Big Brown Breaks at Post 20; Eight Belles Runs With The Boys; 2008 Kentucky Derby Field

Posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr.’s undefeated Big Brown was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite over 19 rivals for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby (GI), the first leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 3.

Fox Hill Farms’ Eight Belles, the lone filly who will Run for the Roses, brings a 4-race winning streak into her first match-up against males. In the long Kentucky Derby history, only three fillies have managed to win: Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988).

The full field of Saturday’s 2008 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs with jockeys, weight and morning line odds line up as follows:

  1. Cool Coal Man under jockey Julien Leparoux carries 126 lbs. with odds of 20-1
  2. Tale of Ekati under jockey Eibar Coa, 126 lbs., 15-1
  3. Anak Nakal under jockey Rafael Bejarano, 126 lbs., 30-1
  4. Court Vision under jockey Garrett Gomez, 126 lbs., 20-1
  5. Eight Belles under jockey Gabriel Saez, 121 lbs., 20-1
  6. Z Fortune under jockey Robby Albarado, 126 lbs., 15-1
  7. Big Truck under jockey Javier Castellano, 126 lbs., 50-1
  8. Visionaire under jockey Jose Lezcano, 126 lbs., 20-1
  9. Pyro under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, 126 lbs., 6-1
  10. Colonel John under jockey Corey Nakatani, 126 lbs., 4-1
  11. Z Humor under jockey Rene Douglas, 126 lbs., 30-1
  12. Smooth Air under jockey Manoel Cruz, 126 lbs., 20-1
  13. Bob Black Jack under jockey Richard Migliore, 126 lbs., 20-1
  14. Monba under jockey Ramon Dominguez, 126 lbs., 15-1
  15. Adriano under jockey Edgar Prado, 126 lbs., 30-1
  16. Denis of Cork under jockey Calvin Borel, 126 lbs., 20-1
  17. Cowboy Cal under jockey John John Velazquez, 126 lbs., 20-1
  18. Recapturetheglory under jockey E. T. Baird, 126 lbs., 20-1
  19. Gayego under jockey Mike Smith, 126 lbs., 15-1
  20. Big Brown under jockey Kent Desormeaux , 126 lbs., 3-1

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Big Brown has won his three career starts by a combined 29 lengths. His third triumph came in his stakes debut, Gulfstream Park’s Florida Derby (GI) that he captured by five lengths. Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux has the mount on Big Brown, who will break from post position 20.

Eight Belles, who also was entered in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, will be ridden by Gabriel Saez for trainer Larry Jones. Jones saddled Fox Hill’s Hard Spun to a runner-up finish behind Street Sense in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles will break from post position five and is 15-1 on the morning line.

Second choice on Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia’s line is WinStar Farm’s Colonel John at 4-1. Winner of the Santa Anita Derby (GI) at Santa Anita Park in his most recent start, Colonel John has compiled a career mark of 6-4-2-0 for trainer Eoin Harty. Jockey Corey Nakatani, who has ridden Colonel John to three of his career victories, including the Santa Anita score, has the mount and will break from post position 10.

Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro, winner of the Risen Star (GIII) and Louisiana Derby (GII) at the Fair Grounds this year, is the third choice on the morning line at 6-1.

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One of two colts trained by Steve Asmussen, Pyro enters the Kentucky Derby off a 10th-place showing in the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland in his only start over a synthetic surface. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Pyro and break from post position nine.

Horse trainer Steve Asmussen’s other entrant is Zayat Stables’ Z Fortune, runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (GII) at Oaklawn Park on April 12 in his most recent start, will have Robby Albarado in the saddle and break from post position six.

Three trainers will be attempting to sniff the roses again.

Nick Zito, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner thanks to Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994, has two starters in the Kentucky Derby 134. He will saddle Four Roses Thoroughbreds’ Anak Nakal, who will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, and Robert LaPenta’s Cool Coal Man, who will be handled by Julien Leparoux.

Michael Matz, who saddled 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, is back with Team Valor International and Vision Racing’s Visionaire, with Jose Lezcano on board.

Barclay Tagg, conditioner of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, returns with two entrants: Eric Fein and Barry Elberg’s Big Truck, to be ridden by Javier Castellano, and Charles Fipke’s Tale of Ekati, with Eibar Coa.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has saddled 19 Kentucky Derby starters, has two entrants this year. Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor’s Monba won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) in his most recent start with fellow Pletcher trainee Cowboy Cal, owned by Stonerside Stable, finishing second.

In addition to jockey Kent Desormeaux, riders who tallied in the past three runnings of the Kentucky Derby will be seeking to post their second triumphs in the race.

Jockey Calvin Borel, who won last year, will ride Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s Denis of Cork; Hall of fame jockey Edgar Prado, who rode Barbaro, has the mount on Courtlandt Farms’ Adriano; and Mike Smith, who piloted Giacomo to a 50-1 upset in 2005, has the assignment on Cubanacan Stables’ Gayego.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby will carry a total purse of $2,211,800 with $1,451,800 going to the winner if all 20 Kentucky Derby horses start. Post time is 6:04 p.m. (EDT) .

Edited press release from www.kentuckyderby.com.

"Big Brown Breaks at Post 20; Eight Belles Runs With The Boys; 2008 Kentucky Derby Field" was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 11:44 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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