Touthouse.com Sports Handicappers – Below you will find the current betting odds for the 2009 Kentucky Derby. The 135th Kentucky Derby will be run Saturday, May 2nd, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Widely regarded as the “most exciting two minutes in sports”, the Run for the Roses will bring attendance inexcess of 150,000 to the twin spires at Churchill Downs. Through simulcast and television (NBC 5PM EST) millions more will watch twenty of the best three year old thoroughbreds in the world face off for their chance to become legendary. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the US Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Only 11 horses have ever swept all three races (raced over a five week span), the last being Affirmed in 1978.

135th Running of the Kentucky Derby
Current 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds, Post Positions, Jockeys and Trainers
Bookmark This Page for updated betting odds up until race time

1. West Side Bernie (Stewart Elliott, Kelly Breen), 30-1
2. Musket Man (Eibar Coa, Derek Ryan), 20-1
3. Mr. Hot Stuff (John Velazquez, Eoin Harty), 30-1
4. Advice (Rene Douglas, Todd Pletcher), 30-1
5. Hold Me Back (Kent Desormeaux, Bill Mott), 15-1
6. Friesan Fire (Gabriel Saez, Larry Jones), 5-1
7. Papa Clem (Rafael Bejarano, Gary Stute), 20-1
8. Mine That Bird (Calvin Borel, Bennie Woolley Jr.), 50-1
9. Join in the Dance (Chris DeCarlo, Todd Pletcher), 50-1
10. Regal Ransom (Alan Garcia, Saeed bin Suroor), 30-1
11. Chocolate Candy (Mike Smith, Jerry Hollendorfer), 20-1
12. General Quarters (Julien Leparoux, Jeff Mullins), 20-1
13. I Want Revenge (Joe Talamo, Jeff Mullins), 3-1
14. Atomic Bird (Joe Bravo, Kelly Breen), 50-1
15. Dunkirk (Edgar Prado, Todd Pletcher), 4-1
16. Pioneerof the Nile (Garrett Gomez, Bob Baffert), 4-1
17. Summer Bird (Chris Rosier, Tim Ice), 50-1
18. Nowhere to Hide (Shaun Bridgmohan, Nick Zito), 50-1
19. Desert Party (Ramon Dominguez, Saeed bin Suroor), 15-1
20. Flying Private (Robby Albarado, D. Wayne Lukas), 50-1

All Odds are subject to change – Click Here for Current 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds

Oddsmaker Keith Glantz breaks down every horse for this weekend’s 2008 Kentucky Derby and gives you his picks & predictions. Glantz has been one of the sharpest sports betting minds in Las Vegas for over 25 years and he knows his ponies.

1. Cool Coal Man (20-1 Odds) – Toss out his last, the Blue Grass, as it came over the synthetic surface at Keeneland. However even in his best efforts, winning the Fountain of Youth and the two Allowance races, it’s questionable whether he’s quick enough to capture the $1,240,000.

2. Tale of Ekati (15-1 Odds) – One of six horses with only two starts this year – Court Vision, Colonel John, Monba, Recapturetheglory and Big Brown are the others. Ekati’s Wood Memorial victory certainly gives him a shot although he received a perfect trip in that one. He flattened out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year finishing 13 lengths back of Pyro.

3. Anak Nakal (30-1 Odds) – This one’s effort in the Wood actually was better than his 5th place finish but his Louisiana Derby and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile races left much to be desired. Anak will need a reversal of form here and his 46 and change work last week was a step in the right direction.

4. Court Vision (20-1 Odds) – Closed well for 3rd in the Fountain of Youth and then again in the Wood so the added distance here can only help. That closing kick can’t be ignored and I would expect it’ll show up on the tote board. Can’t ignore.

5. Eight Belles (20-1 Odds) – The only filly in the race and she’s never run against the boys. Belles has won four straight and her grandpappy is Unbridled but I doubt that’s enough to hit the board.

6. Z Fortune (15-1 Odds) – Achieved a 102 Beyer in his last, 2nd behind Gayego in the Arkansas Derby, and split Pyro and Visionaire after taking the lead at the top of the stretch in the Risen Star at the Fairgrounds earlier in the year. Bears consideration.

7. Big Truck (50-1 Odds) – Another that didn’t take well to the synthetic surface at Keeneland but other than that Tampa Derby win, not much can be said about this one.

8. Visionaire (20-1 Odds) – Ran 3rd to Pyro and Z Fortune in his first attempt at a Stakes race (Grade 3. He then won the Gotham in the fog at New York before going 10 wide to close six lengths back in the Grade 1 Blue Grass. Watch the tote board on Visionaire. He’s a tough one to figure with works that have been rather uneventful.

9. Pyro (6-1 Odds) – The early favorite before that Blue Grass disaster, but again, another that couldn’t handle the synthetic surface. Couldn’t seem to get by War Pass last year but doesn’t have to worry about that one here. He certainly can’t be overlooked especially since he was clearly the best in his two wins this year; the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby. Pyro is the top money earner in this race.

