Derby favorite Big Brown draws far outside post position 20

The field is set for the 2008 Kentucky Derby and all post positions have been drawn. Here is the complete field, with Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Morning-Line Odds 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 Contenders are set to race this Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs. Get your Kentucky Derby odds before it’s too late!

This weekend’s upcoming Kentucky Derby is a huge deal for horse racing fans everywhere, but party animals looking to take a bite out of the action will be making a beeline over to the Churchill Downs Infield, where an unlimited amount of cheap tickets will be up for grabs.

But don’t kid yourself, if you’re looking to score a cheap ticket with a sweet view of the races –think again. You’re not likely to see a single horse from the infield (although you’ll probably see a lot of horsing around).

No, the big draw to the infield is the free-flowing booze, the great (greasy and over-priced) food, the hot chicks (wearing “Talk Derby to Me t-shirts) and the cool atmosphere.

Last year over 80,000 eager horse racing fans took in the Kentucky Derby from the infield at Churchill Downs and if the weather holds out for this weekend’s big race, track officials are expecting a similar turnout this time around.

For more information on the Derby party that has become legendary at the Churchill Downs Infield, read this article entitled “Kentucky Derby Infield - Talk Derby to me“.

Let the Kentucky Derby party to begin. We all know about Mint Julep as the drink of choice but not this year. This year we are throwing out the bourbon and brining in the tequila. Churchill Downs has selected Brown-Roman Corp.’s Tequila Herradura as the “Official Tequila for Kentucky Derby 134.” This will be the first year that the track has chosen an official tequila.

Herrandura, which is Spanish for “horseshoe” makes this tequila quite fitting. The Kentucky Derby is only 4 days away so let the celebration begin! The race may be the fastest 2 minutes in sports but the drinking will go all day and into the night.

When I was three years old, I was watching Sesame Street. Big Brown, on the other hand, is less than a week away from racing in the Kentucky Derby.

This is what makes being a horseplayer so intriguing – and potentially rewarding. At age 3, Big Brown is the equine equivalent of a stud rookie, like Adrian Peterson or Al Horford. But at least they brought years of proven college results with them to the pros for handicappers to judge. Big Brown has been in exactly three races, including his maiden and an allowance.

Taking Big Brown at 5-2 (down from 3-1 last week) is largely an act of faith. His convincing Mar. 29 win at the Florida Derby provides an important piece of objective proof. However, Big Brown’s meteoric rise to the top of the futures market is based on the overwhelming consensus in the racing community that this wonder horse is a vastly superior genetic specimen.

Nothing says, “Let’s do Derby!” like a refreshing Kentucky Derby mint julep. The ingredients are pretty basic: mint, bourbon, sugar and water. That’s it. Sounds simple enough, right? I mean, how hard can mixing four ingredients together be, right?

There’s more to making the perfect Kentucky Derby mint julep than meets the eye and considering you’ve only got just over a week to get this down, you had better practice now. To make this task easy for you, I’ve scoured the web for instructional videos on the subject (and believe me, there are going to be some sadly disappointed people out there come Derby Day). But I think I’ve found the perfect video on how to make the perfect Kentucky Derby mint julep.

Watch this video on how to make a mint julep. Watch and learn. Mmm… And then don’t forget to get your Kentucky Derby bets in before it’s too late. Derby Day is May 3, 2008!

With only 10 days left till the Kentucky Derby this is a perfect time for the movie “The First Saturday in May” to be in theaters.

This movie chronicles the journey of 6 hard working trainers as the y jockey for a position along the 2006 Kentucky Derby trail. This movie provides an inside look at eh people who dedicate their lives to the sport of horseracing. This film also features never before seen footage of a young Barbaro, which is one reason in itself to see it.

“Those of us fortunate enough to have screened this film know how “The First Saturday in May” embodies the spirit, passion and tradition of the Kentucky Derby,” added Churchill Downs Incorporated Vice President Dave Tompkins. “We believe this fantastic behind-the-scenes look at the world’s most famous horse race has the potential to draw new fans to the sport and grow the popularity of the Kentucky Derby.”

