Breeders' Cup Post Positions, Morning Line Set

Whoo-hoo! Today was selection day at Churchill Downs, with the fields finalized and post positions drawn for each of the eight Breeders' Cup races. Here are the races, the horses and the morning Breeders' Cup line as reported by the NTRA.

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
1 - Dreaming of Anna (4-1)
2 - Sutra (20-1)
3 - Cash Included (3-1)
4 - Octave (6-1)
5 - She's Included (15-1)
6 - Bel Air Beauty (8-1)
7 - Cotton Blossom (10-1)
8 - Lilly Carson (30-1)
9 - Adhrhythm (12-1)
10 - Her Majesty (10-1)
11 - Satulagi (20-1)
12 - Appealing Zophie (10-1)
13 - Quick Little Miss (30-1)
14 - Gatorize (30-1)

Breeders' Cup Juvenile
1 - Street Sense (20-1)
2 - Stormello (6-1)
3 - Scat Daddy (4-1)
4 - King of the Roxy (12-1)
5 - C P West (15-1)
6 - Principle Secret (5-1)
7 - Great Hunter (9-2)
8 - Teuflesberg (15-1)
9 - Circular Quay (5-2)
10 - Pegasus Wind (15-1)
11 - Got the Last Laugh (20-1)
12 - U D Ghetto (50-1)
13 - Malt Magic (30-1)
14 - Skip Code (50-1)

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf
1 - Dancing Edie (30-1)
2 - Ouija Board (8-5)
3 - Mauralakana (15-1)
4 - Film Maker (6-1)
5 - Honey Ryder (4-1)
6 - Quiet Royal (30-1)
7 - Wait a While (3-1)
8 - My Typhoon (20-1)
9 - Satwa Queen (12-1)
10 - Germance (12-1)

Breeders' Cup Sprint
1 - Thor's Echo (10-1)
2 - Friendly Island (30-1)
3 - Lewis Michael (30-1)
4 - Henny Hughes (2-1)
5 - Areyoutalkintome (30-1)
6 - Bordonaro (3-1)
7 - Nightmare Affair (30-1)
8 - Pomeroy (8-1)
9 - Too Much Bling (10-1)
10 - War Front (12-1)
11 - Siren Lure (10-1)
12 - Malibu Mint (30-1)
13 - Attila's Storm (20-1)
14 - Kelly's Landing (20-1)

Breeders' Cup Mile
1 - Ad Valorem (20-1)
2 - Silent Name (20-1)
3 - Araafa (9-2)
4 - Sleeping Indian (20-1)
5 - Free Thinking (15-1)
6 - Echo of Light (10-1)
7 - Aragorn (5-1)
8 - Badge of Silver (12-1)
9 - Rob Roy (15-1)
10 - Miesque's Approval (10-1)
11 - Super Frolic (50-1)
12 - Gorella (4-1)
13 - Librettist (6-1)
14 - Aussie Rules (10-1)

Breeders' Cup Distaff
1 - Round Pond (15-1)
2 - Pine Island (5-1)
3 - Healthy Addiction (10-1)
4 - Sharp Lisa (50-1)
5 - Lemons Forever (30-1)
6 - Spun Sugar (10-1)
7 - Fleet Indian (8-5)
8 - Baghdaria (30-1)
9 - Pool Land (10-1)
10 - Hollywood Story (20-1)
11 - Bushfire (30-1)
12 - Asi Siempre (15-1)
13 - Happy Ticket (12-1)
14 - Balletto (6-1)

Breeders' Cup Turf
1 - Go Deputy (6-1)
2 - T. H. Approval (15-1)
3 - Icy Atlantic (30-1)
4 - Scorpion (6-1)
5 - Rush Bay (20-1)
6 - Cacique (4-1)
7 - Hurricane (3-1)
8 - Better Talk Now (12-1)
9 - Red Rocks (10-1)
10 - English Channel (7-2)
11 - Silverfoot (30-1)

