posted June 4, 2008 at 15:41 in Triple Crown Betting Trends

The word is out on the Belmont backstretch. The one horse that has the chance of taking down Big Brown, a winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, a horse on the cusp of greatness by being the first horse to win the Triple Crown in thirty years, is the Japanese trained Casino Drive.

Bred to be a champion, ridden by Edgar Prado, who took down Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont Stakes aboard 36 to 1 horse racing betting odds long-shot Birdstone, Casino Drive is the one horse that almost everybody, including Big Brown, should fear. He’s an amazing specimen who broke his maiden, like Big Brown, by 11 lengths. Then, Casino Drive beat up a group of Big Brown’s American peers in the Grade II Peter Pan on the Belmont Park dirt racing strip.

Yes, if there is a horse that can possibly beat Richard Dutrow’s incredibly gifted Triple Crown threat, it has to be Casino Drive. Or…not.

That’s the biggest question facing BetUS online racebook bettors who could get Casino Drive at really good odds in the BetUS future’s book to take down Big Brown at 13 to 4.

The question is whether or not Casino Drive will beat Big Brown. Is he qualified to beat Big Brown? Do the odds of 13 to 4 correctly reflect his chances or do those BetUS online racebook odds present either an underlay or an overlay wager?

The fact that the Belmont Stakes will only be Casino Drive’s third lifetime start means that it makes sense to write-off the 13 to 4 BetUS online racebook future book odds as an underlay. After all, can any horse, no matter how well-bred, win a testing race like the Belmont Stakes after only two starts?

Maybe not. But Casino Drive doesn’t appear to be like any other horse. For one, his maiden score on dirt in Japan was absolutely smashing. It was a brilliant race where Casino Drive led through-out. The similarities between Casino Drive’s maiden score and Big Brown’s are eerie. Both horses won by over 11 lengths and both horses won while on the lead. The difference, of course, is that Casino Drive was a 20 cent favorite in his maiden victory while Big Brown went off as a close to 15 to 1 long-shot.

Casino Drive, in fact, appears to be a horse destined for greatness. His Japanese connections bought him at the September Keeneland Sale auction for $925,000. Big Brown was purchased at the April Keeneland Sale auction for $190,000.

Casino Drive definitely has quality but quality isn’t enough for me to recommend a wager on the horse at the BetUS online odds of 13 to 4.

What is, however, is the fact that Casino Drive, from a handicapping point-of-view, really only has one horse to beat. That horse is Big Brown.

There isn’t another horse, with the exception of Tale of Ekati, and he will have to improve tremendously in the 2008 Belmont Stakes to challenge either Casino Drive or Big Brown, that could possibly even give Casino Drive a run for his money.

In that respect Casino Drive is a fantastic overlay to win the Belmont Stakes at odds of 13 to 4. If Casino Drive beats Big Brown, Casino Drive wins the 2008 Belmont Stakes.

Don’t walk, run to your computer, log onto the BetUS wagering site and put money on this horse right now at BetUS online odds of 13 to 4 to win the 2008 Belmont Stakes.

For More Triple Crown And Belmont Stakes Betting Articles Click Here!

Check the BetUS Locker Room for the latest info on Horse Racing, Big Brown the Triple Crown, Full Track Odds, Past Triple Crown Winners, and the 2008 Belmont Stakes