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11/20/2007 - Woodbridge, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The final eight races for the 2007 Breeders Crown event at The Meadowlands have been set for Saturday night. The Breeders Crown is harness racing's championship for pacers and trotters.
The eight races will have a total purse of $4.7 million, with divisional titles on the line. There will four races for two-year-old standardbreds and four more for three-year-olds.
The $550,000 three-year-old colt pace will feature Little Brown Jug winner Tell All and Always A Virgin who won the Cane and Messenger Paces. Tell All is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the field of 10 and will start from post two with driver Jody Jamieson.
"He's as sharp as he's ever been, as sound as he's ever been," Jamieson said. "Any trouble we have with him is because he just likes messing around out there. I think it's just all a joke to him. I think if he ever matured and got to race he'd be a killer."
Always A Virgin is the 3-1 second choice for the one-mile pace and will leave from post three with Brian Sears driving. Meadowlands Pace champ Southwind Lynx will be driven by Tim Tetrick from post four and is 8-1 in the program.
"He feels super," Sears said of Always A Virgin. "That horse is sound, straight, relaxed. I'm happy with him. I don't think the front end was a great spot to be (Saturday), but he raced well and had a good horse on his back. You'd love to have him coming off someone's back raging home, but you've got to put him in the spots where you've got to put him."
Leading trotter Donato Hanover is the 7-5 favorite in the $610,000 three-year- old colt trot. Donato Hanover suffered his first loss of the year last week to Arch Madness in an elimination race. The Hambletonian winner will start from the far outside post in the 10 horse field. He will be driven by Ron Pierce.
"He just got beat by a horse who was better that day," said trainer Steve Elliott. "A post position is just a starting point."
Arch Madness is 2-1 in the morning-line with Brian Sears driving from post two.
"I didn't expect that, but this horse has been getting better and better all year," trainer Trond Smedshammer said about Arch Madness' upset of Donato Hanover. "It certainly shows that we have a chance, we did it now so it's possible to do it again. We'll get more respect and we'll have higher hopes, I'm sure."
In the $500,000 three-year-old filly trot, elimination race winner Falls For You is the 5-2 favorite. She will be driven by Brian Sears from post three in the 10 horse field. Pampered Princess, the early season leader, is 3-1 in the morning-line and will start from post six with John Campbell.
Southwind Tempo is the 2-1 choice in the $500,000 three-year-old filly pace. With co-owner Toby Lynch in the sulky, Southwind Tempo will start from the inside post in the 10 horse field.
The Breeders Crown was first conducted in 1984. This year's races for older horses was held at Mohawk Racetrack in Ontario.
<< Dilfer can't spark 49ers' lifeless offense
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quarterback is a tough position to play in the NFL. Signal-
callers sometimes get the glory when the team does well, but also the brunt of
the backlash when a team does poor.
That can be tough on a young quarterback. So, i
<< Cardinals hoping to Rolle into the playoffs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If the Arizona Cardinals are going to make the playoffs for
the first time since 1998, they made some major strides on Sunday.
The Cardinals got a big effort out of nickel corner Antrel Rolle en route to a
35-27 road win a
<< Seahawks still in the driver's seat
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Seahawks know that the NFC West is there for
their taking.
At 6-4, the Seahawks own a one-game lead over the 5-5 Arizona Cardinals in the
division standings. Both of those clubs are ahead of the distant San Fra
<< Bears now in a must-win situation
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears are in danger of starting a new streak.
That is, a streak of Super Bowl runner-ups that failed to reach the playoffs
the following season.
Starting with the New York Giants and their loss to the Baltimore
Lowell finalizes deal with Red Sox >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have finalized a contract to
keep third baseman and World Series MVP Mike Lowell.
Sources indicate there should be an announcement later Tuesday. The Boston
Herald reported Tuesday that i
Morelia, Cruz Azul advance to quarterfinals >>
Mexico City, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Morelia dropped the second leg of its
series against America on Sunday, 1-0, but still advanced on aggregate, 3-1,
to join Cruz Azul in the Mexican Apertura quarterfinals.
Morelia hosts Santos on Th
Chiefs' Johnson out for Raiders game >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas City running back Larry Johnson
will not play against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday as he continues to rehab
his injured right foot.
There has been speculation that Johnson's foot is broken. T
White Sox designate Podsednik for assignment >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox designated outfielder
Scott Podsednik for assignment on Tuesday.
Podsednik, 31, struggled through an injury-hampered 2007 campaign. He batted
only .243 with 12 stolen bases in 62
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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