Horse Betting

Wager On The Kentucky Derby Prep Races

Are you a horseplayer? Or do you think Seattle Slew is something you can get in grande and venti sizes?

Betting on horses doesn't allow for short attention spans. There is no 162-game season; many of the names in the running for the Triple Crown will be put out to stud after maybe a dozen career races. You have to do your homework if you want to place a Kentucky Derby bet, which means you need to follow the results of the key stakes races.

The next race of note on the way to Churchill Downs is Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. This 1 1/16-mile race features Bluegrass Cat, trained by Todd Pletcher, and two of Nick Zito's horses: Hesanoldsalt and Little Cliff. Bluegrass Cat is the one to watch; the son of Storm Cat was one of the best two-year-olds in the nation, winning three races in a row to close out the 2005 season. MySportsbook.com has Bluegrass Cat at 20-1 on the futures market to win the Kentucky Derby, with Hesanoldsalt at 40-1 and Little Cliff at 100-1.

Another race to keep an eye on this week is Monday's Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Lawyer Ron will be part of the mile-long event; he's also on a three-race winning streak, riding high off his season-opening romp at the Risen Start Stakes. Trainer Bob Holthus has been very impressed with the chestnut colt's recent workouts at Oaklawn. Oddsmakers are impressed, too - VIPSports.com has Lawyer Ron at 20-1 to win the Run for the Roses.

Horseplayers should pay close attention to how well the main attractions perform at every moment of these two races. The longer Sam F. Davis Stakes will give a better indication of the finishing kick that will be needed to put away the competition at the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby. Get ready to compare those performances to what happens Mar. 4 at the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a 1-1/8 mile event that will be shown on ABC. Achilles of Troy, a 12-1 Derby favorite at BoDog.com, is expected to be part of that field. The only horses getting shorter odds heading into the weekend are Barbaro (7-1), Brother Derek (9-1) and First Samurai (9-1).

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