator +600

Go Between +700

Duke of Marmalade +800

Colonel John +1000

Ravens Pass +650

Casino Drive +700

Smooth Air +2200

Tiago +1400

Champs Elysees +2100

Fairbanks +2500

Student Council +1300

My Pick:  As in all horse races you have to spread some money around on the long shots and especially Tiago which is at an insane 14 to 1.  I would take $150 and put $50 on Curlin and then spread out $100 in $20 increaments on Tiago, Colonel John, Smooth Air, Fairbanks, and Student Council.  You never know when a long shot can come in and really make your day.

Click here for a Live 2008 Breeders Cup Betting Lines

Click here for Breeders Cup Betting Props

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2008 Breeders Cup Betting Lines and Picks

Main Course: 1 1/2 Miles
Last Turn to Finish on Main Track: 1,097 feet
Widener Turf Course: 1 5/16 Miles
Inner Turf Course: 1 3/16 Miles
Attendance Capacity: 85,000 – 90,000
Total Seating Capacity: 32,941

Some more interesting facts on Belmont Park is the frequency with which prior winners sire future winners,
a total of eleven Belmont Stakes winners have sired at least one other Belmont winner.

Man o’ War heads the list of Belmont champion sires. Not only did he win the race himself in 1920, but three of his subsequent sires won it as well: American Flag in 1925, Crusader in 1926 and War Admiral in 1937, who went on to win the Triple Crown.

Commando won the 1901 running, then sired Peter Pan, the 1907 champ and the Colin, the 1908 winner.
1930 champion Gallant Fox sired both Omaha (1935) and Granville (1936).

Count Fleet won the 1943 edition, and then sired back-to-back Belmont winners with Counterpoint (1951) and One Count (1952).

1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew sired a Call To The Derby Post favorite in Swale, who won both the Derby and the Belmont in 1984, as well as A.P. Indy, who won the Belmont in 1992. 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid is also a descendant of the Slew.

The following horses have sired one Belmont winner each: Duke of Magenta of 1878 sired Eric (1889); Spendthrift of 1879 sired Hastings (1896); Hastings then followed his again by siring Masterman, the 1902 winner. The Finn of 1915 sired Zev (1923); Sword Dancer of 1959 sired Damascus (1967); last but not least, Triple Crown winner Secretariat of 1973 sired Risen Star, the 1988 winner.

This year Big Brown is looking to break the drought of Triple Crown winners with 2 convincing wins at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only Belmont stands in his way of glory.  GamblersPalace.com is happy to offer sportsbook odds on this years Belmont Stakes winner:

Big Brown -310 (risk $310 to win $100)
Casino Drive +340 (risk $100 to win $340)
Denis of Cork +900 (risk $100 to win $900)
Tale of Ekati +1800 (risk $100 to win $1800)
BehindattheBar +2200 (risk $100 to win $2200)
Anak Nakal +3500 (risk $100 to win $3500)
Macho Again +3500 (risk $100 to win $3500)
Readys Echo +3500 (risk $100 to win $3500)
Icebad Crane +4400 (risk $100 to win $4400)
Mine Lane +4400 (risk $100 to win $4400)
Spark Candle +4400 (risk $100 to win $4400)
Tomcito +4400 (risk $100 to win $4400)

My Pick:  Well obviously Big Brown is an overwhelming favorite at -340 and I don’t expect that to change much and hes worth betting on in the racebook but -340 in the sportsbook on a horse is ludacris! your better off laying down 10 $10 bets on all the long shots and then in the racebook do a couple boxed trifectas with Big Brown and some long shots.  Big Brown will most likely win but the long shot bets are waaay too juicy to pass on.

UPDATED June 4th:

NEWS FLASH FOLKS!!! Casino Drive is looking good in the practice runs and has the Bookies rethinking their numbers, his odds are moving down across the board to a mere +300 at some shops while he is still available at GP for a sweet +340.  Better get it before it comes down, Casino Drive is looking like the only threat to Big Brown’s Triple Crown aspirations.

Click here for Live Odds on the 2008 Belmont Stakes

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2008 Belmont Stakes Betting Odds and Pick

This year the field is even more difficult to predict than usual, the odds do not list any horse as a standout favorite but if you have to name a favorite just for shiggles then its a coin flip between Big Brown and Colonel John, with Pyro in close 3rd.  Colonel John is already in Louisville and his practice runs are making the so called experts get their futures money in quick as the dirt track does not seem to be a problem for the turf runner.  Big Brown should be at the top of your list based on past performance but we all know that history is merely that up to the sound of the gun and opening of the gates.  Tradionally the top 3 favorite horses should be in an automatic Boxed Trifecta on your list of bets, but then it is always wise to throw down some W/P/S on a couple long shots.  If your a little fuzzy on all the horse betting terminology then have no fear as Gamblers Palace is pleased to offer a virtual dictionary of betting terms so that you can make the most informed wager.  As of right now futures odds to win the Kentucky Derby are being offered in the sports book live odds section, once we get to race day and all the qualifying is over and positions are announced then every type of bet will be offered in the Horsebook.  Also don’t be afraid to get a little crazy because even if you get hosed and none of your ponies come in Gamblers Palace is going to give you back 8% of all your loses through their patented Horse Rebate Program.  Heres a list of the top 10 horses with their odds to win the Derby as of this moment:
Big Brown +225
Colonel John +400
Pyro +500
Court Vision +1600
Denis of Cork +1600
Monba +1600
Z Fortune +1600
Gayego +1600
Adriano +1700
Tale of Ekati +1800

