Belmont Stakes betting action commences on Saturday afternoon, as horse racing wagering fans wrap up another season of Triple Crown action. No horse is going to win the Triple Crown this year, as there were different winners of the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, but both are going to be running in this field, one that should draw some of the best and brightest horses in the field.

Click Here For The Belmont Stakes Racing Form Including Belmont Stakes Past Performances

2011 Belmont Stakes Odds, Picks & Info
2011 Belmont Stakes Date: Saturday, June 11th, 2011
2011 Belmont Stakes Post Time: 6:30 ET
2011 Belmont Stakes Location: Belmont Racetrack, Elmont, N
2011 Belmont Stakes Favorite: Animal Kingdom (3 to 1)
2011 Belmont Stakes TV Coverage – Network: NBC

To no surprise, that horse that is going to be getting the most publicity in this race is Animal Kingdom (Current Belmont Stakes Odds: 2 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook). Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby in fine form as a bit of an upset selection, and he was the favorite to beat the Preakness Stakes odds as well. Unfortunately for him, this three year old colt was never able to get to the front of the field for the second leg of the Triple Crown. We were never really so sure whether this was a horse that was going to be able to make it the full mile and a quarter when he ran at the Kentucky Derby, but it is now clear that Animal Kingdom knows that he can make it the full mile and a half as well. He’ll have John Velazquez again for the mount on Saturday for the Belmont Stakes, and as long as all goes well, he should be one of the big time contenders to take his second Triple Crown jewel in a very exciting year.

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The man that took out Animal Kingdom at the Preakness Stakes was Shackleford (Belmont Stakes Lines: 5 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook). This is a colt that has some major problems coming into this race though, and we definitely don’t recommend taking him for your Belmont Stakes picks. Shackleford just barely hung on for the win at the Preakness, holding off not just Animal Kingdom, but several other charging horses as well. He was in a great position in the Kentucky Derby as well, and he probably would have been an odds on favorite in this race had the Derby been just a furlong shorter. Instead, Shackleford went from one length up and four lengths off of the pace on that final push, and we have some serious doubts whether this is a colt that has another quarter mile in him on top of the Kentucky Derby, especially with such a short turnaround time from his win at the Preakness. There has only been one horse that has won both the Preakness and the Belmont in the same year since 2000, and that was Point Given in 2001. Now, to make matters worse, Shackleford has a lousy post position at No. 12, and he is going to likely end up on the outside instead of on the rail at the first turn of this race, which is going to take a bad situation and make it even worse.

A popular horse in this race is going to be Nehro (Odds to Win the Belmont Stakes: 4 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook), who was one of the favorites at the Kentucky Derby this year. Trainer Steve Asmussen knows that he has a colt that can make it the distance, and he definitely knows that his top three year old has some great speed ratings under his belt as well. Nehro has had three straight races with 94+ ratings, something that very few horses are going to be able to say. Corey Nakatani did everything that he could do to get Nehro to the front of the Kentucky Derby field, but Animal Kingdom was just too strong on that day. Now, he’s going to be one of the favorites in this field as well this weekend, and with the extra two weeks off without a race in the middle, Nehro could be a prime contender.

Past Belmont Winners (Since 2000)
2010 Belmont Stakes Winner: Drosselmeyer
2009 Belmont Stakes Winner: Summer Bird
2008 Belmont Stakes Winner: Da’Tara
2007 Belmont Stakes Winner: Rags To Riches
2006 Belmont Stakes Winner: Jazil
2005 Belmont Stakes Winner: Afleet Alex
2004 Belmont Stakes Winner: Birdstone
2003 Belmont Stakes Winner: Empire Maker
2002 Belmont Stakes Winner: Sarava
2001 Belmont Stakes Winner: Point Given
2000 Belmont Stakes Winner: Commendable

The last two winners of the Belmont Stakes both ran well in the Peter Pan, the race held here at Belmont Racetrack the week between the Derby and the Preakness. Last year, Drosselmeyer was the favorite at the Peter Pan, but he turned out as the runner up in that race, only to turn around and win the Belmont in relatively comfortable fashion. So far, the horses that finished first and second at the Peter Pan, Alternation and Adios Charlie have not committed to this field at the Belmont Stakes, but both Prime Cut, the horse that finished third, and Monzon (Current Belmont Stakes Odds: 30 to 1 at Oddsmaker Sportsbook) are in this field. It’s said that Alternation isn’t going to run, as he would have been a dark horse that could have won this race. Monzon hasn’t really had a ton of clean runs in his life, and the one truly clean run that he had was a win at Aqueduct back in January. Still, he’s a longshot for a reason, and he is going to be hard pressed to find his way to the finish line first on Saturday.

