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2009 Belmont Stakes: Updated Odds

Steve Janus — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:19:45 +0000

The 141st running of the Belmont Stakes takes place today, June 6th, 2009 at 6:30 PM EST in Belmont Park in Elmont New York. The race has been nicknamed the “Test of the Champion”, and rightfully so as it is considered the most demanding leg of the Triple Crown. It is the longest race in the series, coming in at 1 1/2 miles total. The current crop of 3-year-olds will have to show good stamina, and it’s safe to say only a few will be up to the challenge of such a lengthy race. There won’t be a Triple Crown winner this year, but jockey Calvin Borel, who road winners Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, respectively, has a chance to pull off the jockey’s Triple Crown with a win in the Belmont. Borel will again be riding Mine That Bird against the field, which is currently just 10 horses total. Let’s take a look at the updated odds this morning over at Bodog.com. Bet the 2009 Belmont with Bodog and get a $50 match play bonus!

2009 Belmont Stakes

Date: June 6th, 2009
Location: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Distance: 1 1/2 miles
Post Time: 6:30 PM EST
TV: ABC, Coverage begins at 5:00 PM EST

Current Odds (as of 12:15 PM EST)

Chocolate Candy [10/1]
Dunkirk [4/1]
Mr. Hot Stuff [15/1]
Summer Bird [12/1]
Luv Gov [20/1]
Charitable Man [3/1]
Mine That Bird [2/1]
Flying Private [12/1]
Miner’s Escape [15/1]
Brave Victory [15/1]

It looks like Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird is the current favorite, though Charitable Man and Dunkirk are right on his tail. There are some great odds on some of the other horses, which means this could be a runaway race for one of the favorites, or a huge payday with anyone with the luck to hit a nice exacta, trifecta, or superfecta. Whatever you decide to go with by post time, good luck!

Belmont Stakes Picks 2009

Steve Janus — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:42:57 +0000

The third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes is upon us tonight. Let’s take a look at a few solid bets you could make on this year’s big race. Unfortunately, there is no Triple Crown contender this year after Mine That Bird came up short in the Preakness. Nevertheless, this is still one of horse racing’s biggest events with some of the best horses in the world competing.

To Win: Charitable Man [3/1] – Has a long stride and is the son of the 1999 Belmont winner, Lemon Drop Kid. This horse should be fresh and control the pace of the race. He has only run one bad race in 4 career starts and his 3-for-3 on dirt this season. He will also be ridden by jockey Alan Garcia, who won the Belmont last year on Da’Tara, spoiling Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown’s bid.

To Place: Mine That Bird [2/1] – He isn’t flying under the radar anymore. After winning the Kentucky Derby and coming in 2nd in the Preakness, it is obvious this is a talented horse. He’s shown a great closing kick and should be able to handle the added distance. There is some concern that he won’t be as fresh as some of the other horses, particularly those that didn’t run in the Preakness, but it’s tough to bet against this strong competitor in this big race.

To Show: Brave Victory [15/1] - He’s shown a strong ability to close, which suggests he may have the stamina to last through the finish at the Belmont. He has done well at shorter distances, which may scare some away, and I know a lot of people are put off by his low Beyer Speed Figure of 89 last time out. He’s one of the long shots at 15-1, but if Mine That Bird can win at 50-1 in the Kentucky Derby, there’s no reason Brave Victory can’t have a strong showing in the Belmont this season.

For those of you looking to do some Belmont Stakes betting this weekend, be sure to take advantage of the $50 match bonus at Bodog!

There you have it. Let’s here who everyone else likes in the 2009 Belmont Stakes in the comments. Good luck!

2009 Belmont Stakes Predictions

Jason Lowry — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:00:16 +0000

We are just a couple days away from the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes. The race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon and will be televised on ABC nation wide. Some excitement will be missing at this race, as Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird was unable to keep the triple crown hopes alive with a win at the Preakness. The race will also be without Preakness winner Rachel Alexander, who decided against running this weekend at the Belmont Stakes. While no horse has a shot at the elusive triple crown this weekend, jockey Calvin Borel will complete the jockey triple crown if he is able to take Mine That Bird to a win this Saturday. There are ten horses ready to race this weekend, and here is my prediction on the 1-2-3 finish for the 2009 Belmont Stakes.

