Three-Year-Olds Regain Spotlight on Saturday

Horseracing Betting Lines

03/05/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With last week's cancellation of the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, there will be two graded three-year-old prep races this Saturday as that event joins the Gotham Stakes over in New York.

Eight of the 10 earlier Sham combatants will fight it out as Straightomidnight and Viva Macho have been replaced by Marcello and Boulder Creek. Unfortunately, the weather might not cooperate once again, as more rain is in the forecast. In the event Saturday's card gets washed away, the race will be run on Sunday.

Coinciding with the two stakes races, the second batch of 23 three-year-olds were announced earlier in the week for Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Ten horses that were not on the original list now have found themselves as single-betting interests, including a pair entered in Saturday's Sham Stakes - Nextdoorneighbor and Setsuko.

Nextdoorneighbor scored by four lengths in his third career start - his first around two turns - giving trainer Michael Machowsky, who also has Caracortado in his barn, a possible second Kentucky Derby contender.

The son of Lido Palace, who has Beyered in the 80's in all three starts, is coming into the race in top form with four splendid workouts since his maiden victory. On the negative side, his jockey in all three races, Rafael Bejarano, will ride Setsuko so Mike Smith has the mount.

Setsuko also has just one win on his resume (in six lifetime starts) and that was at Hollywood Park, so he is winless in two career attempts on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface. In addition, Setsuko's maiden victory came as the heavy 1-2 favorite. It's obvious the field he beat that day leaves a lot to be desired, especially since Broken Tango, the second-place finisher, ran seventh in Nextdoorneighbor's lone triumph.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if both colts failed to hit the board as there are three other top contenders that should finish in front of the two Pool 2 contestants.

Leading the way is Kettle River, winner of two straight, including a game victory over Hawaiian Springs and The Program on January 6 at 1 1/16-miles.

Trainer Eoin Harty, who has been high on this colt for a long time, might have lucked out with last week's postponement as Kettle River was behind in his training due to illness. With an extra week of preparation, look for the son of Congaree to be in top form in his first stakes appearance.

The Program bounced back after losing to Kettle River to win his next start, an entry level allowance event over 1 1/16-miles at Santa Anita. It was a struggle getting past Indian Firewater but he was able to wear him down by a nose at the wire.

His pedigree suggests he'll like the added distance as his second dam, Far Flying, is a half-sister to both the 1987 champion filly Sacahuista and John's Treasure, who finished right behind Danzig Connection in the 1986 Belmont Stakes. More importantly, he looks to be the lone speed after Straightomidnight's connections opted to run that colt on the turf in the Pasadena Stakes, also on Saturday.

Alphie's Bet, like Setsuko, raced on the turf in his last start, breaking his maiden by almost two lengths. It was an extraordinary performance as the Alexis Barba-trained colt was about 10 wide into the stretch while ripping home a final quarter mile in 22 3/5 seconds - the last eighth in an unbelievable 10 4/5. All that under a hand ride!

His lone stakes appearance was also impressive as he finished second to Caracortado in the California Breeders' Challenge in late December. On the negative side, the removal of Straightomidnight could hinder his ability to close as the early pace will most likely be on the slow side.

Selections: 1) Kettle River; 2) The Program; 3) Alphie's Bet.

HEADING EAST TO THE BIG APPLE

The Gotham Stakes could have been a tremendous race if all the horses that were pointed for the $150,000 event actually ventured into New York. Regrettably, both Tiz Chrome and Sidney's Candy decided to pass.

The 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 race still drew a field of 10 with Peppi Knows and Afleet Again, the top two finishers in the Whirlaway Stakes, surprisingly listed at 10-1 and 20-1 on the morning line.

Peppi Knows has four wins in six starts, including that one-length victory over Afleet Again last month. His two losses were also strong efforts, finishing second to Buddy's Saint and third to Noble's Promise.

Purchased for just $6,500, the gelding has been underrated his entire career and should hit the board for the sixth time in nine starts.