2011 Belmont Stakes Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 6/9/11):
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1. Master of Hounds 6 to 1
2: Stay Thirsty 18 to 1
3: Ruler On Ice 22 to 1
4: Santiva 12 to 1
5: Brilliant Speed 12 to 1
6: Nehro 4 to 1
7: Monzon 30 to 1
8: Prime Cut 18 to 1
9: Animal Kingdom 2 to 1
10: Mucho Macho Man 10 to 1
11: Isn’t He Perfect 35 to 1
12: Shackleford 5 to 1

Up To Date 2011 Belmont Stakes Odds @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 6/9/11):
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1: Master Of Hounds 10 to 1
2: Stay Thirsty 20 to 1
3: Ruler On Ice 20 to 1
4: Santiva 15 to 1
5: Brilliant Speed 15 to 1
6: Nehro 4 to 1
7: Monzon 30 to 1
8: Prime Cut 15 to 1
9: Animal Kingdom 2 to 1
10: Mucho Macho Man 10 to 1
11: Isn’t He Prefect 30 to 1
12: Shackleford 9 to 2

2011 Belmont Stakes Props @ Bet Online Sportsbook (as of 6/9/11):
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Will Animal Kingdom Win the Belmont Stakes?
Yes +220
No -280

Will the Belmont Stakes Winner Be Even Or Odd Number?
Even -120
Odd -110

Will the Belmont Stakes Winner Be Number 1-8 or 9-12?
1-8 +100
9-12 -130

Will the Belmont Stakes Winner Beat Afleet Alex’s Time of 2:28.75?
Yes +115
No -150

Will Mucho Macho Man Hit the Board?
Yes +170
No -220

Will Nehro Finish At Least Second?
Yes +150
No -195

Belmont Stakes Margin of Victory
Greater Than 1 1/2 Lengths -130
Less Than Or Equal To 1 1/2 Lengths +100

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Listed below are the current 2011 Preakness Stakes odds for the entire field!

Click Here For The Preakness Daily Racing Form Including Preakness Stakes Past Performances

The second leg of the Triple Crown takes place on Saturday afternoon, as a field of 14 of the best three year old colts in the world take to the track at Pimlico Racetrack for the 2011 Preakness Stakes!

136th Preakness Stakes Information
2011 Preakness Date: Saturday, May 21st, 2011
2011 Preakness Stakes Post Time: 6:05 ET
Current Preakness Favorite: Animal Kingdom (2 to 1)
2011 Preakness Daily Racing Form: Click Here
TV Coverage - Network: NBC - Time: 4:30 ET – 6:30 ET

All eyes are going to be on the horse that drew the No. 11 post on Saturday (and the 2011 Kentucky Derby Winner), Animal Kingdom (Odds To Win Preakness: 2 to 1 at JustBet Sportsbook).

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Animal Kingdom had a ton of late action on him at the Kentucky Derby, and that action proved to pay off at the mutuels at the end of the day. He won the Derby by 2 3/4 lengths, which was actually one of the biggest romps of his career. We remain very wary of this horse, though. Animal Kingdom had only run in one graded stakes race before the Derby, and though he won that race, he also had some duds in there before it as well. This is only the second race for John Velazquez with the mount on Animal Kingdom to boot.

The horse that went off as the favorite at the Derby and is going to most likely be the second choice here at Pimlico on Saturday is Dialed In (2011 Preakness Odds: 9 to 2 at SportBet Sportsbook). It’s awfully interesting to see the overlay here for Trainer, Nick Zito’s horse, as he had better odds at the Derby than he will at the Preakness. Sure, many are going to shy away from that run that he had at Churchill Downs, finishing eighth. However, his abilities to run through traffic still impresses us, and we know that he is going to have a heck of a chance to be able to win this race when push comes to shove. Dialed In will also have the post just to the inside of Animal Kingdom. Considering the fact that these horses have the same exact strategy to come from off of the pace to win, we are fairly convinced that the job for jockey, Julian Leparoux is going to be to keep Animal Kingdom to his outside and to try to shorten up this race for Dialed In on the rail.

