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Colonel John Now
a Favorite to Win
2008 Kentucky Derby
Colonel John was now
a 4/1 favorite along
with Big Brown at
Bodog Life,
paying
$400
for every $100 bet
at Bodog Life.
At
some online race
books, Colonel John
only paid out 3/1
odds or less.
One
of the reasons the
prized thoroughbred
is gaining momentum
heading into
Saturday's big race
has to do with the
fact that he has
favorable post
position.
According to Larry
Stewart of the Los
Angeles Times, post
position does not
generally mean much.
But it does when you
are talking about a
20-horse field for
Saturday's Kentucky
Derby it helps to
start somewhere in
the middle.
Using
that rational,
Colonel John got a
leg up on Big Brown
on Wednesday.
Colonel John, the
Santa Anita Derby
winner, will start
in post position 10,
while Florida Derby
winner Big Brown
opens from the less
desirable 20th slot.
Churchill Downs
oddsmaker Mike
Battaglia made Big
Brown the 3-1
favorite, with
Colonel John a close
second at 4-1.
The
rationale behind
this move had to do
with Big Brown's
trainer and his
outspoken confidence
in the horse.
"I
feel that if we run
our race, and he
breaks clean, I
don't see a horse as
of yet that can beat
Big Brown," he said
after the draw. "I
just don't see it. I
don't want to see
it, either."
Of picking the
outside post, Dutrow
said, "We prefer
just to break on the
outside. We'd rather
have that than the
1, 2, 18 or 19 post.
We get assured of a
clean trip. If he
breaks good, we
figure it's to our
advantage. We had a
few choices and felt
we took the best
shot."
Colonel John's
trainer, Eoin
(pronounced Owen)
Harty, when asked if
his horse should be
favored over Big
Brown, said, "No,
not at all. . . .
He's been very
impressive, my horse
has struggled to win
a couple of times.
I'm glad he's the
favorite. He
deserves to be."
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