Afleet Again also must be respected with two wins, a second and a third in his last five, including a victory over Count Fleet winner Laus Deo and Sam F. Davis runner-up Schoolyard Dreams back on Halloween.

I've Got the Fever, who finished behind Aikenite, Super Saver, Rule and Brake Lights in his first four races, finally found a field he could beat winning by 2 3/4-lengths just two weeks ago - wearing blinkers for the first time. He also received a 90 Beyer figure for his effort, a 20-point rise from his previous race. Nevertheless, it's doubtful he'll be able to duplicate that performance, especially on just 14 days rest.

Wow Wow Wow comes into the Gotham off a win at Oaklawn Park, his second in seven career starts. Prior to that victory, he finished eighth in the Smarty Jones Stakes, a race he was wide throughout. In his previous start (an allowance race at the Fair Grounds), he made a winning move around the turn only to falter through the stretch finishing fifth behind Stay Put.

He's royally bred as his second dam, Bird Cage, is a half-sister to Belmont Stakes and Travers winner, Birdstone. Unfortunately, he drew the far outside post position - number 10 - and will most likely have to race wide once again.

Shrimp Dancer is bred for the turf on both sides but has run on the dirt in three straight races after three over the weeds. The son of Kitten's Joy picked up place money in his last two, failing both times to win as the heavy favorite. This New York State-bred seems up against it in this race.

Two wild cards in the Gotham are Yawanna Twist and Awesome Act.

Trained by Richard Dutrow, Yawanna Twist is undefeated in two starts but stretches out off a pair of six furlong sprints to 1 1/16-miles. His damsire is Oliver's Twist, who ran second in the 1995 Preakness, so there is a chance he could win around two turns.

Awesome Act comes into the Gotham off a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf but that was four months ago. He's also only raced one time on the dirt (Polytrack) finishing third (beaten four lengths) in a five-horse field. The fabulously bred son of Awesome Again (his dam is full sister to Machiavellian and Coupe de Genie) is actually favored on the morning line but with the recent inactivity, it's best to look elsewhere.

The second choice is Three Day Rush, the colt that took the worst of it when Eightyfiveinafifty bolted in the Whirlaway. Still, he failed to run down Peppi Knows and was passed by Afleet Again inside the final eighth of a mile. He'll have to show some speed breaking from the rail so don't expect much through the stretch.

Nacho Friend, who hasn't raced since last July, could have a hard time getting the distance after a pair of sprints last summer, while the final horse, Turf Melody, needs to step it up after a sixth-place finish in the LeComte.

Selections: 1) Wow Wow Wow; 2) Peppi Knows; 3) Afleet Again.

THIS WEEKEND'S SPOT PLAYS

Saturday's best bet is Tom Kitten in the second race at Aqueduct. The three- year-old gelding finished a game third in his last effort over the track on February 20 despite a terrible trip.

Tom Kitten broke slowly from the gate and jockey Fernando Jara didn't help matters any by taking him wide down the backstretch. He also forced the New York State-bred into the seven path at the top of the stretch but the gelding was good enough to battle Midnight Billy for the lead only to wind up third. He's 6-1 on the morning line so go in with both fists.

Also on Saturday, 10 colts and geldings square off in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. The choice here is the eight-horse Lucky Rave. His two career victories came over Polytrack but he's bred top and bottom for the turf. His lone grass race in North America was a solid third in the Generous Stakes and an even better performance is in the cards in this one as a quick early pace should suit his come-from-behind abilities.

The sixth race on Sunday at Santa Anita also bears watching. It's a maiden special weight event for three-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Eoin Harty trains two of the 11 entered and both could have extraordinary futures. The first, Kayce Ace, is a full brother to Colonel John, while the second, Empress Way, is a half-sister to the late Eight Belles. They may not win this race but their futures could be outstanding if they're anything like their siblings.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.

New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).

The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.

Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.

Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.

The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.

Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.

The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.

Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.

However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).

The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.

Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.

In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.

Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.

Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.

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Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

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