“The First Saturday in May” was Written by the Hennegan Brothers and Mark Krewatch and Directed by the Hennegan Brothers

It’s been 30 years already. At some point, someone’s going to win horse racing’s elusive Triple Crown. All we need is a horse that is ridiculously better than the competition.

Sound familiar? Big Brown is getting that flavor of hype as the 3-1 Derby favorite. Meanwhile, contenders like Pyro (8-1), El Gato Malo (Field; 25-1) and War Pass (off the trail; ankle injury) are falling by the wayside.

It’s still a lot to ask for Big Brown or anyone else to win three of the most competitive stakes races on the calendar. At press time, the odds for a 2008 Triple Crown were +550 (odds against are –1000). Considering only 11 horses have done it in over 125 years, the odds are generous toward Big Brown’s chances of success. Handicappers will have to decide how much casual bettors are to blame for their high Triple Crown expectations, compared to how dominant Big Brown actually is.

1. Colonel John- We love his sire and because of this we think he can go the distance.
2. Big Brown- We remember his huge Florida Derby victory so why can’t he win another Derby?
3. Gayego- He made his first debut on dirt a winning one. The only horse to beat him was Georgie Boy and he’s not on this list.
4. Pyro- So he didn’t do well in Blue Grass because he “didn’t like the polytrack” oh boo hoo.
5. War Pass- Yes he did loose his last two races but he’s still a champ to me.
6. Monba- I’ll jump on the bandwagon for this horse just like everyone else.
7. Tale of Ekati- He has a solid foundation as a juvenile and I think he might give us a surprise.
8. Smooth Air- Just behind Big Brown at the Florida Derby, let hope this isn’t as far as he’s going to go
9. Recapturetheglory- I mostly just like his name but with every race he keeps improving.
10. Visionaire- Lets hope he can out do his sire, Grand Slam and have no difficulty making the ¼ mile trip.

Kentucky Derby Picks

Edgar Prado rode Barbaro to victory at the 2006 Kentucky Derby

Jockey Edgar Prado has chosen to ride Adriano (14/1) on May 3 at the Kentucky Derby. His winning the Lane’s End Grade II Stakes at Turfway Park on March 22 atop Adriano may have something to do with his decision, but more recently Adriano’s workout at Churchill Downs this week may have been the bigger reason. Seems trainer Graham Motion felt it was important to first give Adriano a good run at the Derby track, with Edgar on board.

“One of the reasons I worked Adriano at Churchill Downs this week was to let Edgar get a feel for him on the track and see what he thought. It was as much for his benefit as for mine. He wanted to see for himself before he made his decision, and I wanted to see for myself before I made my decision. I was tickled when he turned into the stretch and he showed that extraordinary stride when Edgar asked him. I let him do as he pleased, sort of like taking out a new car for a spin. He let him roll the last part, and I clocked him in :11 and change for the final eighth. When Edgar asked him he really took off from his workmate, who is a very useful stakes winner.”

Many will remember that it was Prado who rode Barbaro to victory on May 6, 2006 at the 132nd Kentucky Derby.

This Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes delivered a number of surprises. The biggest of which was Pyro’s poor performance.

Steve Asmussen is not worried. Before this even Pyro had been among the most constant horses around, finishing in the top 3 in 6 career starts. This poor performance was blamed on colt’s aversion to Keenland’s synthetic surface.

“I’m pretty confident it was simply the surface,” Asmussen said Sunday. “The horse came out of it in good shape. Watching the race, he wasn’t going anywhere at any point. He wasn’t himself from the first step.”

Fortunately, if the surface was actually the reason for Pyro’s performance he will have no problem with the track surface at the Kentucky Derby on May 3. The Derby is run over a conventional dirt track, and Pyro has already won at Churchill Downs, breaking his maiden there in July.

As for the winner of the weekend, it was Monba, who is trained by Todd Pletcher. Pletcher is also the trainer of Cowboy Cal. The win this weekend was worth $465,000 bringing Monba’s career earnings to $577,534.

At the top of the stretch the two stablemates, Cowboy Cal and Monba, hooked up in a battle to the wire. Monba, ridden by Edgar Prado, got the better of Cowboy Cal and won by a neck.