FRANKIE DETTORI has seen the odds slashed on his big Kentucky Derby hope – a horse known for outrunning huge odds.
The world’s most famous jockey delayed his retirement in a bid to win the ‘Run for the Roses’.
APCan Dettori achieve his dream and win the Kentucky Derby?[/caption]
He last raced in the famous Churchill Downs contest 24 years ago and it remains one of the few top class races around the world he’s yet to add to his CV.
Truth be told it looked like he didn’t have much chance after his mount Society Man was initially given quotes of 50-1 for Saturday’s race.
But punter support in the past week has seen the horse’s odds decimated.
Society Man was 50s with Unibet a week ago but is now into 25-1.
While the Danny Gargan-trained three-year-old has been cut from 40s to 20-1 with Coral.
Drawn widest of all in 20, Dettori will have to work some of his magic on the horse who made a mockery of 100-1 odds when last seen.
But it wasn’t all that long ago he performed his miracle on Golden Horn in the Arc from the outside stall.
And bookies think another ‘miracle’ is on the cards this time round.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Having been drawn widest of all in stall 20, Frankie Dettori’s task in winning a first Kentucky Derby has not been made any easier.
“But he’s defied the odds throughout his career, and if any rider can perform a Churchill Downs miracle, it’s Frankie.”
While Dettori’s former British racing rival Ben Curtis is also being tipped to spring a shock at a price.
Former all-weather champion jockey Curtis has been jocked up on three-year-old colt Honor Marie, who won £200,000 on debut in a Grade 2 at Churchill Downs last November.
Honor Marie has finished fifth and second in two subsequent runs, the latter being under Curtis.
And one US form expert reckons Honor Marie, who has a great draw in stall seven, is a ‘live longshot’ in the race worth £2.5million to the winner after his price was slashed from 33-1 into 16-1.
Pete Fornatale wrote on At The Races: “Honor Marie was notably short of fitness for his seasonal debut and improved significantly second up, securing a good second to Catching Freedom in the Louisiana Derby.
“If he improves again in the third race of the form cycle, he has a chance to reverse that form and make a big impact in this race at a price.
“He also owns a win at Churchill Downs, which can only be seen as a positive.
“He’ll likely need a strong pace to do his best running, but he’s under the radar and very interesting at current odds.”
Sierra Leone is the 11-4 favourite for the big race, due off at 11.57pm and shown live on Sky Sports Racing.
Kentucky Derby odds via Coral
11-4 Sierra Leone
10-3 Fierceness
8-1 Forever Young
10-1 Catching Freedom
12-1 Just A Touch
16-1 Honor Marie, Stronghold
20-1 Domestic Product, Encino, Just Steel, Society Man
25-1 Endlessly, Mystik Dan, Resilience
33-1 Dornoch, T O Password, Track Phantom
40-1 Catalytic, Epic Ride
50-1 West Saratoga
66-1 Grand Mo The First, Mugatu
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