Breeders' Cup Betting Tip No. 1: Consider the Longshots

The world's best thoroughbreds have already gathered at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, completing their final workouts in preparation for the 2009 Breeders' Cup World Championships scheduled for November 6th and 7th.

On Monday Morning Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird worked five-furlongs at a time of 58 1/5-seconds — the fastest of 58 recorded works at that distance — and is set to compete in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be at 1 1/4-miles, the same distance as the Kentucky Derby which Mine That Bird won as a 50-1 longshot.

"The only part of his workout that is really important is the final quarter-mile," said trainer Chip Woolley. "He finished big today and galloped out big past the wire."

Breeders' Cup Betting Tip No. 2: Speed Down the Stretch Wins Races

Look for a horse that has come from just off the pace in their most recent race and then drawn away through the stretch to win by more than four lengths.

Breeders' Cup Betting Tip No. 3: Take Past Performances Into Account

Note each horse's performance in their last race. As well, take note of their trainers and jockeys.

We're just days away! For more Breeders' Cup handicapping tips, go to the Bodog Racebook. Get all your online horse racing odds at Bodog!

For Gitano, the victory is his biggest to date. The English-bred horse has won 4 of 7 starts and his career earnings were a mere $54,669. Now with Saturday's big take his career earnings total a whopping $219,669.

PLUS, because the Goodwood Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge series Gitano is now headed to race in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

"Our goal is the Classic," said Aron Wellman, racing manager for co-owner Team Valor International.

Mine That Bird finished a disappointing sixth in the Goodwood Stakes, but is still expected to race in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Trainer Chip Woolley believes the shorter distance worked against Mine That Bird and that an extra eighth of a mile would have changed the outcome of the race. Considering the BC Classic is run over 1 1/4 miles, Mine That Bird will still have another opportunity to prove that theory's correct. In the meantime, the Kentucky Derby winner and his jockey, Calvin Borel, will get three more works on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride synthetic track.

"He had a perfect trip, but he got to struggling a bit," Borel said. "I do know one thing: He's a lot better horse on the dirt. When you ask him here, he goes to struggling instead of just running. I don't know. We'll have to work on that a little bit and see what happens. But I think he'll be all right."

Nonetheless, on this day at Santa Anita it was all about the British horse that upset the American favorite. Gitano Hernando's win has no doubt made quite a few horse racing fans and bettors happy.

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"After the Belmont, we took a good look around the country, with the idea of finding the best spot," Mine That Bird's trainer Chip Woolley said. "And we thought that it would be Mountaineer. I studied this very hard. We do want a fast racetrack, but we also need one that a horse can close over. That's our main focus."

The three-year-old will be ridden by Mike Smith from post two. Get all your West Virgina Derby odds in the Bodog Racebook before Saturday's big race!

"He was fighting it just a little bit, " jockey Calvin Borel said on Mine That Bird. "I didn't want to fight him too much."

Summer Bird, the 11/1 odds to win the 2009 Belmont Stakes, becomes the surprise winner of the Belmont Stakes and denies jockey Calvin Borel his own 'Triple Crown.'

"I had an armchair ride until I found some room. said winning jockey Kent Desormeaux "Well, I found some room."

Bred by owners Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman out of the mare Hong Kong Squall and a daughter of 1990 Preakness winner Summer Squall, Summer Bird has raced only four times in his entire career.

Here is a breakdown of the 2009 Belmont Stakes $1 million purse:

Winner     $620,000
Second     $200,000
Third     $100,000
Forth     $50,000
Fifth     $30,000

Get ready for the Breeders' Cup! Get all your online horse racing odds at the Bodog Racebook!

Borel won the Kentucky Derby on 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird. When Rachel Alexandra entered the Preakness, Borel switched horses to the filly he had ridden to five straight victories. Rachel Alexandra then edged Mine That Bird to thwart the gelding’s shot at a Triple Crown.

Now Rachel Alexandra is skipping the Belmont Stakes, and Borel is back aboard Mine That Bird.

That can only improve the odds for Mine That Bird, who is currently listed at +133, to cash in again. Be sure to head over to the Bodog Racebook for your Belmont Stakes betting before the race goes down today!

Dave Tuley was the Daily Racing Form's full-time Las Vegas correspondent from 2000 through May 2007 and now writes a weekly column for DRF. Here are his Belmont Picks.

Win: Brave Victory finished third in the Peter Pan over this track, but has legitimate excuses as he was too far back in that effort and should be more forwardly placed this time, plus jockey Rajiv Maragh lost his whip at the 3/16th pole yet Brave Victory still finished third. As a native New Yorker, Zito aims for this race as much as the Derby.

Place: Charitable Man has only run one bad race in four career starts and that was on the synthetic surface at Keeneland; he's 3-for-3 on dirt and is the son of 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid. His jockey, Alan Garcia, won the Belmont last year in wire-to-wire fashion with Da'Tara to foil Big Brown's Triple Crown bid.