Gamblers Palace will also be offering Prop bets on the Derby, heres just a few to perk your intrest:

Number of the Kentucky Derby Winner
Odd Number -115
Even Number -115

Starting Gate Position of Kentucky Derby Winner
Gates 1-5  -110
Gates 6-10 +125
Gates 11-15 +270
Gates 16-20 +270

Winning Time of Kentucky Derby Winner
Under 2.01.30 +115
Over 2.01.30 -165 

As for my picks its really hard to decide, and theres a couple reasons why, 1 the qualifyers are still going all week and that long shot might not make it, and 2 all odds are dictated by the paramutual which will be changing about every 5 seconds.  So I’ll make it easy for you: Boxed Trifecta of the top 3 favorites, W/P/S on the absolute favorite and then about 5 bets to of $2 to win on the each of the last 5 long shots out of the 10 that qualify.

So that being said, get your Mint Julip ready and your obsenely ugly hats out and enjoy the race, this year should promise to be one hell of a race.

Click here for Live Kentucky Derby Odds

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2008 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds and Pick

The pole positions for Saturdays Breeders Cup Classic race have been anounced and are as follows:
                                       
1 Lawyer Ron            
2 Street Sense               
3 Any Given Saturday 
4 Curlin                          
5 George Washington  
6 Awesome                   
7 Diamond Stripes       
8 Hard Spun                  
9 Tiago                           

Any Given Saturday and Lawyer Ron are the current favorites at +390 (risk $100 to win $390) with Preakness Champ Curlin coming in at +430 (risk $100 to win $430) and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense at +475 (risk $100 to win $475).  The rest of the field will payout huge, however I think that you have your winner out of these 4 top rated thoroughbreds. 

I like to pick the longshots in races like this, the potential for big upsets is huge in horse racing and it just makes sense to throw a few fun bucks at the lesser known horses like Diamond Stripes who at +1650 (risk $100 to win $1650) would make for a nice little comeup, however for the serious bettor that boxed trifecta with horses 1, 2, 3 would be my bet.

GamblersPalace.com is pleased to offer sportsbook odds for all the horses running up until Saturday morning where you will then find them listed in the Race Book section of GP.

Click here for Live Breeders Cup Odds

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24th Running of the Breeders Cup

This year the Belmont Stakes has been disredarded in some aspects because of the lack of popular runners in the field.  This year there will only be 7 ponies to pick from and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense will not be one of them.  The reports are vague but it seems that owner Jim Tafel had decided after the Preakness that without the chance of the Triple Crown that it would not be worth entering the last leg, in fact I don’t blame him as he has just sold the rights to breed his Kentucky Derby Champion to a middle eastern Sheikh who owns Darley Stud Farm, owners of numerour high profile race horses. 

So without Street Sense to choose from, Curlin has become the favorite with Hard Spun right behind him.  But before you go and jump on the favorite lets consider a few things: 

1. This is the longest leg of the Triple Crown at 1.5 miles long,  the race will not be won by a sprinter, it just won’t happen.  Serious strategy changes will have to be made by the jockeys to gage their horses down the stretch.

2. Field of 7 horses, pole position will have absolutley nothing to do with the horses chances, there will be no one to run into, in fact the horses might forget they are racing due to lack opponents….Just kidding.

3. Many times a jockey fails to hit the gas at the appropriate time and miscalculates his horses stamina.  It happens to the best of them.

So my point is, is that this race because of the length and small field is really open to anyone and if you do your homework on this try to profile a horse that has been known to finish top 3 in longer distance tracks, they will be more conditioned and already have a rythem to their racing as opposed to a horse that likes to sprint and will have to tweak his rythem to accomodate the longer track.

Heres current live lines listed in the sportsbook(*note lines will be constantly changing):

1. Imawildandcrazyguy +2000
2. Tiago +1000
3. Curlin -120
4. C P West +1200
5. Slews Tizzy +2000
6. Hard Spun +250
7. Rags to Riches +300

Personally I like C P West to win, good value at +1200 plus hes trained by the great Nick Zito. Whats your Pick?

Click here for live Horse lines

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139th Belmont Stakes

Heres a list of Belmont Contenders:

Personally, I gotta like the rematch between Curlin and Street Sense, but at 1.5 miles long, this race will not be won by a sprinter, oh no.  I would look into some more strategical runners that might look to be slow and steady and then make a fast break at the last turn and still have enough energy to get ahead. As always I like the underdogs.  The lines should be coming out tomarrow after all the runners are confirmed and I will have updates and picks before the weekend.

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2007 Belmont Stakes – Run for the Carnations

The 132nd Preakness will take place on Sat May 19th at 6:00pm est on NBC. This year only 3 of the precedding Derby runners are attending, out of the field of 9 the favorites in the sportsbook right now are: Street Sense +130, Curlin +350, and Hard Spun +250, the rest of the field all have high value right now!!!
In the past it seems like there is always a surprise win by a huge underdog in at least one of the 3 legs of the Triple Crown, this year I am choosing the Preakness for the huge upset to come in. Out of the underdog field I like King Of The Roxy +1750, he is a good runner with great value at the moment. Hes already won at Gulf Stream, he came in second at the Santa Anita Derby and is trained by Todd Pletcher. If you have read my past blog on the Kentucky Derby you already know that I like any horse that wins at Gulf Stream, I don’t know why, but I do. I think that a Win, Place, Show bet on King of the Roxy is the play for tomarrow.

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132nd Preakness