pet connection

An interesting thing happens when a horse wins the Kentucky Derby as convincingly as Big Brown did: A lot of people put a few bucks down on short-odds “win” tickets for the Preakness that they have no intention of ever cashing. They’re just cheap souvenirs, in case the horse ends up winning the Triple Crown.

Despite that phenomenon, betting on the Preakness (the “handle”) was way, way down. According to the Bloodhorse:

After four straight years of handle topping $87 million, wagering on the Preakness program declined 15.8% in a year-over-year comparison with the 2007 card.

All-sources handle, not including separate-pool wagering, was $73,457,510 for the 13-race card, according to data released by the Maryland Jockey Club, down from the $87,194,161 last year, and 19.3% lower than the record $91,028,704 in 2005.

An official with Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Pimlico Race Course, said officials were still trying May 19 to analyze a puzzling drop in handle despite the presence of – or because of – 1-5 betting favorite and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown.

“This race was not a great betting race,” said Scott Borgemenke, executive vice president of racing for MEC. “Personally, I took Big Brown out of it in my own betting, and invested a toothpick to try and win a lumber yard.”

“I don’t think the Eight Belles situation had anything to do with it,” Borgemenke said, referencing the negative fallout from the catastrophic run by the filly as runner-up in the Derby. “I really don’t know what to make of it all right now. I think we had some scratches that made some of the earlier races not so attractive.”

Did the “Eight Belles situation” have nothing to do with it? Who knows? After all, NBC’s ratings held pretty steady.

We’ll have to see what happens for the Belmont, although I am still planning to boycott the race. Heck, I even chose FedEx over UPS for a package this morning because the latter company is a Big Brown sponsor.

Time to take the blinders off, boys. Reform racing now.

Will Big Brown win the Belmont? Maybe so. He certainly seems the cream of what pretty much everyone has acknowledged to be a mediocre collection of 3-year-olds. If I were more cynical than I am (I know: Hard to believe) I would wonder if any horse who could win the Belmont has owners who are being quietly encouraged not to run him. The sport really needs a “hero” right now to distract the critics, and Big Brown is as close to that as they can find, even with his dirtbag connections.

If lightly raced Casino Drive (whose half-brother (Jazil) and half-sister (Rags to Riches) — same mom (Better Than Honor) for all three — have won the last two Belmont Stakes) comes down with “a fever” or some such and doesn’t run, well, then I’d say “hmmmmm …”