Kentucky Derby: Big Brown and Colonel John now tied at 4/1

Kentucky Derby: Big Brown and Colonel John now tied at 4/1 After the post positions for the 2008 Kentucky Derby were selected, natural changes in the odds followed. Big Brown, who's been sitting undisputed on the favorite spot at the betting sheets all week was quickly downgraded from 5/2 to 4/1 at the online bookmaker BodogSports. There was much hype surrounding Big Brown, but the 20th position he got yesterday proved a little too much to the odds makers to keep him as the sole Derby favorite. History is definitely against Big Brown with his No.20 post - only one Kentucky Derby winner, Clyde Van Dusen in 1929, came from that position and ever since only 11 Kentucky Derby races have had at least 20 contenders, but only one, Caveat in 1983, finished in the money - third. According to Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, the post position will not be able to beat Big Brown: "He might be too far out there, but we're willing to accept that challenge. He usually breaks well and puts himself right in the game," Dutrow said. If Big Brown overcomes post 20 he will become the first horse since 1915 to win the Derby in his fourth career start, but the mood around the odds makers says the punters are steering away from Big Brown for now and are looking to Colonel John.

At the online bookmaker BodogSports Colonel John is now tied with Big Brown for the favorite odds at 4/1. Colonel John has post No.10, although his trainer, Eoin Harty, had the following to say a week before the post draw: "Everybody seems to worry about which post position they're going to get, and then on Derby Day it doesn't matter." Harty may be right, but it always helps to start somewhere in the middle and Colonel John got it for the 2008 Kentucky Derby. The only other Derby contender thus far holding odds in the single digits is "Pyro" at 7/1 to win the Kentucky Derby, starting from post position No. 9.

Published on 05/01/2008