1. Mine That Bird 4/3 odds to win at Bodog.com: This horse surprised everyone with his outstanding performance at the Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird had just a 50-1 shot to win the Kentucky Derby, compared to this weekend where he is the clear favorite to win the race. Mine That Bird finished second at the Preakness Stakes, but if there was one race out of the three that this horse was made to run, its the Belmont Stakes. The 1.5 mile track should allow for this horse to cruise to victory this Saturday, and I don’t think enough can be said about jockey Calvin Borel, and the advantage this horse has with this guy riding on his back. For those of you betting on this horse don’t be worried if this horse falls a few lengths behind early, as this horse has incredible closing speed. While an upset is always possible, I think the safe and smart bet at the Belmont Stakes goes on Mine That Bird. Also worth mentioning is Mine That Bird will be starting out of post #7 this Saturday.

2. Chocolate Candy 10/1 odds to win at Bodog.com: Here is my surprise pick of the race this weekend, as I feel Chocolate Candy has the ability to sneak into the top 3 at the Belmont Stakes. Chocolate Candy starts out of post #1, and I feel that will play a huge role in this horse getting into the starting position needed to run a good race. Chocolate Candy ran to a 5th place finish at the Kentucky Derby, but did not take part in the Preakness Stakes. While its hard telling if this horse will have what it takes to run the 1.5 race at the Belmont Stakes, his strong closing performance at the Kentucky Derby leads me to believe he will handle the extra length just fine. Another reason to like Chocolate Candy this weekend, is he has one of the top jockeys in the world on his back in Garrett Gomez.

3.Dunkirk 9/2 odds to win at Bodog.com: The horse that will be starting right along side Chocolate Candy will be Dunkirk, as this horse will start out of post #2. If you remember back to the Kentucky Derby, Dunkirk was one of the favorites to win the race, but drew the outside post position and struggled to deal with all the traffic to the front. That led to a very poor showing at the Kentucky Derby, but if you look at the history of this horse, he should be primed for a very strong run this weekend. This horse could even surprise me and pull off the upset and win this race, but for now I think a 3rd place finish is just about right for this horse.

For those of you looking to do some Belmont Stakes betting this weekend, be sure to take advantage of the $50 match bonus at Bodog.com.

2009 Preakness Stakes Results

Jack Jones — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:50:12 +0000

Another Triple Crown event is in the books and what a solid second leg it was. The filly Rachel Alexandra brought the Preakness Stakes home with a winning time of 1 minute 55 seconds. This horse was the favorite coming in with many books listing her as the 1/2 favorite, meaning you would have to bet $200 to net $100. Will Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird get a rematch at the Belmont? It’s too early to tell as the owners and trainer of Rachel Alexandra have yet to make a decision on whether or not to race the filly in the final leg of the triple crown. An interesting side note to the win is that jockey Calvin Borel became the first person to win both the Derby and the Preakness on different horses. Borel thought Rachel Alexandra was the better horse, so he decided to ride her instead of Mine That Bird on Saturday.

The switch proved to be a wise move for Borel as Rachel became the first filly to win the event since 1924 and only the fourth overall to do so. She also made history as the first horse from the 13th spot to win. Mine That Bird ended up finishing second, in large part because of another strong move after the final turn. If the race had been slightly longer you would have to think that things would have turned out differently.

The 2009 Preakness Stakes payouts went as follows: Rachel Alexandra $5.60 to win, $4.60 to place, and $3.60 to show. Mine That Bird won bettors $6.60 for their place bets and $4.80 for their show wagers and Musket Man’s third place finish won gamblers $5 for those who had him to show. The $1 Exacta on 13-2 paid out $19.60 and a $1 Trifecta on the 13-2-3 netted gamblers $108.10. The $1 Superfecta would have made you a nice winner on the day, paying out $2,903.80 for those who had 13-2-3-10.