Breeders' Cup Classic
1 - Brother Derek (30-1)
2 - Premium Tap (30-1)
3 - Bernardini (Even)
4 - George Washington (10-1)
5 - Lawyer Ron (20-1)
6 - Perfect Drift (20-1)
7 - David Junior (10-1)
8 - Lava Man (6-1)
9 - Giacomo (30-1)
10 - Flower Alley (30-1)
11 - Invasor (5-1)
12 - Suave (30-1)
13 - Sun King (15-1)

As expected, Breeders' Cup betting odds favor Bernardini heavily in the Classic and Henry Hughes in the Sprint. The race with the most longshots is the Juvenile, which gives both UD Ghetto and Skip Code 50-1 -- superfecta, anyone? :)

Technorati tag(s): breeders cup, horse racing

Breeders' Cup Challenge: Win and You're In

The Breeders' Cup, working in conjunction with several major horse racing tracks, have added a bit of spice for 2007 stakes races to guarantee Breeders' Cup berths for each eligible horse that wins on six big stakes days. The "Challenge" races total 24 in total, occurring at six leading racetracks.

The move is marketing-oriented to be sure, hoping to instill an extra sense of excitement for the six "Win and You're In" races. Before this move, horses could only qualify for the Breeders' Cup based on points earned in horse races during the qualifying period, in conjunctions by international thoroughbred experts making selections.

The participating tracks are Saratoga, Santa Anita, Arlington Park, Del Mar, Belmont Park and Keeneland.

The new scheme is meeting with widespread approval among trainers and horse racing enthusiasts. Tom Albertrani, trainer of this year's favorite in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic, Bernardini, believes this will affect trainers' racing strategies as well. "We'll probably start targeting different races in different ways based on the new guidelines. It will probably be easier for fans to understand too."

Technorati tag(s): breeders cup

BreedersCup: Odds are Churchill Downs Will Set Record

With the 2006 BreedersCup less than a week away, there's a flurry of activity at Churhill Downs as
it opens its 21-day Fall Meet today, coinciding perfectly with the $20 million worth of hot and heavy horse racing and BreedersCup betting action to take place November 4th.

Churchill Downs could well be on its way to a Breeders' Cup attendance record, with all 50,000 reserved seats sold out, and a forecast calling for a 59-degree high and only 10% chance of rain boding well for the chance to lure horse racing fans into purchasing one of 35,000 general admission seats that will be available.

Despite the favourable BreedersCup forecast, Churchill Downs will follow the lead of Belmont Park, last year's host, in not sponsoring fan fests outside the actual racetrack. Aside from the iffy weather that's always a factor in Louisville, the town itself probably contains the largest proportion of knowledgeable horse racing enthusiasts than anywhere else in the country. Event VP Damon Thayer said a fan fest isn't as necessary in a place like Miami, "because there's such a high preponderance of people here who have focused on the racing."

Aside from life-size bronze statue of Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day in the clubhouse garden dedicated today, Breeders' Cup attendees will also be treated to the greater opulance and added features of Churchill Down's recent $121 million renovation, which includes luxury suites and other indoor upgrades.

Technorati tag(s): churchill downs, breederscup

It's No Joke a No Show, Strong Contender Not a Contender

The winner of the Grade II Super Derby, Strong Contender, will not be running in this year's Breeders' Cup Classic. The three-year-old horse is instead setting his sights (blinders off!) on the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

"We want to have a good, fresh horse for next yeat," said trainer John Ward Jr. Ward felt that the cumulative effect of training for and running in the 2006 Breeders' Cup would diminish the chances of having a strong handicapping horse next year. "We've put our best foot forward," Ward said further, "and decided to point him for a 4-year-old campaign.

The son of Maria's Mon has won four of seven career starts, with a victory in the Rade II Dwyer Stakes in addition to the Super Derby, and third place finishes in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and Peter Pan Stakes.

And it's no joke: It's No Joke will also not be making an appearance at this year's Breeders' Cup Championship. Trainer Rebecca Maker said "it's being realistic" to hold him back from the big race.

It's No Joke is coming off his first Graded Stakes Win (G II) at the $50K Hawthorne Gold Cup, where he galloped to a one-length victory over A.P. Arrow with jockey Eusebio Razo atop.

