Horse Racing Sportsbook – Yes, It’s Belmont Stakes Saturday but Don’t Forget to Bet the Epsom Derby

There’s another a big time race going on this Saturday and this one isn’t in New York.  It’s not even in the United States.  It’s the Epsom Derby at famed Epsom Racecourse in the United Kingdom.

St. Nicholas Abbey, who was awesome in the Grade I Racing Post Trophy, won’t be running in Saturday’s Epsom Derby.  Why?  Because after a disappointing performance in the Grade I Two Thousand Guineas, trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Johnny Murtaugh decided that he just wasn’t in good enough shape to win the coveted Epsom Derby crown.

O’Brien still has 3 entrants in the race including the horse sportsbook betting favorite, Jan Vermeer.  Can Jan Vermeer do it at the odds of +175?  Will a different Aidan O’Brien horse prove capable of winning?

2010 Epsom Derby

• Where:  Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, Great Britain
• When:  June 5th, 2010
• TV:  HRTV – Coverage starts at 10:30 a.m. EST
• First Choice:  Jan Vermeer +175

Here’s the thing…at +175, Jan Vermeer offers great value.  Horseplayers will be lucky to get anything better than -120 on the son of Montjeu right before the race.  That’s how much better Jan Vermeer is than the rest of this field.  His Racing Post Rating in his last is a 121. 

That’s 5 points better than the nearest competitor in this race.  Not only that, but Jan Vemeer won the Criterium International as a 2-year old by 4 ½ lengths.  In his prep for this, he easily beat his competition in the Grade III Gallinule Stakes.  Trainer Aidan O’Brien found it easy to keep St. Nicholas Abbey on the bench because of this horse.  He’s the horse betting pick to win the Epsom Derby.

Second Choice:  Workforce +400

It’s going to be tough for Workforce to win this race, but lest we forget, the buzz on this guy was hot and heavy earlier this year.  In fact, he was the one that everybody thought would be the horse to talk about leading up to the Espom Derby because of how he looked at Newmarket. 

His 2 ¾ lengths loss to Cape Blanco in the Grade II Dante Stakes doesn’t bother me as his trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, really did consider that race a prep.  He’s probably not as good as Jan Vermeer yet, but he’s getting there and deserves some consideration for the win slot.

Third Choice:  Bullet Train +600

His Racing Post Rating, 111, isn’t close to Jan Vermeer’s, but he’s going to be on the lead in this race and a lot of times nobody will challenge the leader early in grass races in the U.K. meaning that he has a small chance of stealing the Epsom Derby.  At the horse betting odds of +600, he has to be considered to do exactly that after his theft of the Grade III Lingfield Derby Trial in his last.  The horse is talented but has he improved enough to beat Jan Vermeer?  That’s doubtful but he’s a must use in the exotics based on the expected pace advantage.

Fourth Choice:  Midas Touch +600

Like Jan Vermeer, Midas Touch is trained by Aidan O’Brien.  Also like Jan Vermeer ,Midas Touch won a 1 ¼ mile prep race to get himself ready for this.  In fact, Midas Touch used the same prep race, the Grade II Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, that his father Galileo used in order to win the Epsom Derby. 

Will it be like father like son in the Epsom Derby?  Midas Touch does have an outside shot to upset his stable mate as he’s the closest horse to Jan Vermeer in terms of Racing Post Rating.  Midas Touch received a 116 from his last race.  That’s 5 points behind Jan Vermeer’s 121.  He obviously improved from his 2-year old season, however, and since Aidan O’Brien is his trainer, he has to be considered.

The Epsom Derby is here!  Log onto the horse racing sportsbook and bet the Epsom Derby!