The order of finish for the 2009 Preakness went as follows: (1st) Rachel Alexandra, (2nd) Mine That Bird, (3rd) Musket Man, (4th) Flying Private, (5th) Big Drama, (6th) Papa Clem, (7th) Terrain, (8th) Luv Gov, (9th) General Quarters, (10th) Friesan Fire, (11th) Pioneerof the Nile, (12th) Tone It Down, (13th) Take the Points.

2009 Preakness Stakes: Updated Odds Saturday

Steve Janus — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:26:25 +0000

With the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes slated for tonight, let’s take a look at the updated odds on each horse. Filly, Rachel Alexandra remains a modest favorite to win the 2009 Preakness. Her payout is listed at 8/5, just over even odds over the rest of the field. Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird is still listed rather modestly at 6/1 odds. The other favorites Saturday are Pioneerof The Nile, who finished 2nd in this year’s Kentucky Derby, at 5/1, and Friesan Fire, the favorite going into the Kentucky Derby, is listed at 6/1 despite a poor showing (finished 18th) at Churchill Downs. Three horses can be considered long shots at 50/1 — Luv Gov, Flying Private, Tone It Down. Can one of these horses pull off the improbable in the Preakness Stakes like Mine That Bird did in the Kentucky Derby? Only time will tell. If you like one of the favorites, you might want to jump on them right now, as the odds will probably only get worse. If you’re looking at one of the longshots, you might be best to wait as you may get improved odds by post time. Here is a complete listing of the 2009 Preakness Stakes Odds as of about 2 PM EST at BodogLife’s Racebook. Right now Bodog is offering a $100 bonus on $100 deposits to new accounts to bet on the Preakness this year!

Big Drama [10-1]
Mine That Bird [6-1]
Musket Man [8-1]
Luv Gov [50-1]
Friesan Fire [6-1]
Terrain [30-1]
Papa Clem [12-1]
General Quarters [20-1]
Pioneerof The Nile [5-1]
Flying Private [50-1]
Take the Points [30-1]
Tone It Down [50-1]
Rachel Alexandra [8-5]

2009 Preakness Stakes Picks

Anthony Moretti — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:01:20 +0000

The Top Contenders: Rachel Alexandra was incredibly impressive in the Kentucky Oaks the day before the Kentucky Derby. She was so impressive that she is likely to be the favorite on Saturday to knock off Mine That Bird, the 50-1 underdog what won the Kentucky Derby this year. The three horses that came in after Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby are all running in this year’s Preakness as well. Pioneerof The Nile, Musket Man, and Papa Clem all finished over 6 lengths behind the winner, but were within noses of each other. The Kentucky Derby’s favorite going into the race was Friesan Fire, who will also participate in the Preakness and who will be looking for some major redemption after his 18th place finish at the Derby. There has also been talk about General Quarters being game for this race, after winning the Blue Grass Stakes, and skipped out on the Kentucky Derby. Big Drama is a horse that has a lot of speed and should benefit from drawing the rail.

Race Predictions: There is a ton of speed at the extremes with Big Drama on the inside and Rachel Alexandra on the outside. I predict that that Rachel Alexandra will break early and try to run in front of the field along with Big Drama. Pioneerof the Nile, Papa Clem, and Friesan Fire should make up the second grouping, waiting to make a late move. Don’t expect another incredible stretch run out of Mine That Bird to take the race, but he certianly does have the ability to kick down the stretch, as do General Quarters and Musket Man.

2009 Preakness Picks

Win: Rachel Alexandra
Place: Pioneerof The Nile
Show: Papa Clem
My Long Shot: Friesan Fire

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Preakness Stakes 2009: Pioneerof The Nile Preview & Predictions

Steve Janus — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:12:45 +0000

Pioneerof the Nile placed 2nd in the 2009 Kentucky Derby behind Mine That Bird, but this Saturday he will look to Pimlico Race Course for a rematch in the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes. Pioneerof The Nile drew the 2nd post position for the Preakness, where he was out of the 16th spot in the Derby. This is a very polarizing horse. Many think he should be the favorite, while others have expressed their concerns that the wet track in the Kentucky Derby worked to his advantage, and that he will not be able to keep up if the track at Pimlico is much drier. Pure speed-figure devotees certainly won’t be a fan of him, as his Beyer numbers aren’t spectacular, but he has been a winner throughout his career.

