Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Preview

Horseracing Betting Lines

10/27/2011 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Female sprinters take center stage for the fifth running of the Grade 1 $1-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint held for the second straight year at Churchill Downs on the Friday card of the Championships.

Horse-for-course Dubai Majesty, a two-time heroine of the G3 Winning Colors at Churchill, added to her resume beneath the Twin Spires with a 2 1/4-length win in last year's edition. With Jamie Theriot in the irons, the daughter of Essence of Dubai sat within striking distance in fourth through a half mile in :45.44, and began to roll four wide on the turn for home. She took command in the stretch and was never seriously threatened by California invaders Switch and Evening Jewel, who settled for second and third, respectively. Champagne d'Oro, the lukewarm favorite at 4-1, stayed on for fourth after pressing the early pace. Defending champ Informed Decision failed to land a blow in seventh. Sent off at odds of 8-1, Dubai Majesty stopped the clock for seven furlongs in 1:22.31. The Florida-bred earned a lifetime-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

"We were excited about running her here at Churchill," trainer Bret Calhoun said after saddling his first Breeders' Cup winner. "She's been very consistent, very honest for us all along. She's a wonderful mare."

The 6-year-old was subsequently retired with a record of 34-12-7-6 and earnings of $1,509,243. Campaigned by Martin Racing Stable LLC and Dan Morgan, Dubai Majesty fetched $1.1 million from Japanese interests as a broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale just two days after registering her Breeders' Cup victory.

Will another Churchill specialist follow in her hoofprints Nov. 4?

Sassy Image certainly has the credentials to make it happen. The chestnut won three of four attempts in Louisville as a juvenile in 2009, including the G2 Golden Rod and G3 Pocahontas, and continued her love affair with her old Kentucky home this term in sprints with tallies in the G1 Humana Distaff Stakes on the Derby undercard and the Winning Colors on Memorial Day, earning career high Beyer Speed Figures of 105 and 99 in the process.

"She loves it here; she loves Churchill," trainer Dale Romans said following Sassy Image's decisive 16-1 upset victory in the Humana Distaff. "When [Robby Albarado] took her off the turn, she just exploded. Yes, the Breeders' Cup here in the fall is something to think about, for sure."

The 4-year-old daughter of Broken Vow shipped to Calder for a dramatic last- to-first win going six furlongs in the G1 Princess Rooney in July, rallying from an astounding 15 lengths back to record her second win at the highest level. However. Sassy Image's dream season hit a speed bump in her next attempt at Saratoga. Favored over five rivals in the G1 Ballerina, she leapt at the start, bolted on the turn for home, and finished 26 3/4 lengths behind the visually impressive winner Hilda's Passion. It was later revealed that Sassy Image had a valid excuse that day, grabbing a quarter.

The victory also took its toll on the speedy Hilda's Passion. She emerged from her dazzling 9 1/4-length win with a season-ending non-displaced condylar fracture of her right front leg and is scheduled to go under the hammer as a racing or broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Romans, currently enjoying a banner year after winning his first Classic with Shackleford in the Preakness, annexed his first Breeders' Cup race with Tapitsfly two years ago in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. He trains Sassy Image on behalf of his older brother Jerry.

The talented Turbulent Descent looks to become the first sophomore to defeat older fillies and mares in this event. Astutely turned back to one-turn affairs this spring, the G1 Hollywood Starlet and G1 Santa Anita Oaks victress dismantled five rivals in Keeneland's G2 Beaumont in April, then had to settle for second as the heavy favorite behind the sharp It's Tricky going a mile over a saturated Belmont main track in the G1 Acorn on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Freshened since, the daughter of Congrats got back on track in a big way, blowing the doors off with a sparkling 3 3/4-length decision in the prestigious G1 Test at Saratoga. Turbulent Descent, owned by a partnership group headed by Blinkers On Racing Stable, is perfect in three attempts at the Filly & Mare Sprint distance of seven furlongs.

"She'll take on any horse out there at this distance," trainer Mike Puype said following the Test. "It puts her right to the top of the division. She's the favorite to win the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint."

Puype has been represented by two previous Breeders' Cup starters - Old Trieste (eighth in the 1999 Classic) and Supreme Summit (fourth in the 2010 Sprint).

Fellow 3-year-old Hot Summer punched her ticket to the big dance with a rallying win while cutting back in distance to six furlongs in Saratoga's G3 Victory Ride. The G3 Comely victress was previously third in the nine-furlong G2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico. She will have to step up her game in the speed figure department to get the job done here though. Hot Summer earned a career high Beyer of 89 in the Victory Ride. Trainer David Fawkes and owner Harold Queen teamed up for a victory in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint with Big Drama.

Veteran mare Tar Heel Mom, trained by Stanley Hough, owns the experience edge amongst the top contenders and has the ability to hang up triple-digit speed figures. She has enjoyed one of her best seasons as a 6-year-old, holding on by a neck to defeat the aforementioned rocketship Hilda's Passion in the G3 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream back in January, and was a dominating wire-to-wire winner of Saratoga's G2 Honorable Miss in August, earning a 101 Beyer. Tar Heel Mom had her chances compromised after a stumbling beginning in the Ballerina, and crossed the wire a distant second after pressing the pace. She may prefer going a furlong shorter, but does own a graded victory at the seven-furlong distance of the Filly & Mare Sprint in the 2010 G2 Distaff at Aqueduct. The Alex Rankin colorbearer has lined up on the Churchill strip three previous times in her career; her best finish was a second in an $80,000 optional tagger in 2009. From four previous Breeders' Cup starters, Hough's best result was a fifth-place finish with Sensation in the 2005 Juvenile Fillies.

Irish Gypsy, a daughter of 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Hennessy, and Tanda, lead the way for the West Coast representatives. The former, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, earned an automatic spot in the starting gate for the Filly & Mare Sprint with a game nose victory in the G1 A Gleam at Hollywood in July, but has failed to build off that effort since. Tanda, a close third in that "Win and You're In" prep for trainer Dan Hendricks, turned the tables on Irish Gypsy while making her first start for conditioner Mike Mitchell with a 1 1/4-length win in Del Mar's G3 Rancho Bernardo, a race Irish Gypsy tired to be third. The Sweetsouthernsaint filly ran well in her only previous start on conventional dirt as a sophomore in 2010, rallying from far back to complete the trifecta in Belmont's Acorn.

The G2 Presque Isle Downs Masters, held in early September, has quickly become a key prep race for the Filly & Mare Sprint producing the last two winners. The improving 4-year-old Musical Romance, second beaten only a neck to Sassy Image in the Princess Rooney, got it done this year stalking the early leaders and holding on by a neck over the fast finishing Canadian shipper Ariana D, who came flying on the outside from last after a rough trip. It was a half-length back to 2011 G1 Vinery Madison Stakes heroine Shotgun Gulch, who also rallied from out of the clouds to finish third.

Three of the four winners of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint - Maryfield (2007), Informed Decision (2009) and Dubai Majesty (2010) - have been crowned Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter. The brilliant Indian Blessing failed to withstand the explosive rally of Ventura in the 2008 edition, but a trio of Grade 1 wins that season in the La Brea, Prioress, and Test proved enough for her to bring home the hardware. With a mixed bag of winners in this term's prep races, it looks like a championship is likely to be on the line once again.

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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