The 135th Run for the Roses is set to get underway at 6:00pm ET on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The nation's most prestigious horse race — and the first race in the Triple Crown series — will be broadcast live on NBC. The favorite 2009 Kentucky Derby Picks at Bodog.com includes colts I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile, Dunkirk, and Friesan Fire.
2009 Kentucky Derby Picks at Bodog.com have Pioneerof the Nile listed at 6/1 odds to win this year's Kentucky Derby.
Pioneerof the Nile, who is trained by National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Bob Baffert, comes into the Derby having won his last four races. Three of those events took place at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California while the other came at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California.
Pioneerof the Nile defeated 2009 Kentucy Derby Picks favorites, I Want Revenge and Chocolate Candy, at the CashCall Futurity on December 20th, 2008 in Hollywood Park. He beat I Want Revenge a second time at the Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, as well as Derby entrant Papa Clem, on February 7th, 2009.
Pioneerof the Nile has never raced on a dirt surface, all of his events haven taken place at either a synthetic or turf track. That, however, has not slowed him down in practice runs at Churchill Downs. The colt ran five furlongs in 1:00 4-5 on the 21st and clocked in at 1:01 yesterday.
The conditions were not exactly ideal on the 21st as heavy rain came through the Louisville area the day before. Baffert was, nonetheless, impressed with how his horse performed.
"It was nice and relaxed — I didn't want to do too much," Baffert said. "It looked like he skipped over it, because I know the track, with the rain, was a little bit deep. I had some other horses work and some horses struggled over it. But he has taken to it great, so far. I like what I see."
Pioneerof the Nile was sired by Empire Maker, a second place finisher in the 2003 Kentucky Derby who also took first at the Belmont that year to end Funny Cide's Triple Crown bid. He came out of Star of Goshen who was sired by Lord at War, a horse known for his stamina and long line of winning offspring.
Jockey Garrett Gomez will handle Pioneerof the Nile this weekend. The 37 year old Tucson, Arizona native is one of the most decorated riders in the sport, having won two consecutive Ecilpse Awards and his third Bill Shoemaker Award in 2008. He has also earned more money than any other North American rider over the past three seasons.
Bodog.com 2009 Kentucky Derby Picks:
I Want Revenge 5/2
Dunkirk 9/2
Pioneerof the Nile 6/1
Friesan Fire 13/2
Chocolate Candy 14/1
Papa Clem 15/1
Desert Party 16/1
