Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/06/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Undefeated champion mare Zenyatta and leading older male horse Quality Road, the two top-rated thoroughbreds in training, are each slated to race Saturday afternoon, though separated by about 3,000 miles.
Zenyatta will go after a third straight Clement L. Hirsch Stakes victory at Del Mar, while Quality Road is the odds-on favorite for the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.
Quality Road will be the first to leave the starting gate. The four-year-old colt, trained by Todd Pletcher, has five challengers to contend with in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney.
Owned by Edward Evans, Quality Road has returned to racing in 2010 after a disastrous Breeders' Cup Classic. The colt did not get a chance to run in the Classic because of his refusal to be loaded into the starting gate.
"Unfortunately he gets a little bit of a bad rap from, you know, the one isolated incident at the Breeders' Cup when, you know, part of it was his fault and part of it was the way he was handled," Pletcher said this week.
"But since then," Pletcher continued, "he's been absolutely perfect in every situation."
Quality Road came back this year an even better horse than he was at three, the year he won the Florida Derby. With John Velazquez riding, he has moved to the head of the class in the handicap division with three straight wins in 2010.
"We've been very fortunate so far that everything has gone according to plan," Pletcher noted. "We've gotten the first three races and those have gone very well. We're coming up to the next step which, you know, by watching him train he seems to be in as good a form as ever, even better so, you know, everything's gone the way we want it to go. And, you know, there's still some more left to do and each race is very, very important."
Quality Road has picked up victories this year in the Hal's Hope, Donn Handicap and Met Mile. Saturday's Whitney start will be the first of his races that, hopefully, will get him to the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November.
"In this particular year, we've kind of laid out a schedule at the beginning of the year," Pletcher said. "Talking to Mr. Evans and Chris Baker as Farm Manager and Racing Manager that, you know, this is kind of what we had in mind was to open with the Donn and then, you know, a break in the Met Mile and then, you know, probably another break in the Whitney and hopefully the Woodward and then the Breeders' Cup."
The Woodward, which was won by Rachel Alexandra last year, will be held at Saratoga on the first Saturday in September.
"If the Whitney goes according to plan and he comes out of it well and we feel like he's ready to run back in the Woodward," Pletcher commented, "we would like to run back in the Woodward.
A little more than three hours after Quality Road goes in the Whitney, Zenyatta will break from the gate in the Clement L. Hirsch. This will be her fourth start of the year.
The late-running champion is coming off a second straight win in the Vanity Handicap and now goes for a third straight triumph in the Hirsch.
To owner Jerry Moss, Zenyatta is more than a racehorse.
"She is perfection in a very important way," Moss said. "She didn't just happen to show up in the barn and then all of a sudden start winning all these races all in a row; it took a tremendous effort by a great group of people headed by (trainer) John Shirreffs. There are 14 different people that touch her every day. It is quite amazing. And they're all just great to her and they all deserve a large part of this."
Zenyatta is ridden by Mike Smith who is another promoter for the champion.
"She's extremely intelligent," Smith noted. "If you've ever gotten the opportunity to be around her, she's just amazing. I mean she's so, so intelligent. I mean from - she knows when there's a time when you can walk up to the stall and she can be the most loving thing in the world. She'll let you pet on her."
This year the six-year-old has been showing a lot of showmanship, winning races by the smallest of margins. In the Vanity, the undefeated superster appeared to be running out of room to gain the victory, but she closed late receiving credit for a half-length win over St Trinians even though it looked a lot closer.
Saturday's Hirsch offers the mare a chance to win her 18th consecutive race without a defeat. Her rivals are less than stellar, but Zenyatta still has to run and cross the wire first.
<< Modano may find the weight of Hockeytown heavy
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perhaps Mike Modano is finishing his
career where he always intended.
It is certainly going to be odd for any long-time hockey fan to see Modano
skate during an NHL season with nothing other than the symbo
<< Ravens place CB Harris on IR
Westminster, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens have placed cornerback
Walt Harris on injured reserve.
Harris was signed in early July after missing all of last season because of a
torn ACL he suffered in 2009 offseason workouts whi
<< Red Sox place Okajima on DL
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have placed pitcher Hideki
Okajima on the 15-day disabled list.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona, in an interview on WFAN-AM in New York, said
Okajima has a hamstring injury.
Okajima is
<< Polynice transfers from Ole Miss to Seton Hall
South Orange, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall has announced that guard Eniel
Polynice has transferred from Ole Miss and will be eligible to play this
season.
Polynice will not have to sit out a year, as he received a waiver from
Afinogenov heading to Russia >>
St. Petersburg, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Forward Maxim Afinogenov, who skated
with the Atlanta Thrashers last season, has decided to play in Russia's
Kontinental Hockey League in 2010-11.
On Friday, Sov Sport magazine reported that
Union jump right back into action at Dallas >>
Frisco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Union jump right back into
Major League Soccer action on Sunday at FC Dallas, three days after a 2-1 loss
at home to the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew.
Philadelphia forward Seba
South Carolina G Nainima has successful surgery >>
Columbia, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Carolina senior guard Valerie Nainima
underwent successful surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in
her right knee.
South Carolina medical director Dr. Jeffrey Guy performed the p
Indians recall Brantley, demote Lewis >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians recalled outfielder
Michael Brantley from Triple-A Columbus on Friday and inserted him into center
field and the leadoff position in the starting lineup.
Brantley is set to begin hi
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.
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting