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As we inch ever so closer to what Gambling911.com is billing as the "Biggest Sports Betting Event of the Year", Friesian Fire's odds to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby sat at respectable single digit odds. The payout at SBG Global would be $700 for every $100 bet (+700 odds) prior to the post up positions being announced on Wednesday.
Even earlier in the year, the folks over at Bloodhorse.com were a little less optimistic about Friesian Fire than these oddsmakers. They had this to say:
"This well-bred colt has been a bit of disappointment for Larry Jones, who has been high on him from the very start. Jones says he's still learning and expects him to improve as the year goes on."
That was back in January. A lot has changed since then.
Prior to this year, the colt's best result racing at age two was a third-place finish in the 2008 Belmont Futurity Stakes. He has since won three important Graded stakes races including the Louisiana Derby and, as of March 14, 2009, he has become a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.
"The risk here is that the horse hasn't run since Louisiana, so he will train for seven weeks heading into the Derby," T.O. Whenham of Doc's Sports points out. "That's an unprecedented layoff, and it could be a lot to overcome."
Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