Past Preakness Winners (Since 2000)
*Denotes Winner of the Kentucky Derby
2010 Preakness Stakes Winner: Lookin At Lucky
2009 Preakness Stakes Winner: Rachel Alexandra
2008 Preakness Stakes Winner: Big Brown*
2007 Preakness Stakes Winner: Curlin
2006 Preakness Stakes Winner: Bernardini
2005 Preakness Stakes Winner: Afleet Alex
2004 Preakness Stakes Winner: Smarty Jones*
2003 Preakness Stakes Winner: Funny Cide*
2002 Preakness Stakes Winner: War Emblem*
2001 Preakness Stakes Winner: Point Given
2000 Preakness Stakes Winner: Red Bullet

Interestingly enough, just to the inside of the two favorites is another colt that many think can be the difference maker on Saturday in Mucho Macho Man (Curren Preakness Odds: 6 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). We know that we ended up with a fantastic price on Mucho Macho Man at the Kentucky Derby at 9.30, and that price has only improved here at Pimlico. Mucho Macho Man just didn’t have that one last kick in him to win the Derby, and this time around at a slighty shorter distance, he very well could end up being the victor. The question is whether he is going to be able to get to the rail before the first turn or not, something that he was not able to do with 18 other horses at the Kentucky Derby. If he does, Mucho Macho Man is going to be a great horse to make Preakness Stakes picks on going come Saturday.

There really aren’t any newcomers into this race that we are too keen about, but we do know that we have two more contenders from the Kentucky Derby that have to think as though they have a chance to make history here at the Preakness Stakes. Keep a close eye on Midnight Interlude (2011 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: 15 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) and Shackleford (2011 Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: 12 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). We have some great prices here on horses that clearly thought they were good enough to run with the big boys at the Derby. Midnight Interlude won the Santa Anita Derby and ultimately was just pushed to the outside and never recovered at Churchill Downs, while Shackleford was a far more interesting case. He just missed beating Dialed In at the Florida Derby, and he was the leader at the stretch at Churchill Downs. This is one of the few speed horses in this race, and with a position to the inside and not all that much on his left to get started, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Shackleford catch the rail early and essentially win a wire to wire race.

Current 2011 Preakness Odds and Post Positions @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 5/21/11):
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1: Astrology 22 to 1
2: Norman Asbjornson 50 to 1
3: King Congie 23 to 1
4: Flashpoint 22 to 1
5: Shackleford 14 to 1
6: Sway Away 12 to 1
7: Midnight Interlude 17 to 1
8: Dance City 11.50 to 1
9: Mucho Macho Man 6.75 to 1
10: Dialed In 5 to 1
11: Animal Kingdom 2.40 to 1
12: Isn’t He Perfect 50 to 1
13: Concealed Identity 34 to 1
14: Mr. Commons 40 to 1

Current 2011 Preakness Odds & Lines @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 5/21/11):
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Animal Kingdom 2.25 to 1
Astrology 20 to 1
Concealed Identity 20 to 1
Dance City 10 to 1
Dialed In 5.50 to 1
Flashpoint 16 to 1
Isn’t He Perfect 35 to 1
King Congie 15 to 1
Midnight Interlude 19 to 1
Mr. Commons 29 to 1
Mucho Macho Man 5.50 to 1
Norman Asbjornson 35 to 1
Shackleford 10 to 1
Sway Away 14 to 1

Listed below are the current 2011 Kentucky Derby odds for the entire field!

Click Here For The Kentucky Derby Daily Racing Form Including Kentucky Derby Past Performances

And down the stretch they come! We’re hitting the stretch run of Kentucky Derby betting action, as the Run for the Roses kicks off on Saturday afternoon at just before 6:30 PM (ET). We’ve got the best Kentucky Derby Picks for the big time race all ready and raring to go!

With the health of Uncle Mo keeping him out of the race, the field has really opened up, as there are a ton of horses that could be beating the Kentucky Derby odds this year. The favorite of the bunch is Dialed In (Odds To Win 2011 Kentucky Derby: 4.10 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). This is the horse to watch out for, for certain, as he has three wins and a second place finish in four races, and many think that he is the most likely to be able to win the Triple Crown when push really comes to shove. A huge closer, we expect to see Dialed In make his move around the far turn out of nowhere to try to win this race, but obviously, he hasn’t run up against a field that is quite this size. It’s also never a good sign when jockey, Julian Leparoux has never won a race of this magnitude in his career.

