Dunkirk and I Want Revenge 2009 Kentucky Derby Favorites

This is not a one horse race.  I Want Revenge was initially installed as the favorite to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby.  But not so fast.  While I Want Revenge continues to hold on to "favorite" status pretty much across the board with +300 odds (3/1) at online gambling establishments such as betED.com, Dunkirk is not far from behind, with payout odds of +450 and a potential profit of $450 for every $100 bet.

Dunkirk is talented but still largely untested.  Also of concern, shin problems.  They kept Dunkirk off the track as a 2-year-old.

Pletcher never panicked, knowing his horse just needed time to get through some growing pains. After a couple of impressive races against lesser competition, Dunkirk ran a strong second to Quality Road in the Florida Derby on March 28.

The race validated Pletcher's patience, but it still took a number of defections, including Quality Road, to get Dunkirk in the Derby.

"In Dunkirk's situation we were flying underneath the radar from a public standpoint but within the organization we felt like we had something special we could come here with," he said. "Obviously we're up against a lot of history and you have to respect that, but I feel like for a horse that's lightly raced that he's had a lot thrown at him."

Newsday made this prediction of Dunkirk:

"Long, lean gray colt has the most upside of any horse in the field. His profile looks a lot like Curlin's did two years ago, but even racing's all-time leading money-winner couldn't win the Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old. No horse has done that since 1882, but like Dunkirk, Big Brown (last year) had only three pre-Derby starts. Has the numbers and finishing kick to shatter another Derby rule and end trainer Todd Pletcher's 0-for-21 Derby schneid; major threat."

For now, I Want Revenge remains the small favorite with some of the best payout odds of a Kentucky Derby horse in this position.

Newsdays writes of I Want Revenge:

"IEAH Stables, hoping for back-to-back Derby wins, bought 50 percent of this colt after he won the Gotham in his dirt debut. His trouble-filled Wood Memorial was visually spectacular, but the competition was very weak. Looms an underlay off his last-to-first Wood after losing four lengths at the start. He's a serious contender who won't offer much betting value."

"Due to the stiff competition in this year's Kentucky Derby we could see I Want Revenge getting longer odds at some online gambling sites," says Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. 

As of Thursday afternoon, few books had I Want Revenge with longer odds than +300 (3/1).  A few even had I Want Revenge With shorter odds. 

Dunkirk has seen slightly longer odds at some books than the +400 found across the board. betED.com had Dunkirk with +425 odds for a payout potential of $425 for every $100 bet.

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher