posted June 5, 2008 at 14:24 in Triple Crown Betting Trends

The 50 to 1 Belmont Stakes betting odds on Icabad Crane that the BetUS online racebook is currently offering are absolutely stupendous. 50 to 1 horse race betting odds on almost any horse are great, but this one boggles my mind.

If this were an allowance race instead of the 2008 Belmont Stakes - - yes, I know that it is not - - then getting 50 to 1 on the third place finisher in the Preakness Stakes is terrific value. That’s true even if Big Brown is the next coming of Secretariat.

I, of course, have my doubts about Big Brown which is another reason why the BetUS online future book odds of 50 to 1 on Icabad Crane are so enticing.

Why does Icabad Crane appear to be a terrific wager at 50 to 1? There are lots of reasons. Some of those reasons have nothing to do with him and everything to do with his competition. But most of the reasons fall squarely onto the horse’s shoulders.

Icabad Crane is a son of Jump Start. That makes him a grandson of former Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy. Icabad Crane has 3 wins and 2 thirds out of five lifetime starts. In the first Grade I race of his life, the Preakness Stakes, he made a move up the rail, and then was steadied at the 5/16th pole. He kept trying and finished only 5 ¾ lengths behind a geared down Big Brown.

It was still a terrific effort. In his race before that, Icabad Crane beat Mint Lane by a head. That too was a very good race.

What are the chances that Icabad Crane could improve in the Belmont Stakes? Probably 15 to 20 to 1.

What are the chances that Icabad Crane could improve to the point that he could challenge Big Brown for the victory in the 2008 Belmont Stakes? Probably close to 30 to 45 to 1.

That makes the 50 to 1 odds on Icabad Crane an overlay This horse is trained by Graham Motion who upset Kitten’s Joy with Better Talk Now in the 2004 Breeder’s Cup Turf. Yes, it’s true that Kitten’s Joy wasn’t nearly the favorite that Big Brown will be in this year’s Belmont Stakes, but Kitten’s Joy also didn’t have to fight off a hoof problem the way Big Brown is doing right now.

Icabad Crane is scary in the sense that he could be on the cusp of developing into a serious racehorse. That means that his 3-year old “jump”, where a 3-year old colt goes from being a minor stakes runner to an actual horse that could challenge the four and five year olds in the handicap division, hasn’t happened yet.
Could it possibly happen in the 2008 Belmont Stakes? Why not? A lot of horses start to develop rapidly at the beginning of June. Timing is everything in horse racing.

At 50 to 1 BetUS online racebook odds, I’m willing to take a stab that the timing on Icabad Crane will be perfect.

For More On The 2008 Belmont Stakes And Big Brown 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