10. Colonel John (4-1 Odds) – Morning line 2nd choice with four wins and two seconds in his six lifetime races. The Colonels backers boast that he’s the best from the West after his Santa Anita Derby win and pointing out that Gayego won the Arkansas Derby after all his previous races were in the West on the synthetic surfaces. Others will say that he’s never been tested on the dirt (all six races on the West Coast version of the synthetic surface). Has served notice especially after that five furlong bullet drill Sunday (57&4).

11. Z Humor (30-1 Odds) – This “Z” finished 19-plus lengths back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and hasn’t been very impressive in his efforts this year. His 3rd in the Illinois Derby was his best. Would need to improve dramatically to capture a part.

12. Smooth Air (20-1 Odds) – Was no match for Big Brown finishing 2nd, five lengths back in the Florida Derby and only has two races over a mile in his seven starts. However, don’t think that the added distance here will be a major problem but may be asking much to top his last effort.

13. Bob Black Jack (20-1 Odds) – One more West Coast horse that hasn’t ventured a trip on the dirt but showed good in the Santa Anita Derby, 2nd by a half-length behind Colonel John. Another horse with only two races over a mile but handled those two well. Should be close up, if not on top, in the early going.

14. Monba (15-1 Odds) – Big effort in winning the Blue Grass after a disastrous last place finish in the Fountain of Youth. While Monba broke his maiden (plus Blue Grass win) at Keeneland and won an allowance contest at Churchill, still can’t forgive that 39-plus length loss at Gulfstream.

15. Adriano (30-1 Odds) – Hasn’t raced since his Grade 2 victory in the Lanes End on March 22. Plus in his only race on the dirt (two on synthetic and four on the turf) this one finished 9th, 17 lengths back in the Fountain of Youth. Good luck.

16. Denis of Cork (20-1 Odds) – Won his first three races but didn’t fire in the Illinois Derby after going off as the even money favorite. You might want to consider that he’s off the Grade 2 Southwest Stakes victory at Oaklawn but the step up to the Grade 2 Illinois Derby was a disappointment.

17. Cowboy Cal (20-1 Odds) – Consistent sort after 3 wins and 2 seconds following his first maiden effort (7th by 11 ¼) but those 5 consisted of 4 turf races and 1 synthetic surface race. Yes, that garbage maiden race was on the dirt.

18. Recapturetheglory (20-1 Odds) – Clearly the best in the Grade 2 Illinois Derby with a 102 Beyer and 100 speed rating in his initial Stakes race. Likes to run on or near the front but doesn’t really have that much speed. Still, he certainly prefers the dirt to either the turf or the synthetic stuff.

19. Gayego (15-1 Odds) – Proved that a horse can make the transition from the synthetic surface to the dirt with his Arkansas Derby victory after two wins and two 2nds on the synthetic out West. Owns a 102 Beyer at Santa Anita and a 103 Beyer on the dirt (Oaklawn). Must be respected.

20. Big Brown (3-1 Odds) – The morning line favorite even with only three lifetime races. Of course all three were monster efforts, won by 11-plus breaking his maiden then by 12-plus in his only Allowance try and finally by his five-length drawing away win in the Florida Derby. But are three lifetime races enough? Remember Curlin last year? A front runner from the 20 post? Still, the one to beat according to Churchill’s Battaglia.

Kentucky Derby Picks:
1. Colonel John
2. Court Vision
3. Pyro
4. Big Brown

Good Luck and remember, everyone has an excuse for losing a horse race but the truth is that most lose because their horse runs too long in the same spot.

In deciding on the winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby BetUS online betting horseplayers should take the time to figure out potentially lucrative exacta and trifecta wagers. The reason is that, simply put, the huge pools for both the exacta and the trifecta in the Derby requires online horse betting gamblers to concentrate some of their bankroll on each of these bets.

No other race of the year demands online sportsbook betting horseplayers to utilize the “box” technique when creating wagers then the Kentucky Derby. The Derby will have 20 horses in it. After maybe two or three of those horses, every single other horse in the field will be going off at double-digit odds.

You could literally go one two three in terms of odds in your trifecta on the Derby and still come out with a huge, lucrative payout. That’s how large the Derby pools will be.

Take into account last years’ trifecta that paid a whopping $440 for a two dollar bet. Who were the first three finishers in last year’s Kentucky Derby? The three favorites on the board – - Street Sense, Hard Spun and Curlin.

It pays to play the trifecta and exacta on Kentucky Derby Day.

The key, of course, is structuring your wagers. A lot of very capable, very smart online bettors shy away from the box technique. The reason is because putting horses in boxes creates high front-end online wagers.

For instance, a $2 trifecta box with five horses in it will cost you $120 on the BetUS online racebook. A $2 exacta box with five horses will cost you $40 on the BetUS online racebook. If you had bet the trifecta and exacta in last year’s Kentucky Derby like what’s above and won, you would have yielded a profit of $62 on your exacta bet, and $320 on your trifecta bet. This is important to understand as it will help you construct your wagers this Saturday.

