2008 Horse Racing Year End Betting Review

by Patricia Woo | Nov 5 2008

2008 was a great year for horse betting, filled with riveting storylines, amazing equine athletes, and of course, thrilling races. As the year winds down, Bodog Racebook takes a look at the year's biggest stories.

Triple Crown Conundrum
Not since Affirmed in 1978 had a horse won all three races that comprise the Triple Crown, but the buzz about a champion in 2008 started early with Big Brown's explosion onto the racing scene. After only three starts (and three wins), the Boundary colt was primed for a history-making date with Thoroughbred racing's most prestigious title, and he didn't disappoint with showstopping performances in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. made headlines with his cocky guarantees of a third win, and the stage was set for the final and most demanding race: the Belmont Stakes. But in a stunning turn of events, Big Brown was eased in the stretch by jockey Kent Desormeaux after failing to respond and longshot Da'Tara took home the trophy; bettors who had a gut feeling about an upset in the making made out like bandits.

Speculation and rumors swirled around Big Brown and his connections for weeks after the race. Was his poor performance the result of a loose shoe? His notorious hoof problems flaring up? Simple fatigue? Even today, nobody is certain what happened – only that racing fans will have to wait another year to see if there will be a new Triple Crown champion.

Breeders' Cup Clash
The biggest story of 2008 was the war of words between Rick Dutrow Jr., trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown, and Steve Asmussen, trainer of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin – and the highly anticipated matchup at the Breeders' Cup Classic that never happened.

After his 2007 Classic win, Curlin began his 2008 campaign with two wins, including the Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race. Trainer Steve Asmussen then turned his attention to the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France and entered Curlin in his first turf race, the Man o' War Stakes, where he placed second.

Meanwhile, despite Big Brown's failed bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, Dutrow continued to claim his horse's superiority over Curlin: "I don't know why people think Curlin is such a good horse. We're way better than Curlin." Asmussen's response? That his horse had already won a Breeders' Cup Classic title and, as such, had no need to prove himself.

The two horses continued their winning ways along separate paths in the following months. Big Brown triumphed in the Haskell Invitational and the Monmouth Stakes, showing a return to his championship form. Curlin won the Woodward Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, making him the first racehorse in North America to break the $10M earnings mark. And their connections continued their verbal sparring as the Breeders' Cup drew closer, though Asmussen would not commit to the Classic. But finally, it looked like the Big Brown – Curlin showdown would finally happen when Curlin was shipped to Santa Anita to train on the synthetic Pro-Ride surface.

Unfortunately, things did not unfold as planned. Big Brown suffered a career-ending hoof injury during training only days before the Classic and was retired. Curlin did not take to the synthetic track as well as was hoped and finished fourth. But it was a great day for bettors who were counting on a longshot to win – Raven's Pass took top prize.

And with Santa Anita Park also hosting next year's Breeders' Cup, savvy bettors are in luck: They should be able to take what they learned about the track and the type of horses it favored and parlay that information into big winnings in 2009.


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