How about that, after hobbling from last place at Belmont Park, the one-legged Big Brown will be racing again.

That’s right, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes champion, Big Brown, will be back on the race track competing in the $1-million 2008 Haskell Invitational on August 3 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

Much to our surprise here on OddJack, Big Brown was given a clean bill of health during a post-race veterinary examination and now will look to capture the Haskell Invitational after failing to win what many thought was his for the taking a few weeks ago, this year’s Triple Crown.

‘’The Haskell’s clearly a first target right now,'’ IEAH Stable president Michael Iavarone said.

Owned by IEAH Stable, Big Brown finished last to 38-1 longshot Da’Tara at the 2008 Belmont Stakes last June 7 at Belmont Park, making him the first Triple Crown hopeful to finish last at Belmont Park. You can just imagine how utterly irritated those people were, riding the Big Brown bandwagon.Iavarone also said that he had specific reasons for choosing the Haskell over the upcoming Jim Dandy Stakes at the end of July.

‘’We’re trying to avoid certain things that happened in the Belmont,'’ he said. ‘’We’re trying…'’

Read More » Big Brown will race the 2008 Haskell Invitational

Yep, Big Brown did it again last weekend, making us here at OddJack a perfect 2-0 now on this year’s Triple Crown trail. How about that huh?

Big Brown won the 2008 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico after winning the Kentucky Derby, making him merely a win away from the elusive Triple Crown. It was a huge payout for us too because, like most of you probably, we were riding the ‘’Big Brown bandwagon'’ again and I got to tell you, it was like having your own ATM machine. Hee hee…

With Big Brown already winning two of the three races for the Triple Crown, the focus now shifts for the 2008 Belmont Stakes. Hell, these guys around Big Brown were so confident that they were already talking about the third leg of the Triple Crown trail even BEFORE the second leg was underway.

Of course, Big Brown winning the Belmont Stakes to capture the 2008 Triple Crown series title will indeed make horse racing history since it’s been a while since this sport had a Triple Crown winner.

But the fact of the matter is, it’s still a little too early to talk about that, right now, we should just probably admire the colt and how he dominated the field again for the second straight race. (Or, you can just continue admiring the way the hot and sexy Maria Sharapova moves around a tennis court, making those itsy bitsy little skirt of hers fly…)

As for Big Brown, he did not disappoint horse racing fans after winning the…

Read More » Can Big Brown actually win the 2008 Triple Crown title?

Yep, another boring weekend is upon us as this godforsaken bloodsport continues with the Preakness at Pimlico.

But first, I heard those folks from Bodog are offering something for all ya’ll. We have a special promotion from Bodog for the 2008 Preakness Stakes that aims to give a $50 bet for a new depositing player who signs up and deposits a minimum of the same amount. This special promotion is available until Saturday’s race so go get it already will ya?

Just click this phrase here appropriately dubbed, ‘’special promotion from Bodog for the 2008 Preakness Stakes‘’ and you’ll have them bending over for ya’ in a heartbeat. Remember, you have to deposit $50 first to receive the bonus. Oh yeah, this is ONLY available for players who do not have an existing Bodog account.

Now that THAT is out of the way, the 2008 Preakness Stakes, running for the 133rd time this Saturday, will have the top thoroughbreds of the world assemble at the Pimlico race track looking to be crowned the new champion of the ‘’Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.'’

Kentucky Derby champion, Big Brown, is the heavy favorite to win the 133rd Preakness Stakes this Saturday. After winning the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown trail, all eyes will be fixed on the colt as he looks to continue his run to become…

Read More » Can Big Brown win the 2008 Preakness Stakes?

Yes, they’re offering this probably to bring in new fans of this bloodsport.

It’s a special promotion from Bodog for the 2008 Preakness Stakes that aims to give a $50 bet for a new depositing player who signs up and deposits a minimum of the same amount. This special promotion is available today until Saturday. This is probably the right time to cash in on Big Brown’s success eh?

Just click this phrase here appropriately dubbed, ‘’special promotion from Bodog for the 2008 Preakness Stakes‘’ and you’ll have them bending over for ya’ in a heartbeat. Remember, you have to deposit $50 first to receive the bonus and all ya’ll who already have an existing account, unfortunately, can’t join this promo for the Preakness. Speaking of this Saturday’s race…

Big Brown, the fancied 3-year-old colt who dominated the Kentucky Derby last May 3, will gallop once again for the 2008 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, looking to follow up on his win at Churchill Downs and keep his hopes of a Triple Crown title alive.

Usual exercises for Big Brown, with jockey Michelle Nevin guiding him to the race track, were made in preparation for this Saturday’s big race. Trainer Richard Dutrow said Big Brown went well in his trip around the course, limiting the colt to…

Read More » Bodog offers $50 match bet to New Depositing Players for the 2008 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico

It’s time once again to bet on huge piles of horseshit.

The 2008 Preakness Stakes is set this Saturday, May 17 at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland as horse bettors from around the world can now look at the odds on whose going to win the $1 million purse.

The second and shortest leg of the 2008 Triple Crown trail, this year’s Preakness Stakes could be the start of a historic feat for the Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown.

If Big Brown wins the Preakness Stakes, he’ll only be needing one more win at the Belmont Stakes to be crowned the first Triple Crown series champion for quite a while.

Horse bettors can also look at other contenders who will be competing for the Preakness Stakes title. Behindatthebar, trained by Todd Pletcher and is coming from the Padua Stables, is the Lexington Stakes winner and has never been worse than second in four starts on synthetic surfaces.

Giant Moon, who is owned by Albert Fried, Jr., was the Count Fleet winner and has finished…

Read More » Here are your 2008 Preakness Stakes Contenders

If you’re asking me, someone should. Just so we can move on with our lives and leave this godforsaken cruelty - to - animals - turned - sport.

As for Bob Baffert, in case you don’t know who he is, he’s a horse trainer who has been ruining these horse racing wars twice now. How is he doing it? Throwing a party before a race. (Yep, this is the last thing horse racing enthusiasts want to hear with only days before the 2008 Preakness Stakes gets going.)

You see, Bob Baffert, together with his wife, threw a huge party a couple of years ago to watch Barbaro follow up on his Kentucky Derby win with a victory at the Preakness Stakes. After the horse racing world saw Barbaro’s demise, the Bafferts swore they’d never again throw parties for horseshit like this.

UNTIL EARLIER THIS YEAR… For some reason, they decided to come out from their two-year moratorium and threw a party to kick-off the 2008 Triple Crown series. What happened next was a somewhat eerie feeling for the Bafferts as they saw another horse, this time Eight Belles, suffer his demise.

‘’Man,'’ Bob Baffert said, ‘’it’s bad luck. These horses are athletes, and athletes are going to…'’

Read More » Will horse trainer Bob Baffert ruin your 2008 Preakness Stakes Betting Tendencies at Pimlico?

Big Brown should be the heavy favorite to win the Preakness Stakes.

And in case you have no idea who Big Brown is, the last time we saw the colt, he was accelerating for the lead at the top of the stretch and was never challenged while putting away the rest of the field with an explosive finishing kick under jockey Kent Desormeaux to win the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

‘’He’ll go to the Preakness as one of the most overwhelming favorites,'’ trainer Nick Zito, whose Derby horses finished seventh and 15th respectively, said of his horse’s chances at the 2008 Preakness Stakes. ‘’You can’t say enough good things. He was tremendous.'’

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. was overwhelmed by 48 text messages and 29 voice mails, congratulating him on his first Derby victory. Big Brown is now a perfect 4-0 in his brief career, winning by a total of 33 3/4 lengths.

However, Rick Dutrow Jr. still remain cautious in assessing his colt’s potential sweep of the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, giving horse racing its first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. STILL, one can’t help but to root for Big Brown to capture the 2008 Triple Crown series title. It’s been 30 looong years after all.

Eight rested horses will likely await Big Brown in…

Read More » Who’ll challenge Big Brown at 2008 Preakness Stakes?

Unfortunately for most of us, the horseshit ain’t over. After the Derby comes the 2008 Preakness Stakes.

All roads lead to the Pimlico Race Course as Triple Crown series title hopeful, Big Brown, along with the top thoroughbreds of the country, set their sights to Baltimore for the 2008 Preakness Stakes on May 17. The Preakness Stakes will be running for the 133rd time then.

The Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes, 1-3/16 mile (1.91 km) thoroughbred horse racing event for three-year-old horses.

Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg) while fillies have 121 lb (55 kg). The Preakness Stakes has been termed ‘’The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans‘’ mainly because a horseshoe of black-eyed susans, the state flower of Maryland, is traditionally placed around the winner’s neck.

The 2008 Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the 2008 Triple Crown series. It should be interesting since it is the shortest race of all three legs. It almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner. After all, whoever wins the Derby will be the ONLY ONE to have the chance to capture the Triple Crown.

In this year’s case, Big Brown.

It also attracts some of the other horses that ran in the…

Read More » 2008 Preakness Stakes is next to bore you like crazy

You bet.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown was overshadowed by second-place prize colt Eight Belles when the horse’s front ankles broke while galloping out a quarter of a mile past the wire. He was euthanized right then and there.

The death of Eight Belles raised many concerns about the horse racing industry that includes track safety, whether fillies should be allowed to run against colts and whether horses are bred too much for speed and not for soundness.

A prominent animal rights group got involved too, criticizing Eight Belles’ jockey for whipping the horse. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a statement Sunday calling for the suspension of Eight Belles jockey Gabriel Saez. The group also asked for the ‘’revocation of the second place prize.'’

Gabriel Saez was riding in his first Kentucky Derby when Eight Belles broke both front ankles while galloping out a quarter-mile past the finish line.

While Big Brown’s bid to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years will certainly gain momentum in…

Read More » Was Big Brown’s win clouded by Eight Belles’ death?

Yes, this godforsaken horse racing event is still on in this first Saturday of May. Imagine that.

And just in case you’re most of us, that is ‘’I could give a rat’s ass about horse racing,'’ the godforsaken horse racing event we’re talking about here is the 134th Run for the Roses. Otherwise known as the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

You read it people, the gates are already set and the horses already have their respective positions for Saturday’s 134th Kentucky Derby to kick off the 2008 Triple Crown series. Starting off at gates one to five are Cool Coal Man, which has 20-1 odds t win it all, Tale of Ekati - 15-1, Anak Nakal - 30-1 and both 20 - 1 long shots, Court Vision and Eight Belles.

Kentucky Derby rookie Gabriel Saez has the call on Eight Belles, who brings a four-race winning streak into the Run for the Roses. ‘’We’re going to give it a whirl,'’ said Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones, who finished second in last year’s Derby with Hard Spun.

‘’If she runs her race against the colts and doesn’t get intimidated we feel like she can be right there.'’

While on gates six to ten, 3-year-old colt Z Fortune by trainer Steve Asmussen has 15-1 odds to win, Big Truck follows at the seventh spot, while Visionaire takes the eight. Pyro, who won the Louisiana Derby before…

Read More » Big Brown to win the 2008 Kentucky Derby from Gate 20