Clark said she feels "he's a nice horse and can be a Grade 1 horse, if we manage him right." Part of that management is an entry in the Fayette Stakes (Grade III) on 28 Oct. at Keeneland, in preparation for the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on 28 Nov.

Technorati tag(s): breeders cup classic, breeders cup contenders

Breeders' Cup Handicapping: Avoid the Longshots?

I was just reading an article on Breeders' Cup handicapping that initially made a lot of sense to me. It says, in part, that "longshots are for experienced Breeders' Cup handicappers".

I decided to do a bit of poking around in the Breeders' Cup results to see if this was true. Here is a history of the payouts for the winning horse of the Breeders' Cup Classic:

2005 - Saint Liam - 6.80
2004 - Ghostzapper - 7.00
2003 - Pleasantly Perfect - 30.40
2002 - Volponi - 89.00 (43.5 to 1!)
2001 - Tiznow - 15.80
2000 - Tiznow - 20.40
1999 - Cat Thief - 41.00
1998 - Awesome Again - 11.40
1997 - Skip Away - 5.60
1996 - Alphabet Soup - 41.70
1995 - Cigar - 3.40
1994 - Concern - 17.00
1993 - Arcangues - 269.20 (133 to 1!)
1992 - A.P. Indy - 6.20
1991 - Black Tie Affair - 10.00
1990 - Unbridled - 15.20
1989 - Sunday Silence - 6.00
1988 - Alysheba - 5.00
1987 - Ferdinand - 4.00
1986 - Skywalker - 22.20
1985 - Proud Truth - 16.80
1984 - Wild Again - 64.40

If you take definition of a longshot as 10-1 or better ($22 payoff), that means only six of the 22 Classic winners have been longshots, so I guess the advice here is sound.

Of course, what stands out looking at these results isn't the sound bets made on favorites or upper-ranked horses, but the incredible payoffs on the long shots we're supposed to avoid. I really wish I had made the "mistake" of placing a sizable wager on Arcangues!

Technorati tag(s): breeders cup, breeders cup betting, horse racing odds

Breeders Cup Classic: Can Anyone Beat Bernardini

With the Breeders Cup only seven weeks or so away, everyone's talking about Bernardini, Preakness winner and, more recently, winning horse in the Travers Stakes. Is this racehorse worth the 7/4 odds being offered on him at present?

Well, have a look at Lava Man. This 5-year old gelding took the Pacific Classic Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 20th in an awe-inspiring fashion, breaking away from the field on the final turn and going on to win by 2 1/4 lengths. 3-0-1 in 2005, he now has six wins in 2006, and has proven he can run successfully against the best.

Then there's the little-talked-about Shirocco. This German thoroughbred could be a dark horse (sorry) in this year's Classic. 7-1-3 in 12 career starts, and fresh off a victory in France's Prix Foy.

So while the buzz around Bernardini's extraordinary year is certainly warranted, don't discount the horses he hasn't run against yet -- or especially the horse race he hasn't won yet!

Technorati tag(s): breeders cup, breeders cup classic, bernardini

NFL Betting Season Starts with Winless Steelers

First of all, sorry for not posting here in quite a while. But for the avid sports betting fan, what has there been. Baseball? Sorry, I can get some decent sleeping pills from my doctor. US Open Golf? Tiger Woods is great and all, but my eyes get blurry trying to find that little white ball in the air. US Open Tennis? I love watching the girls, but I wouldn't know a good bet from a bad one when it comes to the tennis court.

And then there's football. NFL football.

As everyone knows, the season's set to kick off on September 7th, with Miami set to takes on the Steelers. Hard to believe, but last year's Super Bowl champions are winless in all of their preseason outings so far. However, they are at least 2-3 ATS, so there's hope yet.

Keep an eye on running back Willie Parker in this matchup. The previously undrafted rookie has just put the pen to a $13.6 million, four-year contract that runs through the 2009 season. Hopefully his outstanding Super Bowl performance will carry over into the regular season.

