Betting The Horses

Tom Albertrani has experience winning Triple Crown races.  In 2006, Albertrani-trained Bernardini raced to a first place finish at the Preakness Stakes.  This year, his top contender to win a Triple Crown race is Odysseus.

Odysseus’s graded stakes debut was a success.  He finished first at the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in a field of seven which included Kentucky Derby hopeful Super Saver.  His next race was a disappointment.  He finished last at the Blue Grass Stakes. A strong finish at the Grade 1 race would have put him near the top twenty in graded earnings.

Odysseus is the son of Malibu Moon and the grandson of 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy. Malibu Moon, despite a lackluster racing career, has turned out to be a great sire.  His first crop resulted in seven stakes winners.

The Blue Grass Stakes turned out to be a turn for the worse for Odysseus.  After winning the Tampa Bay Derby in commanding form, he was thought by many to be a Kentucky Derby-level horse.  Early in the race, however, he suffered a knee injury.  The X-rays showed a chip in the back of his left knee, indicating that he likely hyper extended it.  Albertrani has removed him from Derby consideration.

This is the second major blow involving a knee injury in 8 years for Padua Stables, which owns Odysseus.  In 2003, Pradua had Vindication, who was an early favorite for the Kentucky Derby betting.  He suffered a knee injury prior to the race, however, and was forced into early retirement.