Eskendereya Owner Filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy: Leading 2 to 1 odds favorite Eskendereya has been making news with his three last races ending in 1st place finishes. However, other news has been surrounding this winner with owner Ahmed Zayat of Zayat Stables filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Go to BODOG.com to get all of the current betting odds on all of your Kentucky Derby favorites.
The spotlight should be on prized winning colt Eskendereya (Giant’s Causeway – Aldebaran Light by Seattle Slew) but it seems that spotlight has been somewhat dimmed due to the fact that owner Zayat Stables is being sued by Fifth Third Bank after they alleged that Zayat defaulted on a series of loans totaling about $34 million. Even though Zayat has countersued the bank alleging deceptive and predatory lending practices, it doesn’t stop the fact that 100% of Eskendereya has been put on the table along with other horses that will be sold. Bought as a yearling for $250,000 from Sanford Robertson in Kentucky, the horse could earn millions towards Zayat’s debt.
“He has all the tools that you would like,’’ said trainer Todd Pletcher of Eskendereya’s Wood Memorial win. “That’s the thing that’s exciting about him. We’ve been very confident all along that he wants to run the distance of the classic races. He has tremendous natural stamina. He’s a physically strong horse. He holds up to his races. He eats well. He’s got all the right tools.’’
Many are looking forward in watching Eskendereya on the track coming up May 1st in the Kentucky Derby. Todd Pletcher trained and a leading contender in the Triple Crown, this colt makes racing an ease to watch. He’s had nothing but 1st place finishes in 2010 with the first being in the Allow in January and then the Fountain of Youth-G2 in February both coming out of Gulfstream Park in Florida with jockey John Velazguez. His last race was early this month in the Wood Memorial-G1 out of the Aqueduct in New York also with Velazguez. Although there will be many strong contenders in the Run for the Roses, I’m sure Eskendereya will put up a good fight to get back in the positive light.
Pletcher continued to say, “We’ve never had a horse that could handle the mile and a quarter, and we’ve never had one put together a couple of preps like this one. We’ve had some good prep wins, but none as impressive as these two. He ran as well as he did in the Fountain of Youth. The difference was that Johnny [Velazquez, the jockey] took care of him from the eighth-pole to the wire. He couldn’t have been more professional.’’
Online racebook BODOG.com has posted horse racing betting odds to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby:
A LITTLE WARM: 50/1
ALPHIE'S BET: 100/1
AMERICAN LION 18/1
AWESOME ACT 12/1
BACKTALK 50/1
CALL SHOT 150/1
CARACORTADO 50/1
CONNEMARA 75/1
CONVEYANCE 25/1
DEAN'S KITTEN 40/1
DISCREETLY MINE 50/1
DISTORTED DAVE 100/1
DROSSELMEYER 60/1
DUBLIN 10/1
EIGHTYFIVEINAFIFTY 50/1
ESKENDEREYA 2/1
FIRST DUDE 150/1
GAME ON DUDE 85/1
HOMEBOYKRIS 60/1
ICE BOX 15/1
INTERACTIF 40/1
JACKSON BEND 20/1
KETTLE RIVER 150/1
LINE OF DAVID 30/1
LOOKIN AT LUCKY 13/4
MAKE MUSIC FOR ME 40/1
MENDIP 40/1
MISSION IMPAZIBLE 30/1
NOBLE'S PROMISE 15/1
NORTHERN GIANT 100/1
PADDY O'PRADO 25/1
PLEASANT PRINCE 50/1
PRINCE WILL I AM 200/1
RULE 20/1
SETSUKO 25/1
SIDNEY'S CANDY 6/1
STATELY VICTOR 40/1
SUPER SAVER 15/1
TEMPTED TO TAPIT 75/1
UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN 75/1
YAWANNA TWIST 75/1
