08/07/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Managing partner Jess Jackson announced on Tuesday that 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin will make his next start at Saratoga in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes on the main track. This is an indication that the four-year-old will go where the best competition is and not just for the money.
"The Woodward has the least purse," Jackson said, "but we thought it would be best to stay at this venue (where Curlin is currently training), both for him and for racing."
Two million-dollar races were strongly considered for Curlin, Saturday's Arlington Million on the grass and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sunday, August 24. The Pacific Classic is run on a synthetic surface that Jackson is not completely sold on.
"We'd like to go (to the Breeders' Cup Classic), but it's an untested surface, and we're very uncertain about it" Jackson said, in reference to the Pro-Ride synthetic track currently being installed at Santa Anita Park, which will host the Breeders Cup both this year and in 2009.
Besides, Jackson said in reference to the Classic, "He's won the Classic already, been there, done that."
Curlin, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Robby Albarado, is about $500,000 from passing Cigar on the all-time earnings list for North American based thoroughbreds. Cigar closed his career with more than $9.9 million in earnings and Curlin now has better than $9.4 million.
Winning the Woodward wouldn't put Curlin past Cigar on the list, but would move him ahead of Skip Away into second. That is if the Saratoga jinx doesn't get the colt.
"I've heard expressions like it's a graveyard for champions and that sort of thing," Jackson noted. "That's nonsense. A horse is a horse. He's going to run if he likes it not. Every course is different. He loves Oklahoma (the Saratoga training track) and I think the main course here is no problem at all. I've walked that surface myself. It looks very well-kept. I compliment New York for, in stressed circumstances, continuing to maintain Belmont's surface and Saratoga's surface as well as they did."
Last year, as a three-year-old, Curlin met and defeated older horses for the first time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He followed that victory with a commanding performance in the Breeders' Cup Classic. After the Woodward he may return to Belmont Park for the Gold Cup or go to Suffolk Downs for the Mass Cap.
"Suffolk is an alternative along with, of course, the Jockey Gold Cup," Jackson said. "They fall about the same day, I think. I don't know, my memories, the same weekend anyway. There's a race or two on the West Coast. We're not looking for a particular race, we're looking for what Curlin's fit for doing and then of course the other considerations come in to it, the surface, the size of the price, and of course what's best for his legacy. His legacy is one of the reasons I want to run at Saratoga. It has a history here as an historic venue that will add luster to his legacy, not necessarily to his pocketbook. We're very happy here and that's why we chose this. But Suffolk, yes. I think the ownership there is very aggressive, they're doing a very good job and we will keep it on our radar screen."
Jackson and Asmussen are not boastful. They simply know they have the best racehorse going and will give the public every chance to see Curlin run.
"I cannot speak for what he means to anybody else," Asmussen said. "I think the interest level on him here is as high as anywhere we have gone. 'Where's Curlin running?' has definitely come out of people's mouths. With the announcement that he will be running here, I am anxious to see the turnout."
<< Astros' Oswalt vies to extend dominance over Reds
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Roy Oswalt faces his all-time favorite
opponent when his Houston Astros visit Great American Ball Park tonight for
the first of four weekend games with the Cincinnati Reds.
Oswalt enters the game w
<< Rockies, Nationals wrap up set with double dip
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Streaking right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez looks for his fifth
consecutive win and seventh in eight starts today, when the Colorado Rockies
host the Washington Nationals in the doubleheader finale of a weather-
impacte
<< First-place White Sox aim to extend Tigers' skid
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox aim for a three-game sweep of the
badly-slumping Detroit Tigers, who hope to avoid a seventh consecutive loss in
tonight's matchup between the American League Central rivals from U.S.
Cellular Field.
<< Yanks' Mussina goes for 15th win in finale with Rangers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Mussina will attempt to become the latest member of
the American League's 15-win club when the veteran hurler takes the mound for
the New York Yankees in tonight's finale of a four-game series with the host
Texas Rangers
Berube tabbed as Flyers assistant coach >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Flyers announced
Thursday that Craig Berube has been named an assistant coach.
"Craig will bring new energy to the Flyers' coaching staff," said general
manager Paul Holmgr
Red Bulls sign Venezuelan defender Cichero >>
Secaucus, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York has signed Venezuelan
defender Gabriel Cichero.
Cichero, 24, has earned 10 caps for the Venezuelan National Team, scoring his
first international goal in a friendly against Colombia
Fulham signs England striker Johnson >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fulham has finally completed the signing of
England striker Andrew Johnson from Everton for an initial fee reported to be
in the region of $10.5 million.
The 27-year-old has opted to return to the ca
Barca will allow Messi to play in Olympics >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona will allow forward Lionel Messi
to remain with Argentina for the remainder of their Olympic campaign.
Barca, along with German clubs Werder Bremen and Schalke, had brought an action
to the Co
Two playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count.
New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend.
His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates.
HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game.
The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup.
RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day.
First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08.
The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition.
These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years.
New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5.
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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
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