Show: Mine That Bird, who won the Derby at odds of 50-1, isn't flying under anyone's radar anymore. He has shown a very strong closing kick and as the son of 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone (who foiled Smarty Jones' Triple Crown bid) should be able to get the added distance. He might just have more trouble with fresher horses shooting at him.

A regular columnist for the Bodog Racebook, Steve Davidowitz has published two highly acclaimed books on Thoroughbred racing and is a regular contributor to Daily Racing Form's Simulcast Weekly and DRF Plus. Here are Steve's Belmont Stakes picks:

Win: Charitable Man, a long striding son of the 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, is fresh and perfectly trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, who won it with Jazil in 2006. He should control the pace throughout.

Place: Chocolate Candy, a strong looking sort with several long workouts over the track seems set for improved try at good odds.

Show: Mine That Bird's extraordinary late kick was effective at 10 furlongs and 1-3/16 miles in Louisville and Baltimore. Can he sustain that form in a slower paced 12-furlong race? Can jockey Calvin Borel complete his personal Triple Crown sweep? Maybe, but at 6-5 or so, I'll pass. Dunkirk has trained well for this; might rebound.

Read more about Steve Davidowitz and Dave Turley's face-off here. Now armed with information, get your own set of Belmont Stakes picks in the Bodog Racebook today!

Mine That Bird, who runs from post position 7, had a successful work Thursday morning, galloping freely over the sloppy track.

"He gets over it so easy — that’s what I was hoping for,” said Woolley. “He carries it with him wherever he goes. He loped through the stretch real easy. If there’s a track he doesn’t like, we haven’t found it yet.”

Mine That Bird's biggest contenders are Flying Private, who runs from post position 8, (4th in the Preakness) and Dunkirk, from post position 2. They are the only two horses in the race with the speed comparable.

Think Mine That Bird will win the Belmont? Get your Belmont Stakes odds with the Bodog Racebook before tomorrow's race. Want more ways to bet? Have some spare time before the big race? The Bodog Casino is offering $50 in FREE Casino chips when you make a deposit of $50 or more.

Be sure to catch all the action, which goes down Saturday, June 6th at 6:30 p.m. ET with a post time of 6:27 p.m. ET.

The post positions and odds for the 2009 Belmont Stakes are: 1. Chocolate Candy (10/1); 2. Dunkirk (9/2); 3. Mr. Hot Stuff (15/1); 4. Summer Bird (12/1); 5. Luv Gov (25/1); 6. Charitable Man (10/3); 7. Mine That Bird (4/3); 8. Flying Private (15/1); 9. Miner’s Escape (20/1); 10. Brave Victory (20/1).

Think you can get lucky betting on the ponies? Get your 2009 Belmont Stakes odds in the Bodog Racebook now.

The post positions for the 2009 Belmont Stakes are: 1. Chocolate Candy; 2. Dunkirk; 3. Mr. Hot Stuff; 4. Summer Bird; 5. Luv Gov; 6. Charitable Man; 7. Mine That Bird; 8. Flying Private; 9. Miner’s Escape; 10. Brave Victory.

The 2009 Belmont Stakes goes down Saturday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Be sure to get your Belmont Stakes odds in the Bodog Racebook to make the race as exciting as possible! As we previously reported, favorite to win Mine That Bird will be ridden by Calvin Borel, the jockey who helped earn him the Kentucky Derby win – and also won aboard Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness Stakes.

Borel said, “Now that this decision is made, I am excited to come to New York and ride Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes. I would like to thank Chip Woolley, and [owners] Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach for being so gracious and allowing us to wait for this decision. We also thank Mr. Jackson for letting everyone know earlier than anticipated about the decision whether to run Rachel Alexandra.”

On Friday, Rachel Alexandra's owner Jess Jackson ended speculation about her run in the Belmont by saying he believes the filly would benefit from more time between races.

"We know the media and many fans would have liked to see her run in the Belmont Stakes – we feel the same," Jackson said in a press release. "But all of us sincerely interested in the horse must agree that we only want to see her run when it is best for her. While she is in great shape, having strong works, and recovering well from her amazing performances, we feel Rachel deserves a well-earned vacation. Since March 14, Rachel has won four graded races with just two weeks' rest between her last two victories. We will always put her long-term well-being first. And, of course, we want to run her when she is fresh."

The Belmont Stakes 2009 Lineup is as follows: Mine That Bird, Brave Victory, Charitable Man, Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Flying Private, Luv Gov, Miner’s Escape, Mr. Hot Stuff, Summer Bird and tentatively, Nowhere To Hide.

Think you got a shot at picking the right ponies? Get all your Belmont Stakes odds now in the Bodog Racebook and watch as the horses take a stab at the $1 million purse on June 6.