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I Want Revenge was the most bet on of this year's Kentucky Derby and it is the first time in Derby history that a favorite has been scratched the morning of the race. A filling was discovered in an ankle Saturday morning.
An X-ray and ultrasound test did not find any damage, but the ankle was tender when it was flexed. With a wet track expected, Mullins and owner David Lanzman didn't want to take any chances.
"When the word came out that running could hurt the horse, I looked at both doctors and said, 'Then this is no debate,'" Lanzman said. "'What are we talking about? We'll fight another day.'"
Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian at Churchill Downs, said the horse didn't look injured while jogging for doctors.
"Unfortunately, this close to the Derby, there's not a way to gauge how bad that is," he said.
As a result the online bookmakers have already won big with the large sums of money bet on I Want Revenge. Those who had money on this thoroughbred were also likely to try to recoup their losses by placing bets on another horse and perhaps doubling down.
"For bookmakers, the only better scenario would have been if this wasn't such an open race," states Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com.
This year's Derby featured three other horses that were vying for "favorite" status and a few other long shots that were seen as potential "upset material". In past years, a single horse has dominated the field whereby more money would have been wagered on the favorite.
Some online gambling websites were still offering odds on I Want Revenge even after the news broke.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