I haven't seen the NFL odds on this game yet, but unless the spread is horrendous, I'm probably going with Pittsburgh. Preseason bah ... once these guys take to the field in a game that actually means something, they'll shine (Miami's impressive 29-9 victory against St. Louis yesterday nothwithstanding).

Technorati tag(s): nfl betting, pittsburgh steelers

Can the Colts Live Up to Their Early Odds?

The Indianapolis Colts are currently listed as 3/1 favorites to win Super Bowl XLI. Those are very impressive odds for a team that ended it's extraordinary 2005-2006 season with such disappointment.

What do the Colts have going for them this year? Peyton Manning is, of course, an immediate answer. While he's now established as one of the great players in professional football, there remains doubt that he can come through in the big games - particularly the big post-season games, and the big one itself. As Brad Oremland points out, Ben Roethlisberger didn't exactly post a stellar post-season performance last year, but he and his Steelers boast Super Bowl rings nonetheless.

Coaching is also another factor. Coach Tony Dungy said in March that the team "won't use excuses" in regard to their performance last year, but will that improve their performance this year? The blame game seems fairly evenly weighted between Manning and Dungy: certainly if both the star player and experienced coach live up to their potential, the Colts can live up to their NFL sports betting expectations.

Technorati tag(s): indianapolis colts, nfl betting

Baseball Babe Rocks at Mound Charger

Here's one thing you can bet on: the baseball action at Mound Charger will have you lining up to miss ball after ball after ball. Why? Because when you swing the bat and miss, a hot baseball bambi (shown at left) will charge the mound.

So what? Well, here's the fun part. When she charges the mound, you give her a command to carry out when she hits the pitcher's mound (for example, type "punch" and she'll hit more than the pictcher)! See what happens when you try "baywatch", "fredo", "popozow" and "beer" ... then check out other Mound Charger keywords yourself!

Anyway, a little diversion for all you baseball types out there as we gear up for the real betting sport of the season (NFL football OF COURSE!).

Technorati tag(s): mound charger, moundcharger

Del Mar Racetrack Posts Record Attendance for Opening Day, Oceanside Stakes

There was a record crowd for opening day 2006 at Del Mar Racetrack, with 42,005 horse racing fans in attendance.

It was an exciting day, too, as jockey Alexis Solis rode long-shots to victory in both divisions of the Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds. Lightning hit won the first division by a head, coming from last place in the field of seven to claim victory in 1:34.12. Solis had another win-by-a-head with the horse Obrigado in the second division, running the turf track in 1:34.20.

Lightning Hit paid 9.20/3.40/2.60, while Obrigado gave a whomping 14.00/4.40/2.80 (full results).

Technorati tag(s): del mar, horse racing

David Carruthers Arrested, 11 Others Charged

BetonSports.com CEO David Carruthers was arrested yesterday as he attempted to change planes in Dallas, enroute to Costa Rica from Britain. Charges against Carruthers, 10 other individuals and four companies include racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.

A main target of the indictments is not Carruthers, but BoS brain child Gary Kaplan, who had previously operated a sports betting operation out of New York. Among the charges against him are that he "failed to pay federal wagering excise taxes on more than $3.3 billion in wagers taken from the United States". This frankly leaves me scratching my head. How can someone be accountable for unpaid taxes when they had no mechanism for paying taxes? Ironically, Carruthers has being one of the biggest proponents of the formal legalization of Internet gambling in the USA, which would have included being lisensed and, um, paying taxes.

Trading was halted on BetOnSports PLC today following the mayhem surrounting the legal action taken by the Dept. of Justice. Share prices have tumbled for UK gambling giants PartyGaming and 888 following the legal procedings, among growing fears that this may be the first step in the United States aggressively pursuing offshore sportsbooks and casinos.

Technorati tag(s): betonsports, sports betting, gary kaplan

Belmont Stakes: Betting on the Longshots

Saturday's running of the 138th Belmont Stakes may prove surprising in a number of ways. While there are favorites, in some ways this is anybody's horse race with the winners (and many of the contenders) from the 2006 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes absent. Because of this, there's the possibility of some huge wins if you pick an appropriate longshot (particulary in an exotic wager). Let's have a look at the three bottom runners in this last race of the Triple Crown.

