Horse Racing Betting: Casino Drive out of Belmont?

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Horse Racing Betting at WagerWeb Racebook

Huge news Friday out of Belmont Park, where it was announced that the second favorite for the race and perhaps the only challenger for Big Brown, Casino Drive, has a bruised hoof and is "questionable" for Saturday's race.

The 3-year-old colt skipped his morning workout Friday after his trainer noticed Casino Drive wasn't walking normally."He has a small issue with his left-hind leg, and we were not happy," Nobutaka Tada, spokesperson for trainers Hidetoshi Yamamoto and Kazuo Fujisawa, said in a statement. "So, we did not go to the track.

"We have not yet scratched him from the race. We think it might be a small stone bruise and we will watch it closely."

Tada said that Casino Drive would continue to be evaluated throughout the day on Friday and that a final decision would be made Saturday.

"We are still preparing for the race," he said. "Nothing will be decided until we see how he does tomorrow. The race is at 6:30, so we still have time."

 

Casino Drive, who began his racing career in Japan, won the Peter Pan Stakes by 5 ¾ on May 10 at Belmont Park.

Casino Drive went through his normal morning routine on Thursday, but for the first time with jockey Edgar Prado.

"The horse was nice, except when we turned for home when another horse was galloping and he wanted to go with that horse," Prado said after the light move.

Prado is a two time winner in the race, first while riding Sarava in 2002 as a 70-1 longshot defeating 6-5 favorite War Emblem. In 2004, Prado guided Birdstone to a 36-1 upset of previously undefeated and 3-5 favorite Smarty Jones.

Casino Drive is listed at 7-to-2 on the morning line, the only other entrant besides Big Brown at single digits. He is undefeated in two starts, an 11 1/2-length score in an 1,800-meter (8.95-furlong) maiden event at Kyoto racecourse on Feb. 23 and the Peter Pan win.