Pedigree: Sired by Empire Maker, who finished second behind FunnySide in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, and eventually won the Belmont Stakes. Empire Maker was sired by 1990 Kentucky Derby winner, Unbridled, whose son, Grindstone, took home the Kentucky Derby in 1996. Pioneerof the Nile’s Dam, Star of Goshen, who won the La Troienne Stakes (7 furlongs) at Churchill Downs with a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

Strengths: Long, smooth stride. Extremely well-seasoned early in his career, overcoming a bad post draw and poor start to to win on the grass at Saratoga. Won four races in a row before finishing 2nd in the Kentucky Derby. The 2nd place finish in the Derby is significant because it was his first race on dirt.

Weaknesses: Doesn’t seem to have a definable style. Only his second run on dirt, though the Derby showing was promising. Long stride makes it tougher to get out of the gates quickly and he has not yet shown an explosive kick to finish.

Outlook: A good run in the Kentucky Derby on his first ever run on dirt was overshadowed (and rightfully so) by Mine That Bird’s incredible victory, however, the Derby gave Pioneerof The Nile a quality prep to the Preakness, where he is expected to run very well as a 5-1 shot to win on Saturday.

Jockey: Garrett Gomez
Owner: Zayat Stable
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Zayat Stable

This year’s Preakness Stakes is set for Saturday, May 16th at approximated 6:05 PM. If you are looking for somewhere to bet on this 2nd leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, and a great deal to boot, Bodog is giving out a FREE $100 bonus if you deposit $100 in a new account today!

2009 Preakness Stakes Predictions

Steve Janus — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:23:29 +0000

Today we’ll take a look at the contenders for the 2009 Preakness Stakes, and I’ll give my predictions for the race. I caught plenty of grief for picking Mine That Bird to finish in the back of the pack in the Kentucky Derby, but let’s be honest, if you had a 50-1 shot winning the Kentucky Derby, you were guessing! Anyway, I’m out for redemption in the Preakness this year, so take a look at my predictions for this year and tell me what you think!

If you are going to bet on the Preakness and are looking for a great deal, Bodog is giving out a FREE $100 bonus if you deposit $100!

Mine That Bird - Won the Kentucky Derby, which already puts him at an advantage. Showed he can rally from well off the pace.

General Quarters – Poor showing in the Derby (1oth), but has two stakes wins this year and lacks Professional points (a positive in the Preakness).

Musket Man – Didn’t win as a two year old and has not run a triple digit Beyer figure (98 at Hawthorne). Finished 3rd in the Derby, however, and could stalk the pace as he did when he won the Illinois and Tampa Bay Derbies.

Papa Clem – 4th place at the Derby helps, but isn’t a great indicator. Won the Arkansas Derby this year.

Pioneerof The Nile – Has not run a triple Beyer (96 at Santa Anita), but is coming off of a sharp 2nd place showing in the Kentucky Derby.

Rachel Alexandra – Won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths. Has run triple digit Beyers in four straight starts. Biggest knock is that a filly hasn’t won the Preakness since 1924.

Friesan Fire – Finished 18th as the favorite at the Kentucky Derby due mostly to a troubled start. Should fair better at the Preakness.

Tone It Down – No stakes win in his career. Top Beyer of just 85 (Laurel Park) puts this local horse likely near the back of the pack.

Big Drama – Has only made one start this year, but it was a win in the Swale Stakes at Gulf Steam. 7 week layoff is a negative.

Flying Private – Finished dead last in the Kentucky Derby, showing that he probably shouldn’t have been in the race. Has too many starts this year and no stakes wins (no wins, period since August of ‘08). Too many negatives to expect a good showing.

Take the Points – Skipped the Kentucky Derby, which I consider a knock as he will be coming into the Preakness on a 6 week layoff. He’s never won a stakes in his career, but did well at his prep, the Santa Anita Derby, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Pioneerof The Nile.