Platinum Couple
Morning line: 30 to 1; Gate: 1

Got slaughtered at the Preakness and Wood Memorial. Probably the weakest of the Belmont contenders, Platinum Couple is nonetheless 2-1-2 in ten lifetime starts, and has picked up over $100K in earnings.

Oh So Awesome
Morning line: 20 to 1; Gate: 6

Recently triumphed home in a 1 5/16 mile French race, so perhaps this bodes well for Awesome's chances in the 1 1/2 mile Belmont race. Sired by Awesome Again, who collected the title for Horse of Year in '98, the colt might have a better time than expected in New York.

Double Galore
Morning Line: 30 to 1; Gate: 10

Double Galore has a good lineage for a longer race, and has some speed. Beat out some good horses at Hollyood Park last month.

Whatever the Belmont odds, we can be sure to have an exciting horse race on Saturday!

Technorati tag(s): belmont stakes, belmont odds, belmont betting, belmont stakes odds

Bluegrass Cat Favorite in Belmont Stakes Field of 12

The New York Racing Association announced the starting line up and opening odds on the 138th Belmont Stakes today. Leading the pack is Bluegrass Cat, opening at 3-1 and drawing post position 9.

The 3 year-old colt was runner up in this year's Kentucky Derby, and is one of two horses in this year's Belmont trained by Todd Pletcher, who's hoping for his first Triple Crown victory with this year's Belmont horse race. Bluegrass Cat was sired by Storm Cat (get the name pedigree?), and has snagged more than 700K with four wins in his eight career starts.

Other early favorites are Pletcher's other colt, Sunriver (opening at 4-1, post position 2) and
Bob and John (5-1, post position 4). The last horse to be added was Double Galore, who opened as a longshot at 30-1.

This year's race will mark the largest Belmont field since 1999, where Lemon Drop Kid galloped to victory. Watch for the Belmont odds to take some wild shifts in the next few days, as handicappers evaluate the field without factoring the winners of either the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, both absent for this year's Belmont race.

2006 Belmont Stakes Contenders

The field for the 2006 Belmont Stakes has been posted at the NYRA. The official contenders will be finalized tomorrow, but here's the horses as they now stand.

Steppenwolfer
Great pedigree, great Kentucky Derby Performance, but does he have anything left at the end of the race?

Deputy Glitters
Worked five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 on a fast track in Belmont on Monday morning. Finished 8th in the Kentucky Derby.

Plantinum Couple
Placed sixth at the Preakness Stakes. Will the Damon Runyon winner make a better effort for Belmont?

Bluegrass Cat
Came in second to Barbaro at the Derby. Will this be trainer Todd Pletcher's winning pony?

Jazil
One win in seven starts, but not a bad showing at the Derby. The late-running horse will go into the Belmont without a final work out.

Bob and John
Awful 17th place finish in the Kentucky Derby, but looked good prior to the Triple Crown.

Hemingway's Key
Finished third in the Preakness, and is the only horse to return from the Pimlico race.

Sun River
Full brother to champion Ashado, Pletcher's other hope for the Belmont.

Sacred Light
Santa Catalina Stakes runner-up. Only one win in seven career starts.

Oh So Awesome
Did seven furlongs in just over 1:27 this past Thursday. Don't rule 'im out.

Once the list is finalized we'll see how the Belmont odds are shaping up. Even with the Derby and Preakness winners absent (or perhaps because of that), watch for some wild wagering this year at Belmont Park.

