The winner was a horse named Animal Kingdom, but the average person tuning in had never heard of the horse before, or any horse in the field for that matter.

This raises the question, why do we watch a sport that is only relevant a few times a year*?

(The reference to “a few times a year”, of course, has to do with the possibility of a Triple Crown. The winner of the Kentucky Derby goes on to run in the Preakness Stakes. A win there means they will run in the Belmont Stakes. Three wins gives a horse, and its owner, the glory of being a Triple Crown winner.)

Those who attend the Kentucky Derby are the die-hard horse racing fans. They wait all year for the event, and they show up in style. The ladies all have their sometimes outrageous hats on, and no one is doing anything but smiling. This is the Super Bowl for most of these people. They sing along with pride to the playing of “My Old Kentucky Home” and cheer loudly during the entire race. The cheering might be because of large bets, but either way they are cheering.

Those who do not attend include myself and millions of others. Many do not wait all year for the event, and do not really remember it exists until they see an ad for it on TV. The day of the race comes, and many find themselves watching the pre-race events, not because they are forced to, but because they choose to do so. It is something that many have done for years, since they were children.

The Kentucky Derby remains special despite the decline in horse racing because it is such a storied tradition. It is something that my parents used to watch every year, and I am sure that this is true for many people.

The Kentucky Derby is an American tradition and will continue to be one for many years to come. It is older than all professional sports in the country, and it draws one of the largest crowds (over 150,000). It has been a staple in sports for decades and will continue to be for many more to come.

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.