The Belmont odds are here and there is, pardon the pun, a lot at stake. Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra won’t run and that opens the door up for what should be a tightly matched field. Switching from his Preakness-winning horse back to his Kentucky Derby-winning horse, Mine That Bird, can jockey Calvin Borel take the Triple Crown?

Before we take a look at some Belmont contestants generating buzz at the racebook, let’s take a quick look at the particulars for the race, including the post time and TV schedule, and the post positions and odds:

• What: Belmont Stakes
• Date: Saturday, June 6th
• Location: Belmont Park in Elmont New York
• Post Time: 6:27 PM ET
• TV Schedule: Belmont Stakes TV coverage begins at 5:00 on ABC
• History: Belmont Stakes History and Past Champions
• Belmont Stakes Betting: Click here to jump to the BetOnline.com Racebook

Now that we’ve looked at the Belmont Stakes post time and post positions, let’s look at a few of the top contenders and their odds for winning the 2009 Belmont Stakes.

THE CONTENDERS

Mine That Bird
Belmont Stakes odds: 2 to 1

No surprise here. He won the Derby and his style – hanging back in the pack and making a late charge – is perfectly suited to the Belmont, which is the longest of the Triple Crown tracks. In fact, he may have caught Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness had the distance been longer. With jockey Borel riding him in hopes of achieving personal glory, Mine That Bird is the clear-cut favorite for those betting online.

Charitable Man
Belmont Stakes odds: 3 to 1

If Mine That Bid is the consensus favorite, Charitable Man is the consensus No. 1 challenger. The speedy horse is three-for-three on dirt and two-for-two at Belmont, so he has the potential to leave the field in the dust this Saturday. He’s never run a race this long, though; will he have the stamina?

THE SOLID PICKS

Dunkirk
Belmont Stakes odds: 4 to 1

On one hand, he hasn’t stepped up to the plate in big races this season; he finished 11th at the Kentucky Derby and didn’t run the Preakness. However, he has great stamina and could contend since he should run most of the race at full speed.

Chocolate Candy
Belmont Stakes odds: 10 to 1

If you want an “educated” pick yet still want a shot at winning pretty good money, Chocolate Candy may be your horse. He was a respectable fifth at the Kentucky Derby and has two stakes race wins this season. He can also handle the Belmont distance, so you shouldn’t forget about him when betting online.

THE LONG SHOT

Miner’s Escape
Belmont Stakes odds: 15 to 1

Don’t laugh! No one ever imagined that Mine That Bird would take the Derby, so it’s reasonable to take a long look at Miner’s Escape. His owner/trainer tandem of Robert LaPenta and Nick Zito guided their horse Da’Tara to the win at last year’s Belmont odds, so they know what they’re doing here. Miner’s Escape also won his last race, so he may be the best “swing for the fences” pick in Belmont betting.

Update 5/2 – 10:00 am: I Want Revenge has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby.

It’s time to get into this year’s Kentucky Derby odds, with the 135th edition of the “Run For The Roses” set to take place on Saturday at venerable Churchill Downs. I Want Revenge is the sportsbook favorite for the Derby, and he’ll be aiming to take the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Before we preview the odds of a few of the major contenders, here are the particulars for this year’s Kentucky Derby:

2009 Kentucky Derby Preview: Location, Date, Time, TV, Tickets

• What: 135th Kentucky Derby
• Kentucky Derby Location: Churchill Downs in Lousville, KY
• Kentucky Derby Date: Saturday, May 2nd
• Kentucky Derby Post Time: 6:04 ET
• Kentucky Derby Post Positions: See Table Below
• Kentucky Derby TV Schedule: Live race coverage begins on NBC at 5:00 PM ET.
• StubHub Tickets: Deals on Preakness Stakes Tickets | Deals on Belmont Stakes Tickets
• Tickets: Exclusive deals on Kentucky Derby tickets from StubHub

And here is a table listing the post positions, horse names, trainers, jockeys, and odds (as of 4/30) for the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

And now onto a preview of the lines for some of the most prominent horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

I Want Revenge is favored at +360, and he won his debut on dirt in the Wood Memorial on April 4, beating West Side Bernie without really breaking a sweat. I Want Revenge seems to be the class of the three-year-olds running this year, and jockey Joe Talamo said that the horse really only put the pedal to the metal for the last 1/8-mile of the race, which bodes well for Kentucky Derby betting players. Another good thing? I Want Revenge’s owners, IEAH Stables, won the Derby last year with Big Brown.

Friesan Fire is next with Kentucky Derby odds of +485, and he also comes with an outstanding pedigree as his father, A.P. Indy, was the Horse of the Year in 1992. Friesan Fire has three pre-Derby wins to his credit, but he hasn’t raced since March 14, when he routed the competition in the Louisiana Derby.

Dunkirk has Kentucky Derby odds of +545 and, although he hasn’t raced since losing to the injured Quality Road in the Florida Derby, Dunkirk has all the tools to emerge with the roses this Saturday. His first gallop on dirt came just over a week ago, and his handlers have been more impressed with each trip around the track.

Pioneerof the Nile is close behind at +605 and, like Friesan Fire, he also won three pre-Derby races. He’s never raced on a dirt track before but he’s looked good since landing at Churchill Downs for training. The win in the Santa Anita Derby was big for Pioneerof the Nile, as some say he wasn’t even running to his full potential.

A darkhorse (no pun intended) for the Derby? Chocolate Candy, with Kentucky Derby odds of +1215. Chocolate Candy has won two pre-Derby races, and four of the last six he’s entered. In all sports, momentum is always a big factor, and his handlers have to be feeling good about Chocolate Candy’s Kentucky Derby odds.