2008 Kentucky Oaks betting odds and contenders

2008 Kentucky Oaks betting odds and contenders While most bettors are anxiously awaiting the start of the Kentucky Derby, the 2008 Kentucky Oaks is a great opportunity to get the rust off of your betting slips. The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies, currently covering 1⅛ miles (1811 meters) at Churchill Downs, carry 121 pounds. The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year and the winner gets a $500,000 dollar purse, as well as the traditional garnet of lilies. Todd Pletcher snatched the last year's Kentucky Oaks with Rags to Riches while holding favorite odds on a damp track, but this year the bettors are looking at some pretty long odds on all favorite contenders.

Starting with the top two favorite fillies, as posted at the online sportsbook BodogSports, we find Eight Belles and Little Belle sharing best odds 4/1 to win the 2008 Kentucky Oaks on Friday. Although Eight Belles hails from a speedy female line, she has already handled two turns in dominating fashion, suggesting that she's inheriting sufficient stamina from her sire and broodmare sire to stay the 1 1/8-mile trip of the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Eight Belles is a daughter of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Unbridled's Song, the hero of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Florida Derby (G1) and Wood Memorial S. (G2). Eight Belles has graded earning of $210,000 and a 9-5-2-1 race record. Meanwhile Little Belle owns a terrific pedigree for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She's by two-time leading sire A.P. Indy, a son of legendary Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew who hails from the terrific Secretariat mare Weekend Surprise. Named Horse of the Year in 1992 following wins in the Belmont S. (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), A.P. Indy is the sire of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft as well as classic winners Rags to Riches (the first filly in 102 years to win the 1 1/2-mile Belmont S.) and Bernardini (2006 Preakness [G1]), all of whom excelled on dirt. Little Belle has $310,000 in graded earnings and 6-3-1-1 record.

Following the top two contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Oaks comes another couple - Bsharpsonata and Proud Spell both share betting odds 5/1 to win the race next week at the online sportsbook BodogSports. Bsharpsonata is a daughter of Pulpit, the 1997 Blue Grass S. (G2) winner who led the Kentucky Derby (G1) field before fading to finish fourth behind Silver Charm. A son of Horse of the Year and multiple leading sire A.P. Indy (who is by 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew), Pulpit is the sire of more than 30 stakes winners, including several promising three-year-olds of the past such as Purge, Tapit, Essence of Dubai and Sky Mesa. Bsharpsonata will enter the 2008 Kentucky Oaks with betting odds 5/1, earnings of $280,750 and record of 10-6-1-0. Proud Spell is by first-crop sire Proud Citizen, who finished a game second to War Emblem in the 2002 Kentucky Derby (G1) after chasing the wire-to-wire winner throughout. By Gone West, whose other successful sons at stud include Elusive Quality (sire of 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones) and Grand Slam, Proud Citizen is out of a mare by French champion miler Green Forest. Proud Citizen made an immediate impression at stud, being represented by River Proud, winner of the Somerville Tattersall S. (Eng-G3) at Newmarket, in addition to Proud Spell. Proud Spell holds record of 7-4-2-1 and graded earnings at $880,000.

And finally, Country Star made it to the top five contenders for the 2008 Kentucky Oaks with betting odds of 6/1. Country Star's pedigree may be superficially summed up as the marriage of the blue-blooded aristocrat and the upstart commoner, but the so-called commoner has some excellent breeding herself further back. The high society comes courtesy of her first-crop sire, classic winner Empire Maker, who promises to be a significant source of stamina. A son of 1990 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and champion Unbridled and Broodmare of the Year Toussaud, Empire Maker was bred to be a star. Country Star's earnings top at $580,300 and the race record is 3-2-1-0. Visit BodogSports to place a bet on the 2008 Kentucky Oaks or to see the full list of betting odds offered on the race.

Published on 04/27/2008