2008 Belmont Stakes Preview: Denis of Cork a Value Bet

Jarrod Horak - June 7th, 2008 .

Everyone with a pulse knows what Big Brown is trying to accomplish in the Test of Champions on June 7th. A victory would erase a Triple Crown drought that dates back to 1978 and Affirmed. However history is not on his side. The last ten horses to win the Derby-Preakness have failed to complete the sweep in the Belmont Stakes. The horse most likely to spoil the party after the scratching of Casino Drive is Denis of Cork .

If you’re still looking for a place to bet on the 2008 Belmont Stakes on race day, I suggest heading over to either BetUS or Bodog .

Denis of Cork looked like a star in the making from day one. In his November 2007 Churchill extended sprint debut, he rallied from 11th and stormed past the field despite a lack of pace. He was bred to route and even surprised his connections in winning his bow at 10-1.

His competent trainer David Carroll, a former exercise rider of the late, great Easy Goer, took his time with Denis and opted for an entry level route at Fair Grounds for his 2nd career outing. The $250k son of Harlan’s Holiday did not disappoint, as he raced wide stalking a tepid pace before grinding his way to a head victory over a sloppy surface he did not care for.

It was time to test the graded stakes waters to see if they had a Kentucky Derby contender on their hands, and Oaklawn’s Southwest Stakes was perfectly spotted on the calendar four-weeks later. The pace was hot in the flat mile affair, and Denis rolled past talented stalker Sierra Sunset to post an easy 2-1/4 length tally.

Things were starting to get exciting in the Denis of Cork camp, but sometimes Derby fever can do funny things to people. His owner William Warren, a staunch believer in Thoro-Graph figures, decided to skip the upcoming Rebel Stakes (won by Sierra Sunset) and run his charge one more time (instead of two) before the first Saturday in May. They figured he would regress a bit in his next start and peak in the Derby…the best laid plans!

The Illinois Derby would be his final prep, and he got no pace help and ran as flat as a pancake while getting nothing out of the race. After such a promising beginning to his career, human error was taking him to the Kentucky Derby with one weak prep in a twelve-week span.

Denis of Cork obviously had a ton of raw ability, and David Carroll regrouped and had him on his toes with a pair of strong Churchill drills in advance of the Kentucky Derby. I totally discounted his Derby chances, but he advanced from 20th to land the show in a remarkable achievement considering his spring preparations.

The beat goes on with a trio of rock solid Churchill works in advance of his June 7th start in the Belmont Stakes, and it appears as though Denis is ready for the race of his life now that Derby fever has subsided. To bet on Denis of Cork on race day sign up at BetUS.com .

Check out our complete Belmont coverage including my full picks and predictions and my analysis of Casino Drivers chances .

 

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One comment | Add One

1. 1 2008 Belmont Stakes Odds: Casino Drive Remains Big Threat - 06/7/2008 at 6:42 pm

    

   [...] his left hind hoof. Lines have been updated see below, read my Belmont picks and analysis of Denis of Cork [...]

    

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