Why The Pamplemousse is the morning-line favorite for the Santa Anita Derby
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from the Louisville Courier-Journal:
Why Santa Anita oddsmaker Jeff Tufts makes The Pamplemousse (9-5) the slight favorite over Pioneerof the Nile (2-1) in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby:
"Just a general feeling that he's maybe a little more popular with the bettors," Tufts said. "He's gotten a lot of publicity, almost like he's gotten more hype."
Because the odds had to be announced at the post-position breakfast yesterday, Tufts said he had to start setting it up before he knew all the entries, when it looked like The Pamplemousse would be the lone speed. The surprise was Z Day, who will make his first start in California for trainer Mike Mitchell. Z Day apparently was entered, presumably as a rabbit to soften up The Pamplemousse, at the behest of owner Ahmed Zayat, who also owns the stretch-running Pioneerof the Nile, trained by Bob Baffert.
Z Day is a sprinter, but he is coming off a second-place finish to the well-regarded Imperial Council in a Gulfstream allowance race.
"When The Pamplemousse drew the 10 hole, if he's going to lay off a speed horse, you couldn't ask for a better situation," Tufts said. "The 10 hole is an absolutely perfect place to be. But it probably will be pretty close in the betting. If Z Day wasn't in there, if the field had been the original six everybody said was going to run, it looked like there was no speed in there and there might have been a much bigger gap in the wagering."
Why Santa Anita oddsmaker Jeff Tufts makes The Pamplemousse (9-5) the slight favorite over Pioneerof the Nile (2-1) in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby:
"Just a general feeling that he's maybe a little more popular with the bettors," Tufts said. "He's gotten a lot of publicity, almost like he's gotten more hype."
Because the odds had to be announced at the post-position breakfast yesterday, Tufts said he had to start setting it up before he knew all the entries, when it looked like The Pamplemousse would be the lone speed. The surprise was Z Day, who will make his first start in California for trainer Mike Mitchell. Z Day apparently was entered, presumably as a rabbit to soften up The Pamplemousse, at the behest of owner Ahmed Zayat, who also owns the stretch-running Pioneerof the Nile, trained by Bob Baffert.
Z Day is a sprinter, but he is coming off a second-place finish to the well-regarded Imperial Council in a Gulfstream allowance race.
"When The Pamplemousse drew the 10 hole, if he's going to lay off a speed horse, you couldn't ask for a better situation," Tufts said. "The 10 hole is an absolutely perfect place to be. But it probably will be pretty close in the betting. If Z Day wasn't in there, if the field had been the original six everybody said was going to run, it looked like there was no speed in there and there might have been a much bigger gap in the wagering."
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