Betting the Bluegrass Stakes

The first thing people should know about the Bluegrass Stakes is that they are named after the state in which they are held. Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State and this race, which is run in April of each year, is considered an important trial for horses looking to run in the world famous Kentucky Derby. It was first run in 1911 and took place every year until 1930 when the Kentucky Association Race Track was closed. It wasn't run again until 1937 when it was revived at Keeneland. Its reputation as a trial for the Derby is well deserved, as 23 Derby Winners were also winners of the Bluegrass Stakes.

Over the years, there has been only one horse winner that has won both the Bluegrass Stakes, and the Triple Crown of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Whirlaway, in 1941, remains the only horse to have ever accomplished this feat. There have been more than a few stakes winners who have won two legs of the Triple Crown only to be defeated during the Belmont Stakes.

The Bluegrass Stakes is considered a grade one race, meaning that it meets certain criteria as set forth by the American Graded Stakes Committee. These include purse requirement, longevity, drug testing, restrictions, anabolic steroid testing, and toe grabs. The purse, or prize, for a grade one event must be higher than $75,000. The event has to have been run for at least two years under the same conditions, and participants can only be restricted based on age and gender.

Something else that is unique about the Bluegrass Stakes is the fact that they test animals for drugs. Drug testing is something that is important, both for the fairness of the bettors and the health of the animals. Drugging animals to perform beyond their capabilities is going to end in the animal injuring or killing itself in the process. There are some anabolic steroids that are permitted, but they are strictly regulated and only certain ones, including Boldernone, Nandrolone, Stanozolol and Testosterone are allowed to be used. Events must meet all of these criteria before it can be considered a Grade 1.

Online sports betting has made it easy for players to enjoy the fun and excitement of placing a wager on their favorite event without having to travel across the country to do so. Many sites allow gamblers to place wagers weeks or months before the race is scheduled to take place. It all depends on how much information is available about the contenders, and how early that information is available.

Learning how to bet on the Bluegrass Stakes online can be fairly profitable due to the sheer number of horses that are participating. It takes some studying but it is not terribly hard to learn how to read the odds and develop a general prediction concerning the outcome of any particular race. The events themselves are already steeped in excitement, and the ability to place wagers on them only adds to that feeling. Bet online horse racing has been around since the first event was run, and will continue to be an entertaining and lucrative way to spend time and money.