Okay, let’s take a closer look at the 134th Kentucky Derby and try to find clues as to how we should construct our exacta and trifecta wagers. Should we go ahead and use the box technique?

Maybe. The key with this year’s Kentucky Derby is how good you really feel about Big Brown. If he doesn’t win the race, then he may not finish in one of the top two spots. In that scenario it would make sense to use “key” horses over some long-shots in your exacta wagers. Of course, you will want to have a strong opinion on two of the horses. Let’s say that you like both Pyro and Colonel John. Then you would choose to play Colonel John and Pyro on top of some long-shots (designated below as L1, L2, L3, L4, L5).

Colonel John + Pyro (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5)

The above online wager would cost you $20.

If you like Big Brown, and really believe that he could just destroy the field this Saturday, then use Big Brown on top of some of your other favorite horses in higher-priced Exactas and then on long-shots in another exacta bet.

$10 Exacta Big Brown + (Pyro, Colonel John)
$2 Exacta Big Brown + (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5)

The first wager above would cost you $20.
The second wager above would cost you $10.

If you think that there are a lot of horses that could win the Derby this weekend, not just either Colonel John, Big Brown, or Pyro, then bet the five horse $2 exacta box with the five long-shots that you like.

[L1, L2, L3, L4, L5]

Again, that’s only a $40 wager.

The same strategy above applies to your trifecta wagers. The cost, of course, could be different.

$2 Tri- Colonel John + Pyro (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) = $80
$10 Tri – Big Brown + (Pyro, Colonel John) = $20
$2 Tri – Big Brown + (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) = $40
$2 Tri – [L1, L2, L3, L4, L5] = $120

There are a number of ways to structure your online wagers on the Kentucky Derby. By sticking with some basic rules regarding your feelings about the horses in the race, you could definitely come out on top this Saturday.

My list of Top 10 contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Derby has changed a bit as the 3-year-olds begin to arrive in Louisville. So Dave Letterman style, from the bottom, here we go again. By Greg Melikov (Betus)

10. Denis of Cork/Cowboy Cal: Southwest Stakes winner Denis of Cork joins rankings off bullet breeze of a minute for five furlongs at Churchill Downs, the fastest of 23 clockings on Monday. Horses that work well at the track do well on the first Saturday in May. Jockey Calvin Borel, aboard in his debut victory last year at the track, won with Street Sense in ’07 after a bullet work. Cowboy Cat recorded another bullet breeze, 1:00 2/5 for five furlongs. He might do as well on dirt as he has on grass and synthetic surfaces.

9. Smooth Air: Ran second to the Florida Derby winner after finishing third in the Tampa Bay Derby. If you love Big Brown, then you should like the steadily improving son of Smooth Jazz to hit the board.

8. Recapturetheglory: Wire-to-wire win in Illinois Derby is reminiscent of War Emblem’s front-running victory in the ’02 Kentucky Derby. His speed figure was triple digit in the prep, just like the son of Our Emblem, but the son of Cherokee Run must overcome his breeding shortcomings.

7. Court Vision: Added blinkers and blazed four furlongs in 46 2/5 at Churchill Downs on April 17, the fastest of 25 works by a second. The son of Gulch has a solid juvenile foundation, won a graded ’07 stakes at Churchill Downs, is bred to go 1 ¼ miles and Garrett Gomez chose him over Colonel John.

6. Tale of Ekati: Take of the Cat sibling rebounded from fourth to Pyro in Louisiana Derby to take the Wood. Has solid foundation as a juvenile. Could surprise.

5. Monba: He comes off a Blue Grass victory and travels well on dirt and synthetic surfaces. Bred to go long, son of Maria’s Mon always encountered full fields in six career starts, capturing three.

4. Colonel John: Son of Tiznow closed like an express train to take the Santa Anita Derby. His pedigree indicates he’ll get the distance at Louisville, but the colt has a definite disadvantage having only raced on synthetic surfaces.

3. Gayego: California invader made debut on dirt a winning one in the Arkansas Derby with a four-length triumph. He covered the 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn Park in 1:49 3/5 – two ticks faster than ’07 Horse of the Year Curlin who posted a record 10 ½-length victory. The son of Gilded Time jogged a mile and galloped another mile Thursday morning.

2. Pyro: He didn’t run a lick from the start of the Blue Grass and obviously didn’t care for the Polytrack. He ran 10th and beat only two horses. That ended his two-race streak in which he posted come-from-behind wins in stakes at Fair Grounds. Many experts say throw out the effort. At least his odds with go up in Louisville. Son of Pulpit still a major threat.

1.Big Brown: Huge Florida Derby victory from the No. 12 post in 1:48 for the 1 1/8 miles was the fastest since ’96 and only a fraction off Gulfstream’s track record. The son of Boundary on Thursday blazed five furlongs in 58 3/5 on Thursday at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, but trainer Richard Trainer wasn’t concerned about the fast time. The colt’s in the catbird seat, but must over the decades-old curse that no runner with only four career outings has smelled the roses since Exterminator in ’18.