That being said, the door is inevitably going to swing open for a bunch of the longshots, which really could make this a bettors’ race. You might be able to box six or seven horses and still find value on all of your Kentucky Derby picks. If you’re a believer in fast starters, perhaps the horse for you is one of the ones right in the middle of the pack, No. 7 Pants On Fire (2011 Kentucky Derby Odds: 25 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). This is one of the few horses in this field that has ever actually run in the slop before, something that could be key, knowing that there are some weather problems that are forecasted for the Run for the Roses. Jockey Anna Napravnik could become the first female jockey to ever win here at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, and she is going to become just the sixth female jockey to run in the Run for the Roses on Saturday.

Past Kentucky Derby Winners (Since 2000)
2010 Kentucky Derby Winner: Super Saver
2009 Kentucky Derby Winner: Mine That Bird
2008 Kentucky Derby Winner: Big Brown
2007 Kentucky Derby Winner: Street Sense
2006 Kentucky Derby Winner: Barbaro
2005 Kentucky Derby Winner: Giacomo
2004 Kentucky Derby Winner: Smarty Jones
2003 Kentucky Derby Winner: Funny Cide
2002 Kentucky Derby Winner: War Emblem
2001 Kentucky Derby Winner: Monarchos
2000 Kentucky Derby Winner: Fusaichi Pegasus

However, if the horse that you’re looking for is the one that really has a great history on the wet surfaces, go with Soldat (2011 Kentucky Derby Lines: 13 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). Sure, we aren’t overly thrilled about the No. 17 post for this horse, but we can’t help but look at that one amazing race that he ran on the wet surfaces at the start of the year when he romped to a 103 speed rating and a 10+ length victory. Sure, this horse didn’t run well at the Florida Derby, but all in all, his body of work is fantastic, and this is a great price on the Kentucky Derby morning line odds that should not be passed on.

The hot horse that is always seemingly a bridesmaid but never a bride is Nehro (2011 Kentucky Derby Betting Odds: 10 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). This was a very, very popular horse to back on the Kentucky Derby betting festivities before the draw ever came out due to the second place finishes this year at the Arkansas Derby and the Louisiana Derby, and there is no doubt in our mind that this is a colt that could win the bed of roses on Saturday. Nehro will be a popular choice when it’s said and done, and with Uncle Mo not running, giving him one more gate to slide over towards the rail, he could turn out to be a great closer at the end of this race.

Current 2011 Kentucky Derby Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 5/5/11):
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1: Archarcharch 14 to 1
2: Brilliant Speed 22.50 to 1
3: Twice the Appeal 30 to 1
4: Stay Thirsty 21 to 1
5: Decisive Moment 40 to 1
6: Comma to the Top 30 to 1
7: Pants On Fire 25 to 1
8: Dialed In 4.10 to 1
9: Derby Kitten 45 to 1
10: Twinspired 40 to 1
11: Master of Hounds 16 to 1
12: Santiva 25 to 1
13: Mucho Macho Man 12.50 to 1
14: Shackleford 12.25 to 1
15: Midnight Interlude 13 to 1
16: Animal Kingdom 25 to 1
17: Soldat 13 to 1
18: Uncle Mo Scratched
19: Nehro 10 to 1
20: Watch Me Go: 60 to 1

Current 2011 Kentucky Derby Lines @ BetOnline Sportsbook (as of 5/5/11):
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1: Archarcharch 14 to 1
2: Brilliant Speed 20 to 1
3: Twice the Appeal 12 to 1
4: Stay Thirsty 20 to 1
5: Decisive Moment 28 to 1
6: Comma to the Top 20 to 1
7: Pants On Fire 16 to 1
8: Dialed In 2.75 to 1
9: Derby Kitten 30 to 1
10: Twinspired 30 to 1
11: Master of Hounds 15 to 1
12: Santiva 20 to 1
13: Mucho Macho Man 10 to 1
14: Shackleford 15 to 1
15: Midnight Interlude 13 to 1
16: Animal Kingdom 18 to 1
17: Soldat 13 to 1
18: Uncle Mo Scratched
19: Nehro 6 to 1
20: Watch Me Go: 60 to 1

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2010 Belmont Stakes betting action goes to post on Saturday at 6:32 (EST) in Elmont, New York, (Race 11).  Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re going over the Belmont Stakes odds with our Belmont Stakes preview.

Complete List of 2010 Belmont Stakes Entries Can Be Found Below

Even though neither the winner of the Kentucky Derby (Super Saver) nor the Preakness Stakes (Lookin At Lucky) are running in this race, the runners up of both are in this field, and they are the top two favorites on the board. Ice Box (+300 at BetUS Sportsbook) is the slight favorite of the two. He won the Florida Derby as a 20-1 longshot and came back with a great second place showing in the Kentucky Derby. In his L/2 races, Ice Box has run speed rankings of 99 and 100 respectively.

