2008 Kentucky Derby Odds: The top 10 Derby contenders

2008 Kentucky Derby Odds: The top 10 Derby contenders The 2008 Kentucky Derby is closing on us and it's time to look at the betting odds once again, as well as the top ten contenders for the Run for the Roses. To give you the best possible odds on the Kentucky Derby 2008 we will look at two of the biggest online bookmakers, one best suited for the U.K. bettors, Bet 365 (official website) referred to below as "U.K. odds", and another sportsbook for the rest of the world, BodogSports (official website), referred to below as "U.S. odds". Keep in mind that the top ten Kentucky Derby contenders hold quite different odds at each of the bookmakers, Americans, however, are not allowed to bet at Bet365. Here are the current top 10 contenders to win the 2008 Kentucky Derby odds included.

2008 Kentucky Derby favorite, Big Brown, betting odds U.K. 5/2, U.S. odds 5/2 - Big Brown is by Boundary, who made all eight of his starts in sprints, winning six times and recording Grade 3 wins in the A Phenomenon H. and the Roseben H.. Pensioned from stud duty in 2005, Boundary is represented by 22 black-type winners to date with his leading performers being Minardi and Pomeroy. The former, a Group 1 winner in England and Ireland as a two-year-old over six furlongs, was a disappointment when tried at a mile the following year, and Pomeroy is best known as a sprinter winning the King's Bishop S. (G1) and the Forego S. (G1), both over seven furlongs.

Pyro: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: UK 5/1, US 7/1 - Pyro is a son 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.

Colonel John: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: UK 5/1, US 9/2 - Colonel John boasts a strong pedigree for 1 1/4 miles. His sire, $6.4 million earner Tiznow, scored all of his most notable victories at that classic distance. A late-developing sort who did not break his maiden until late May as a sophomore, Tiznow went on to become champion three-year-old and Horse of the Year in 2000. He set a new track record of 1:59 4/5 when romping in the 1 1/4-mile Super Derby (G1) at Louisiana Downs, and later that fall, he captured the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs. In 2001, Tiznow took home another Eclipse Award as champion older horse.

Gayego: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: UK 12/1, US 20/1 - Gayego appears to have the genetic deck stacked against him, for his pedigree is not geared to success at 1 1/4 miles. He is by Gilded Time, the champion two-year-old male of 1992, who has primarily served as an influence for speed. Four-for-four in the course of his championship campaign, Gilded Time captured the six-furlong Sapling S. (G2) in a Monmouth track-record time of 1:07 4/5, the one-mile Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) and the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

Monba: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: UK 14/1, US 20/1 - While there will be debate as to whether Monba likes running on dirt as much as on Polytrack, there is little doubt the Blue Grass S. (G1) winner is bred to handle 1 1/4 miles. Monba is by Maria's Mon, the champion two-year-old colt of 1995 who captured the 1 1/16-mile Champagne S. (G1), but missed starts in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and the following year's Triple Crown due to injury.

Tale of Ekati: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: Bet365 14/1, BodogSports 20/1 - Tale of Ekati is a beautifully bred specimen, boasting a pedigree laced with high-quality speed as well as classic stamina. The speed is supplied by his sire, Tale of the Cat. A son of the mighty Storm Cat, Tale of the Cat scored his biggest career victory in the seven-furlong King's Bishop S. (G2) at Saratoga, where he set a pressured pace through taxing fractions before kicking clear by 5 1/2 lengths. The royally bred dark bay won at up to 1 1/16 miles but found 1 1/8 miles to be a shade too far.

Court Vision: Odds to win the Kentucky Derby: UK 14/1, US 20/1 - Court Vision is by Gulch, whose most memorable racetrack performance may have been his closing victory in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs that ensured him the title of champion sprinter that year. Gulch also proved himself capable of big performances at longer distances, figuring prominently in the Triple Crown as a three-year-old with a third in the Belmont S. (G1). At stud, Gulch passes on his stamina, and he has sired over 65 black-type winners, including 1995 Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Thunder Gulch, who, like Court Vision, won the Remsen S. (G2).

Cowboy Cal: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: UK 16/1, US 40/1 - Cowboy Cal is by Giant's Causeway, who was nicknamed the "Iron Horse" after he won five Group 1 races in England and Ireland within a time period of 10 weeks in the summer of 2000.

Z Fortune: Odds to win the Kentucky Derby: UK 14/1, US 12/1 - Z Fortune is by Siphon (Brz), a Grade 1 winner in his native Brazil before being brought to America where his most important victories were the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and the Santa Anita H. (G1), both over ten furlongs. Siphon possessed tremendous early speed and indeed both of these Grade 1 victories were achieved in dominating front-running fashion, a style which has been passed on to many of his offspring. Indeed Siphonic, from Siphon's very first crop, won Keeneland's Lanes End Breeders' Futurity (G2) going wire-to-wire.

Cool Coal Man: 2008 Kentucky Derby odds: Bet365 20/1, BodogSports 50/1 - Cool Coal Man is from the first crop of Horse of the Year and $2.2 million earner Mineshaft, whose exploits on the track matched his regal pedigree. As a son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, Mineshaft promised to excel at classic distances. He began his racing career on the turf in England, where he managed one win from seven starts, but he did not fulfill his abundant potential until returning to the United States and switching to the dirt.

Published on 04/30/2008