Posted on 5/2/2008 12:47:56 PM

Kentucky Derby Betting - Run for the Roses

By Robby Maddux

The morning-line favorite for the 134th Kentucky Derby is Big Brown at 3-1. Unbeaten in three career starts, Florida Derby winner Big Brown will be attempting to win from post position 20. The only Derby winner to leave from post 20 was Clyde Van Dusen as horse wagering enthusiasts looked on in 1929.

Big Brown has a front-running style that makes him likely to get caught in a speed duel from his outside post position as he looks to be near the rail heading into the first turn.

If Big Brown is to make Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia look like a genius under two-time Derby winning jockey Kent Desormeaux, he'll have to overcome an inexperience factor.

The last Derby winner with only three previous career starts under its belt was the filly Regret in 1915. As well, in the past 60 years only two horses have smelled the roses having only two 3-year-old preps to its credit, Sunny’s Halo in 1983 and online Kentucky Derby betting fans watched Street Sense do it last year.

Colonel John is the second favorite at 4-1 for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, who's coming off an impressive win in the Santa Anita Derby in his final prep race for the Derby.

But if you bet on horse racing, you have to be concerned that Colonel John has never run on dirt, which is the surface at Churchill Downs. He is 4-for-6 with two place finishes in his career. Colonel John will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, starting from post 10.

Pyro is next in line at 6-1 who is coming off the worst race of his career, a 10th-place finish in the Blue Grass in his only start over a synthetic surface. Since 1957, only one horse has come back to win the Derby after finishing worse than fourth in the prior start.

But the colt won the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby in his two previous starts. His running style, coming from off the pace, is favored in the Derby. Pyro will break from post 9 with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.

The remainder of the field for this year's Kentucky Derby is made up of 17 horses tagged with 15-1 odds or higher, making for a great horse betting event that features Eight Belles at 20-1 as the only filly in the race.

A filly hasn’t run in the Derby since 1999, and only three have found the winner's circle, with Winning Colors being the last to do so in 1988. She'll try to beat the boys on Saturday from post 5 with Derby rookie Gabriel Saez in the saddle.

Here's a look at the complete field for America’s greatest race, starting from the rail: Cool Coal Man (20-1), Tale of Ekati (15-1), Anak Nakal (30-1), Court Vision (20-1), Eight Belles (20-1), Z Fortune (15-1), Big Truck (50-1), Visionaire (20-1), Pyro (6-1), Colonel John (4-1), Z Humor (30-1), Smooth Air (20-1), Bob Black Jack (20-1), Monba (15-1), Adriano (30-1), Denis of Cork (20-1), Cowboy Cal (20-1), Recapturetheglory (20-1), Gayego (15-1) and Big Brown (3-1).

Weather forecast for the "Greatest Two Minutes In Sports" on Saturday: Scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 50s. Estimated Post Time: 6:04pm EST

Keep checking the Locker Room all through the Triple Crown season, as we will cover the trainers, horses and jockeys in each race. You can get your early Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs bets in now in the BetUS sportsbook in the Future / props section, under Horse Futures: 2008 Kentucky Derby.