First Dude (+350 at BetUS Sportsbook) put on a clinical run at the Preakness Stakes and will need a significantly different run in order to be as successful at the Belmont Stakes. First Dude, who started at Pimlico in the same 11th position that he will run out of on Saturday, will try his best to once again reach the front of the pack by the first turn, and he’ll attempt to become a wire-to-wire winner that is rarely seen at this race. The question about running the full 1 1/2 mile race is still up in the air with this horse, but it certainly looked like he had enough in the tank down the stretch at the Preakness.

The Grade II Dwyer was run here at Belmont Stakes in the middle of May, and while other horses were worried about the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Drosselmeyer (+1200 at BetUS Sportsbook) and Fly Down (+450 at BetUS Sportsbook) were busy tuning up on this racetrack. Fly Down won the Dwyer by six lengths and appeared to be running away. However, Drosselmeyer was the horse that was the odds on favorite to win that race, and perhaps if he didn’t slip a tad out of the gates and have a very sloppy run, he might have won the Dwyer, and had he done that, he could possibly have been the favorite in this race.

There are a rash of new contenders in the Belmont Stakes, but the bottom line is that most of them are incredible longshot colts at best. Particularly weak are the two inside horses, Dave in Dixie (+2000 at BetUS Sportsbook) and Spangled Star (+2000 at BetUS Sportsbook). Neither one has any sort of a history that suggests that they should be running in this race, and the owner for Spangled Star already knows that he is defeat, suggesting that it is very possible that his horse could finish dead last in this race and not be surprised. Be sure to look very hard at the past performances before choosing which horses to back in Belmont Stakes betting action. Yes, Da’Tara pulled a heck of an upset at over 70-1 in 2008 here at Belmont Racetrack, but the likelihood of someone else pulling off that type of a feat just seems highly unlikely at best.

Belmont Stakes Odds @ BetUS Sportsbook (as of 6/3/10):
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#1 Dave in Dixie +2000
#2 Spangled Star +3000
#3 Uptowncharlybrown +1000
#4 Make Music For Me +900
#5 Fly Down +450
#6 Ice Box +300
#7 Drosselmeyer +1200
#8 Game On Dude +900
#9 Stately Victor +1400
#10 Stay Put +2000
#11 First Dude +350
#12 Interactif +1200

Give us your 2010 Belmont Stakes picks in the poll below:
(Feel Free To Comment With Your Belmont Picks & Tips As Well)

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Our coverage of the 2010 Kentucky Derby betting lines continues here at Bankroll Sports with a look at the Top Five horses that you should have on your radar as potential winners for the Super Bowl of horse racing this Saturday afternoon!

Lookin At Lucky (4/1 at BoDog Sportsbook): Lookin At Lucky is going to try to become the first horse since 1986 to win the Kentucky Derby from the rail. Traditionally, what ends up happening is that the inside horses get shoved, bumped, and crammed early, which often makes for a very uncomfortable ride. This isn’t a colt that is going to burst right out to the front of the pack either, so navigating traffic could be difficult. However, there’s no doubt, with five stakes wins to his credit, Lookin At Lucky is most certainly the horse that is going to have the bulls-eye on his back no matter what post he is starting out of.

Sidney’s Candy (13/2 at BoDog Sportsbook): Here we have a horse that dominated out in California in all of his prep races, winning three times, including at the highly touted Santa Anita Derby. Many think that Sidney’s Candy has the ability to go wire-to-wire, but if that’s what he goal is, he has the worst post draw in the world. Unfortunately, the race could be over right at the gate for this horse, as he is going to try to race out to the front of the pack from the far outside position at gate #20. His only hope is that the horses to his immediate inside also don’t try to get out to the front of the field, but in all likelihood, Sidney’s Candy is going to be running a significantly longer race than any of these other horses are, as he could easily be pushed seven or eight wide in that first turn. If he does get to the front of the pack and to the rail without using too much energy though, Sidney’s Candy is going to be tough to run down.

Click Here for a Copy of the 2010 Kentucky Derby Racing Form – The Kentucky Derby Race is the 11th Race on the Form (Print Out Pages 28 thru 31)

Conveyance (16/1 at BoDog Sportsbook): Though Conveyance hasn’t exactly run against the best crops of three year olds in the world in his prep races, it’s hard to argue with the fact that he has never finished worse than second in any race that he has run. Conveyance has a perfect starting gate right in the middle of the field at #10. He’s got a tremendous bloodline, with the great Holy Bull sitting there in his lineage. There have been a number of champion racers that have come through Holy Bull in one form or another, and Conveyance may be the next in line. Trying to weed his way through this field will be difficult, but there is no doubt that Conveyance has the tools and the stamina to be able to win the Kentucky Derby.