Technorati tag(s): belmont stakes, belmont odds, belmont betting

Kentucky Derby 2006 Heats Up

With less than a week to go to the 132nd Kentucky Derby, there's lot's of hot horse racing buzz and gossip out there regarding the big contenders, the trainers, the owners, the appropriate clothing for watching your horse win (or whatever), Kentucky Derby odds, and anything else having to do with "the most exciting two minutes in sports". Here's some of today's hot topics:

• Online sports betting outlets report that the 2006 Kentucky Derby is expected to draw the largest number of wagers ever. Thank God (as usual) for the Internet.
• As if the prestige and prize money isn't enough, I notice that Kentucky-bred horses that win either the Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby get an extra $100,000. Or rather, the owner does: hope a victorious horse from Kentucky gets at least an extra carrot for their consideration.
• Mister Triester is out of this year's Derby. Mister Triester finished third in the Kentucky Derby trials held on Saturday. This opens the way for Flashy Bull to enter the race.
• Trainer Michael Matz and jockey Edgar Prado have buried the hatchet over an incident stemming from the Arlington Million in 2004. This means that Prado will be riding hot horse Barbado on May 6th. His best performance in the Kentucky Derby is third, when he rode Peace Rules.

Anything but the end of Kentucky Derby pre-race hype -- I'll keep you posted! Already looking forward to the Preakness Stakes. Watch out for Preakness possible Bernardini, from the Darely Stable. Looking hot at Aqueduct, where he made winning the (G3) Withers Stakes look easy.

Technorati tag(s): kentucky derby, preakness stakes, triple crown

Kentucky Derby Contenders 2006

With only a week and a bit to go, there's a lot of talk about the contenders for the 2006 Kentucky Derby. While you can't look a (gift) horse in the mouth online, there's a lot of information available on this year's field, so if even if you left your crystal ball at home, you can at least make a confident bet on the winner of the Kentucky Derby.

Looking at the third choice first, we've got the illustrious Lawyer Ron weighing in at 5/1. Can this cool winner of the Arkansas Derby mix up the field at the Kentucky Derby. Time (as in the time between now and May 6, 2006) will tell.

Next at the post is the much-talked-about Barbaro. 5 starts, 5 victories. That in itself is enough to have the wagering at 4/1. But will his long pause between races make him a little weak in the knees...?

Then there's the number one choice for most horse racing fans, Brother Derek. This fabulous horse made winning the Santa Anita Derby look easy. Will he win the Kentucky Derby? Looks good, but I don't even own a crystal ball.

In the world of long shot (or at least longer-shot) wagers we've got Bob and John (8/1, winner of the Wood Memorial), Point Determined (12/1, with a good showing at the Santa Anita Derby), and Sweetnorthernsaint (7/1, winner of the Illinois Derby). If you're looking for an even longer shot consider Steppenwolfer (25/1, more than 200K in graded earnings).

Whoever you're considering in this year's Derby, take a 'mo to review some of the handicapping articles starting to pop up.

• Beating the Kentucky Derby Odds
• 2006 Kentucky Derby Contenders (the latest article in the Triple Crown Betting Guide)

Whatever your horse racing picks, at Churchill Downs or your local horse racing track -- good luck!

Technorati tag(s): Kentucky Derby betting, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby horses

March Madness Gambling

The 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament -- otherwise known as March Madness -- starts in just a couple of weeks, and savvy sports betting fans will soon be laying down big bucks on the big game. The question many eager to participate in college basketball gambling is how to maximize their earning potential on the road to the Final Four.

There's some help available online in the form of Bodog Sportsbook's March Madness Betting Guide, an informative and valuable repository of articles with great tips on how to bet on March Madness (and NCAA basketball games in general).

The first article, "College Basketball Odds", looks at how to bet on NCAA hoops. It examines the difference between betting on the moneyline and a basketball point spread, and looks how the gambling NCAA basketball fan can hone their college basketball betting skills in anticipation of the big March Madness games.

The next installment, "Make Your Picks a Slam Dunk", address March Madness gambling proper, looking at how you can start putting together your college basketball betting strategy early by exploring relatively undervalued teams. A great follow up to the college basketball odds article, you'll learn more about betting on NCAA hoops as the Tournament approaches.

However you slice it, March Madness is an exciting time for sports betting officiandos. Keep following the March Madness betting guide as the college basketball playoff season progresses -- I know there'll be more to come!

Super Bowl is 3 Days Away!

The Super Bowl is only 3 Days away! Time flies when you'r having fun. Seems like it was just yesterday I was watching the Rose Bowl.