Terrain – Rallies from off the pace and finished well in the Blue Grass Stakes, but there are too many negative here. Terrain has just two starts this year, is coming off of a 5 week layoff, and his top Beyer figure is 91 (Louisiana Derby).

2009 Preakness Stakes Predictions

1st – Pioneerof The Nile
2nd - Rachel Alexandra
3rd - Friesan Fire
Long shot (to win) – General Quarters at 20-1

Preakness Stakes Payout Odds

Jack Jones — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:23:12 +0000

Let’s take a look at the expected payouts based on the odds for the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Sportsbook.com. One thing that you should know about this book though before you do any betting this weekend, Sportsbook.com is offering a $1 Million prize as part of their Triple Crown Challenge. If you wager $5 on this Saturday’s Preakness race and correctly predict the finishing order of the top 10 horses then you’ll cash in on the jackpot. Obviously this isn’t an easy task to accomplish so that is why they are carrying it over to the Belmont if nobody hits it big this weekend.

Sportsbook.com also has a $10,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool available for those who wager on the triple crown races. Members are awarded points for every correct selection then make with the top five point earners cashing in on the prize money at the end of the Triple Crown events. It’s pretty easy to see why Sportsbook.com is one of the books we are recommending for betting on the horses this year. They have big prizes to win and treat their clients well. Now let’s take a look at the payouts on horses to win the 2009 Preakness Stakes:

Rachel Alexandra (+150) is the favorite. A $2 bet will only get you $3 in winnings. Mine that Bird and Pioneerof The Nile are next in line at +450, so a $2 wager will get you $9. Friesan Fire is at +650 with a $13 coming back on your $2 stake. Papa Clem’s odds are +800, so that’s a $16 return on your $2 investment. Both Big Drama and Musket Man are listed at +1000 so that’s $20 for a $2 bet. General Quarters odds are at +1500 so a $2 wager would bring in $30 for you. Now it’s time to look at the underdogs, with Take the Points (+2500), Tone it Down (+3000), Terrain (+3000), Flying Private (+4000), and Lov Gov (+4000) rounding out the field.

Preakness Stakes Power Rankings

Jack Jones — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:57:40 +0000

This year’s Preakness Stakes is still a few days away, but our friends over at BetUS racebook have put together their power rankings in order to help you prepare for the race. There is a lot of talk about Rachel Alexandra since that filly looked so impressive with her win at the Kentucky Oaks, but there are a few other horses that DS Williamson thinks you should look at. If you are going to bet the race, then BetUS is offering a match bonus up to $500 for our readers.

1. Papa Clem (+700) – The son of Smart Strike did a great job getting up with the fast pace that was set at the Kentucky Derby. He was on the inside of the track but switched to the outside before the top of the stretch before making his move. He should run a better race here at the Preakness and you have to like how his sire has already produced Curlin, who is a former Preakness winner. There is quite a bit of value with him here as a $100 bet would give you $700 if he can win the race.

2. Pioneerof The Nile (+450) – Don’t forget about the Derby runner-up either. It’s hard to beleive that the son of Empire Maker still isn’t getting much credit even though he pretty much ran on pace, but on the outside for the entire race, which had the worst conditions on the track. He could be a horse ready to make a nice run here at the Preakness.

3. Mine That Bird (+400) – The Derby winner is getting a fairly strong price here as he tries for the second leg of the Triple Crown. This horse took a giant leap forward in the Derby so if you are one of those people who thinks this horse is closer to Giacomo than Street Sense you are crazy. He has a solid pedigree being sired by Birdstone and he will most likely be seeing a faster pace with some front runners. If you want to take a shot on the Derby winner then a $100 bet could net you $400 with a win.

His power rankings were rounded out by Musket Man at +1000 and Rachel Alexandra, who is the favorite at -125. Musket Man finished third at the Derby and he’s won five of the seven races he’s been in and placed third in the other two. There is plenty of value on him there. Be careful with Rachel Alexandra as she looked impressive at the Oaks, but that was against a pretty weak field. She just isn’t really worth a look at that short of odds when for the most part she is untested against the big boys.