Ice Box (10/1 at BoDog Sportsbook): This is probably a great price on a horse with a lot of upside and potential. Ice Box won the Florida Derby and has a tremendous sire in Pulpit, who has both won and produced a number of champion horses. The question is whether or not he can make it the mile and a quarter or not. A rail post position at #2 won’t bother Ice Box that much, as he is going to be content to just fall straight to the back of the pack and stay out of trouble anyway. Trainer Nick Zito is a multiple time Kentucky Derby winning trainer, and he knows what it takes to get his horse the bed of roses at the end of the day. If you’re looking for a closer to make a huge move and try to steal this race at its conclusion, Ice Box is your colt.

Dublin (16/1 at BoDog Sportsbook): Trainer D. Wayne Lukas knows that he hasn’t seen the potential of Dublin quite yet in his prep races. Once a heralded young gun, Dublin is a horse that has come up short a number of times. He does have his necessary stakes win at the Hopeful as a two year old, but he hasn’t crossed the finish line first in any of his other prep races at this level. Of course, neither had last year’s winner, Mine That Bird, before he shocked the world at 50/1 and won the Kentucky Derby in 2009. 2010 could be the year for Dublin and for Lukas, as this horse just needs to find one more kick to best this field. At 16/1, this is a tremendous price for a colt that has never gone off at more than 9/2 in any race that he has run.

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Long before there was gambling on the Super Bowl or NBA basketball or Major League Baseball, there was horse racing. For thousands of years, gamblers have been banking on which horse could run a certain distance or a certain track the fastest. Things have gotten a lot more sophisticated for the “Sports of Kings” in the last four millennia, but the news for the equestrian world has been grim over the last several years.

News out of New York in December was the worst of all. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) may be in a position where it can’t make payroll, which could effectively shut down the storied Belmont Racetrack, as well as all of the other racing circuits in the Empire State. The Triple Crown would never be the same again, as the third leg, the Belmont Stakes, would be compromised.

Every year, it feels like horse racing is ready to take off once again behind a new story and a new super horse. But alas, every year, the winner of the Kentucky Derby has fallen in one of the next two Triple Crown races. The sport hasn’t had an icon win its most illustrious three jewels since Affirmed did it in 1978.

Enter Zenyatta, the super filly who has successfully won all 14 races in her career, including the Breeder’s Cup Classic at Santa Anita last year over horses such as Mine That Bird (who won the Kentucky Derby), Summer Bird (who won the Belmont Stakes), and Colonel John. That made her the first filly ever to win the Breeder’s Cup Classic. Zenyatta finished runner-up for Horse of the Year honors in 2009, but was also finished second to Serena Williams for the AP’s Female Athlete of the Year last year to boot.

However, even though Zenyatta has all of the accolades in the world, there’s still one horse that she hasn’t conquered.

See Rachel Alexandra, who was the filly that bested all of the boys and Zenyatta for the Horse of the Year award in 2009. She was the only Triple Crown race winner that wasn’t in the Breeder’s Cup Classic, because her owners didn’t want to see her run on the synthetic track at Santa Anita. Rachel Alexandra marched into Pimlico last year as a favorite over Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and put both him and the rest of his mare counterparts to shame by taking the Preakness Stakes just two weeks after walking away from the rest of the field in the Kentucky Oaks by a whopping 20 lengths. That made her the first filly in 85 years to win the second leg of the Triple Crown.

How is it possible to separate two unbeaten horses? Experts have clamored all year about the prospects of seeing a Rachel/Zenyatta duel, and now, someone has come to the table with the money to make it happen. Oaklawn Park is offering a $5 million purse for a prospective race between the top horses in the sport.

The art and sport of horse racing clearly needs a superstar. Neither the six-year old Zenyatta nor the four-year old Rachel Alexandra can successfully do it by themselves, especially since their races will largely go unnoticed outside of the Breeders Cup. But with the Kentucky Derby just looming a month after the prospective race between these two behemoths, it may be just the kick needed to get horse racing back on the map.

As sports betting fans, we should all be dying to see this happen before it’s too late. It’s often that you get to see any matchup between two unbeaten people, horses, or teams, especially not ones that have been so dominant and look totally unflappable.

The race, as they say, must go on.