2010 KENTUCKY DERBY LAST MINUTE BETTING TIPS

The undercard for the 2010 Kentucky Derby is well underway and it is a very sloppy day on track at Churchill Downs. We've been covering the run-up to the Run for the Roses for quite some time and we haven't seen too many things that make us change around any of the selections we'd made previously, although the slop does complicate things. I think the surface conditions may make the track play a lot more like it did last year when Mine That Bird pulled off a dramatic late dash. 

I think that the surface conditions and the 20 horse field open things up for a late-pushing effort and the two horses most capable of pulling that off are Ice Box and Stately Victor. You'll find both of them listed at solid prices with Nick Zito's Ice Box given the edge in the late-closer market with a 10/1 price while Stately Victor trades at a 30/1 margin. Ice Box mugged Pleasant Prince on the line in the 2010 Florida Derby and registered a 99 Beyer with some really excellent late pace figures. He's got a good kick and I reckon that Jose Lezcano will try to push him up the middle of the track, but he may have to push through a crowd to get it done. He deserves respect and I think he is a very plausible winner. 
Jackson Bend is more than worth a look to me thanks to his closing ability, coolness under pressure and his compact size that somehow manages to defy logic. He is built like a 5f horse, but can handle two turns with ease. He finished second to Eskendereya twice and that needs to be respected- especially as both of those races were strong battles for the place position. He will be able to move through a crowd easier than most and I think that's a real edge for him here. Worth a look at 15/1. He is an essential factor in my exotic bets. 
Lookin At Lucky drew the dreaded #1 stall, but is retaining his position as the morning-line favourite at the time of this writing. He has been very unlucky over the past few months, but he is a very classy horse with great figures and he's posted some very good workouts in the past week over sloppy tracks. He is the most tactical horse in the race, but needs a near-perfect trip coming off the rail. Definitely should be part of the equation, but you are betting for his luck to change. 
Super Saver was beaten by a neck in the 2010 Arkansas Derby by Line of David and he's acquitted himself pretty well in the build-up to the Run for the Roses. I think he could be part of the run-in here if he gets the right trip and you need to respect Calvin Borel over the surface at Churchill. It will be interesting to see how he handles the surface, but is worth a look at a 15/1 price.