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This Saturday, May 2nd will mark the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. The greatest North American horse race, and the first leg of the Triple Crown Series, is set to begin at 6:00pm ET and will be broadcast live on NBC. Sportsbook.com's 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds Update has the great grandson of Seattle Slew, I Want Revenge, listed as the favorite to win this year's Run for the Roses.

Our 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds Update at Sportsbook.com has Hold Me Back listed at +1500 on the money line to win this weekend at Churchill Downs.

Hold Me Back enters this weekend's race with more than his share of skeptics, after having won just two times in his last four races and placing fifth in a Grade 2 event back in November of last year. However, his second place finish at the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 11th, a Grade 1 race at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, combined with his stellar pedigree has garnered the colt some fans as well.

Hold Me Back was sired by Giant's Causeway, a multiple Grade 1 winner in both England and Ireland. His dam is the non-racer Restraint. Despite having no track experience, Restraint comes from outstanding racing bloodlines. She was sired by Unbridled's Song who earned over $1,000,000 in Grade 1 events and whose father, Unbridled, won the 1990 Run for the Roses. Unbridled's Song is also the sire of one of 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds Update favorites, Dunkirk.

Saturday's race will mark just the second time that Hold Me Back has seen action on a dirt track. His previous dirt experience was the aforementioned fifth place finish at a Grade 2 race that took place on November 29th, 2008 — the Remsen Stakes at the Aqueduct in New York. But the horse performed well in practice this week at Louisville, turning in a five furlong time of 1:01 3/5.

Hold Me Back will be in good hands tomorrow as three time Derby winner Kent Desormeaux will serve as his jockey. Desormeaux was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2004 and won Eclipse Awards in 1987, 1989, and 1992. He rode Big Brown to Churchill Downs' glory in last year's Derby, reproducing a feat he had done in 1998 with Real Quiet and in 2000 with Fusaichi Pegasus. 

Sportsbook.com 2009 Kentucky Derby Odds Update:

I Want Revenge +250

Pioneerof the Nile +400

Dunkirk +400

Friesan Fire +500

Hold Me Back +1500

Desert Party +1500

Chocolate Candy +2000

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