Big Brown Favored in Monmouth Stakes Betting Odds

Big Brown is listed as the 2-1 morning line betting odds favorite against 10 challengers.

Shakis is listed at 7-2 in the morning line odds and is a serious threat.

"On turf, we're happy to take him on and feel like we have a big chance," said Shakis trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Bobby Frankel who trains Proudinsky also likes his chances on Saturday.

"I'm really looking forward to running in this race Saturday," said Frankel. Post time for Monmouth betting is 4:52 pm Eastern time on Saturday afternoon.

Big Brown is running on the turf for the first time since last September. His connections say that the horse prefers turf even though he has not run on it since that race.

This horse betting race is being used as a prep race for Big Brown for the Breeders' Cup Classic on October 25th at Santa Anita Park. Santa Anita has a synthetic surface and the connections of Big Brown believe that the turf will help the horse adjust.

"This grass race is really more about a prep for a synthetic run," owner Michael Iavarone said. "The good ones that have run well on the synthetic have really run well on the grass. We made it very clear that this race is a prep race. We're not looking for his best race here; we're looking for his best race in October.” Big Brown will start from post position #4 with regular rider Kent Desormeaux. It is likely that Big Brown will be challenged for the early lead by Get Serious, Fagedaboudit Sal, and Kiss the Kid. That early pace could help a closer like Shakis who rallied from off the pace to win the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga last month.

"We're very confident or we wouldn't be running," McLaughlin said. "We feel like we can win the race. We're an older, proven horse at nine furlongs. He's a 3-year-old who ran once on [turf]. He was impressive when he ran on it. If he happens to be that good and loves the turf and we finish second or third, I wouldn't be that surprised, but I think our chances of beating him are good at this time."

Frankel is even more confident in the chances of Proudinsky who just barely lost to Shakis in horse betting odds last time out.

"Now, he's right on," Frankel said. "He ran the fastest sheet number in the race, by the way, but he's going to run better."

Monmouth Stakes Horse Betting Odds